Bill HB451
Sponsored by: Chris Dorworth
Co-sponsored by: Scott Randolph

Sterilization of Dogs and Cats: Requires sterilization of dogs &
cats of specified age; provides exceptions; authorizes county or
municipality to enact ordinances requiring licensure of dogs & cats
that are not sterilized; requires DOACS to adopt rules for approval
of breed registration organizations; provides penalties; conforms
requirements for sterilization of dogs & cats in animal shelters &
animal control agencies to changes made by act; deletes provision
extending time for sterilization; authorizes county & municipal
ordinances relating to sterilization of animals; authorizes county or
municipality to collect surcharge on civil penalties. 

 If we do not act now...this bill could be passed as early as May!

Read Bill 451

AKC believes that any attempt at restricting the rights and liberties of
responsible breeders—especially via mandatory spay/neuter laws—
MUST BE DEFEATED!

The Florida Legislature will convene its session in early March. As a recently
filed bill, HB 451 has not yet been referred to a committee within the Florida
House of Representatives. However, it is important that all responsible dog
breeding and owning Floridians write their elected officials in Tallahassee now,
respectfully expressing their strong opposition to HB 451, and asking them to
oppose the bill. This will help ensure that the bill will not be considered when the
legislature comes into session.

For a copy20of the AKC’s Disagree Diplomatically brochure, please click here.

http://www.akc.org/pdfs/GILEG2.pdf

To find out who represents you in the Florida House of Representatives,
please click here.
 
http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/myrepresentative.aspx

For a sample letter to your Representative, please click here.

http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/FL_Resident_Sample_Letter_0109.doc

To find out who represents you in the Florida Senate, please click here.

Florida State Senate

For a sample letter to your Senator, please click here.

http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/FL_Resident_Sample_Letter_State_Senator_0109.doc

The AKC Government Relations Department will continue to monitor the consideration of
HB 451 and will notify the purebred dog community when the bill is assigned to a committee.
Contact information for committee members will be provided and purebred dog owners
should express their opposition to HB 451 to committee members at that time.

For more information, please contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at
(919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.


Link to NAIA TRUST    (National Animal Interest Alliance)

This site has information on legislative action taking place here in Florida.
At the bottom of the page is a form letter that can be emailed or sent
regular mail.

The NAIA Trust is a nonprofit 501 (c) 4 organization established under the
Internal Revenue Code to promote responsible animal care and ownership
and reasonable laws, policies and regulations to protect animals and the people
who care for them.

The Trust also advances the well-being of animals and the rights of responsible
animal owners by promoting reasonable animal control laws that target irresponsible
owners while protecting humane practices by 
          helping animal owners defeat existing or pending laws that unjustly restrict
          or ban breeds and species, unfairly limit the number of animals an owner can
          keep, limit the responsible breeding of pets, place exorbitant fees on maintaining
          intact dogs and cats, codify pet guardianship as an alternative to ownership, or
          place restrictions on ownership that are impossible to meet


List of State Agriculture Committee Members:

CHAIR: JD Alexander (R) District 17 (DeSoto,Glades,Okeechobee,Polk 
          and St. Lucie counties)
VICE-CHAIR: Larcenia J. Bullard (D)-District 39 (Consist of Monroe
                    and parts of Broward,Collier
Hendry,Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties)
Lisa Carlton (R) District 23-(Consist of part of Charlotte, Manatee
                    and Sarasota counties)
Alex Diaz de la Portilla (R) District 36- (Consist of part of 
          Miami-Dade county)
Durell Peaden, Jr (R) District 2 (Consists of Holmes, Washington 
          and parts of Bay,Escambia,
Okaloosa,Santa Rosa and Walton counties)
Jeremy Ring (D)-District 32 (Consists of part of Broward County)