Beginning October 1, a new provision to the “Dangerous Dogs” law in Florida will effectively stop local governments from banning specific dog breeds like German shepherds or pit bulls.
This is just one of the many laws going into effect in October.
Currently, a county can restrict owners from having a dog over a certain weight or size if the dog poses a safety and welfare concern following an attack as long as the ordinance is not breed-specific. But that is about to change.
The new law, which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 16, will add weight and size as prohibited topics in addition to breed.
The Hurricane season is on. Our meteorologists are ready. Sign up for the NBC 6 Weather newsletter to get the latest forecast in your inbox.
There is a caveat, however.
Public housing authorities could still enact policies pertaining to dangerous dogs, but they may not be specific to breed, size, or weight.
The bill will remove the grandfather provision which has allowed local governments to enforce dog breed-specific regulations that were adopted before Oct. 1, 1990.
Local
This change effectively nullifies Miami-Dade County’s and the City of Sunrise’s existing restrictions on pit bull dogs owners.
