SB 932 - Animal Welfare

• Prohibits transporting dogs in motor vehicles in unsafe ways (on laps, in trunks, on running boards, or with heads out windows) and requires dogs to be secured in crates, pet seat belts, or under physical control of a non-driving passenger; violators face noncriminal traffic infractions.

• Bans declawing of cats except for therapeutic medical purposes, with civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation for non-veterinarians and disciplinary action by the Board of Veterinary Medicine for licensed veterinarians.

• Prohibits manufacturing, importing, selling, or testing cosmetics on animals in Florida, with exceptions for federally required testing; violators face civil penalties of $5,000 plus $1,000 per day of continued violation.

• Prohibits tethering domestic dogs and cats unless the owner is physically present and attending to the animal at all times; bans tethering during severe weather; violates include written warnings for first offense, $250 for second, and $500 for subsequent offenses.

• Creates statewide animal abuser registry effective January 1, 2024, listing persons convicted of animal abuse offenses; prohibits registered abusers from owning animals or working with companion animals and requires pet dealers to prevent sales to registered abusers.