Florida dog owners who leave their animals tied up during a natural or man-made disaster, such as a hurricane or tornado, may soon be punished for doing so.
The Florida Senate is currently reviewing SB 1738, which would make it a first-degree misdemeanor to leave a dog tied up during a disaster. Such a classification would carry a fine of up to $5,000 and up to a year in prison. The bill considers the act of leaving a dog tethered during a storm to be animal cruelty.
The bill defines “manmade disasters” as “a situation in which a person has received notice from a local or governmental authority that an event attributed in part or entirely to human intent, error, or negligence, or involving the failure of a manmade system, which results in significant damage has occurred, is occurring, or may soon occur in the person’s vicinity.”
The bill would punish dog owners if they have received notice of an event — such as a tornado warning — or given an evacuation notice yet leave their animals tied up with “a chain, rope, tether, leash, cable, or other device that attaches a dog to a stationary object or trolley system.”
ABC reports that the bill was introduced on March 1 by Florida Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) and was unanimously passed through the state’s Senate Agricultural Committee on Monday. During a committee hearing on the bill, Gruters said that “numerous dogs” are left chained up during disasters. The Palm Beach Post reported that he also said during the hearing that he wanted “to give these dogs a fighting chance.”
An analysis of the bill says the Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control director reported many pets are left chained up as their owners flee to “ride out the storm.” The director reported that 49 dogs and two cats were rescued by animal control officers during Hurricane Irma (cats are not mentioned in the bill).
The analysis also said that many counties, such as Sarasota and Palm Beach, already “prohibit animals from being tethered in extreme weather, including but not limited to hurricanes, tropical storm, or tornadoes.” In addition, it is already illegal in Palm Beach Country “to leave a dog tied up without the owner being present, but it is considered animal cruelty and a felony when done during a storm.”
The analysis found no constitutional issues with the bill.
The bill will soon move to a vote in the Florida legislature. If passed, it would take effect on July 1. The 2019 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins a month earlier, on June 1, and lasts until November 30.