LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Palm Beach County on Tuesday afternoon to sign two bills to protect pets in Florida.
DeSantis was at Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Loxahatchee for the announcement.
WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENT BELOW:
He was joined by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Melanie Griffin, Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter and Westlake Mayor JohnPaul O'Connor for the announcement.
At the event, the governor signed Senate Bill 1004, which was passed during the recent legislative session, to crack down on puppy mills in Florida. It will take effect on July 1.
"The Senate bill is more about protecting consumers who want to adopt animals to make sure that they're not being taken advantage of," DeSantis said.
The governor said SB 1004 requires the following:
- Pet dealers to disclose financing terms before a sale is final
- Allows consumers to terminate financing agreements without penalty if animals are later found unfit for purchase due to illness or disease
- Requires dealers to provide veterinary medical records and treatment history for animals offered for sale
- Requires clear written notice, involving informing consumers of their rights under Florida law
- Makes violations enforceable under Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act
"It builds off a lot of what we've been doing over many, many years," DeSantis said.
He also signed House Bill 559, which creates new felony offenses for adults who involve minors in aggravated animal cruelty, animal fighting or sexual abuse involving animals. That law will take effect on Oct 1.
The new law also increases criminal penalties for animal fighting and baiting offenses.
"(HB 559) requires juveniles convicted of animal cruelty offenses to undergo psychological evaluation and treatment, if necessary, expands Florida's animal abuse offender database maintained by our state law enforcement agency, provides stronger enforcement tools for local governments through increased civil penalties for animal cruelty violations and more penalties for repeat offenders under local ordinances," DeSantis said.
Last year, the governor was at Big Dog Ranch Rescue, where he signed Trooper's Law and Dexter's Law, increasing penalties for abandoning animals during natural disasters and enhancing sentencing for severe acts of animal abuse. He also previously signed legislation authorizing emergency responders to transport and provide emergency care to injured police canines, while increasing penalties for harming law enforcement, fire and search-and-rescue animals.
