HB 597

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to animal shelters and animal control
3agencies; creating the "Animal Rescue Act"; creating
4s. 828.067, F.S.; defining the terms "animal control
5agency," "animal rescue group" or "rescue group," and
6"animal shelter"; requiring any animal control agency
7or animal shelter that euthanizes animals to maintain
8a registry of animal rescue groups that are willing to
9accept animals that would otherwise be subject to
10euthanization; providing eligibility criteria for
11rescue groups and persons desiring to be on the
12euthanization registry; providing criteria under which
13an animal control agency or animal shelter may reject
14an applicant for the euthanization registry or remove
15a participant from the registry; requiring that
16certain specified information concerning an animal
17rescue group be included in the group's application
18for inclusion on the euthanasia registry; authorizing
19the animal control agency or animal shelter to require
20a rescue group or person to provide certain specified
21data to the animal control agency or animal shelter
22each month; prohibiting an animal control agency or
23animal shelter from euthanizing an animal until the
24animal control agency or animal shelter has notified
25the appropriate animal rescue group or person listed
26on the euthanization registry; providing exceptions to
27the requirement to notify certain rescue groups;
28authorizing an animal control agency or animal shelter
29to assess a fee, not to exceed the standard adoption
30fee, for each animal released to a rescue group;
31requiring that each animal control agency or animal
32shelter provide for public inspection certain
33information on a monthly and annual basis; providing
34an effective date.
35
36Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
37
38     Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "Animal Rescue
39Act."
40     Section 2.  Section 828.067, Florida Statutes, is created
41to read:
42     828.067  Animal shelters and animal control agencies;
43euthanization registry.-
44     (1)  As used in this section, the term:
45     (a)  "Animal control agency" means an organization operated
46by or under contract with the state or a political subdivision
47for the purpose of impounding or harboring seized, stray,
48homeless, abandoned, or unwanted animals.
49     (b)  "Animal rescue group" or "rescue group" means a group
50of persons who hold themselves out as an animal rescue group and
51who accept or solicit dogs, cats, or other animals with the
52intent of finding permanent adoptive homes or providing lifelong
53care for such dogs, cats, or other animals and who use foster
54homes as the primary means of housing animals, or a group of
55persons formed for the prevention of cruelty to animals.
56     (c)  "Animal shelter" means a facility that is used for
57housing or containing dogs, cats, or other animals and that is
58owned, operated, or maintained by a humane society, an animal
59welfare society, a society for the prevention of cruelty to
60animals, or another nonprofit organization devoted to the
61welfare, protection, and humane treatment of dogs, cats, or
62other animals.
63     (2)  An animal control agency or animal shelter that
64euthanizes animals shall maintain a registry of animal rescue
65groups that are willing to accept animals that are subject to
66euthanization.
67     (a)  The euthanization registry must consist of any animal
68control agency, animal shelter, or animal rescue group that is
69designated as an agency meeting the qualifications of s.
70501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that has requested
71that its name be placed on the euthanization registry. Such an
72agency, shelter, or rescue group must be included on the
73euthanization registry regardless of the geographical location
74of the agency, shelter, or rescue group and regardless of any
75other factor except as described in subsection (3).
76     (b)  The euthanization registry may include, at the
77discretion of the animal control agency or animal shelter, any
78person or animal rescue group that has not met the
79qualifications of s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
80     (3)  An animal control agency or animal shelter may refuse
81to include a rescue group or person on the euthanization
82registry or may remove it or the person from the euthanization
83registry if a current director, officer, staff member, or
84volunteer of the rescue group has been convicted in a court of
85competent jurisdiction of a crime consisting of cruelty to
86animals or neglect of animals, or if such charges are pending,
87or if the rescue group is constrained by a court order that
88prevents the rescue group from taking in or keeping animals. An
89animal control agency or animal shelter may require the rescue
90group to disclose any convictions, charges, or legal impediments
91described in this subsection.
92     (4)  The euthanization registry must include the following
93information provided by the rescue group:
94     (a)  The name of the rescue group or person.
95     (b)  The mailing address and telephone number.
96     (c)  The website and e-mail address, if any.
97     (d)  The emergency contact information for the rescue
98group.
99     (e)  The types of animals about whom the rescue group
100wishes to be contacted, including species type and breed.
101     (f)  A statement as to whether the rescue group is willing
102and able to care for unweaned animals, sick or injured animals,
103or animals with behavior problems.
104     (5)  An animal control agency or animal shelter may require
105that a rescue group provide monthly for public inspection
106information concerning the number of animals that:
107     (a)  Have been taken from an animal control agency or
108animal shelter and placed with the rescue group;
109     (b)  Have been adopted;
110     (c)  Have died or have been euthanized; or
111     (d)  Remain in the care of the rescue group.
112
113This information may be provided in an informal format, such as
114via electronic mail. An animal control agency or animal shelter
115may not demand additional information other than that described
116in this subsection as a prerequisite for including a rescue
117group on the euthanization registry or for continuing to
118maintain the rescue group on the registry.
119     (6)  An animal control agency or animal shelter may not
120euthanize an animal until the animal control agency or animal
121shelter has notified, or made a reasonable attempt to notify,
122all rescue groups or persons on the euthanization registry which
123have indicated a willingness to take an animal of that type.
124     (a)  The notification must take place at least 24 hours
125before the animal is scheduled to be euthanized.
126     (b)  At a minimum, the notification must include a
127verifiable electronic communication. Notification to each rescue
128group is considered complete when this has been accomplished.
129     (c)  An animal may not be euthanized if a rescue group or
130person on the euthanization registry indicates a willingness to
131take possession of the animal.
132     (d)  The rescue group or person agreeing to take possession
133of the animal must do so within 2 business days after notifying
134the animal control agency or animal shelter that has possession
135of the animal.
136     (e)  The animal control agency or animal shelter may assess
137a fee, not to exceed the standard adoption fee, for each animal
138released to a rescue group.
139     (7)  The requirements of subsection (6) do not apply in the
140following cases:
141     (a)  An irremediably suffering animal may be euthanized
142without delay under s. 828.05.
143     (b)  A dangerous dog may be euthanized without delay under
144s. 767.13.
145     (c)  Upon the impoundment of an unweaned animal without its
146mother, an animal control agency or animal shelter that has not
147placed the animal into foster care or is not able to provide
148supplemental feeding shall immediately make an emergency appeal
149to a rescue group or person on the euthanization registry who
150has indicated a willingness to care for unweaned animals, and
151shall give the rescue group or person a reasonable amount of
152time, but not less than 8 hours, to respond to the appeal.
153     (8)  An animal control agency or animal shelter shall
154provide for public inspection a monthly summary that includes
155the number of animals, by species type, during the previous
156month which:
157     (a)  Were impounded;
158     (b)  Were euthanized by the animal control agency or animal
159shelter;
160     (c)  Died, were lost, or were stolen while in the direct or
161constructive care of the animal control agency or animal
162shelter;
163     (d)  Were returned to their owners;
164     (e)  Were adopted;
165     (f)  Were transferred to other organizations or rescue
166groups; or
167     (g)  Remain in the custody of the agency or shelter.
168     (9)  Each animal control agency or animal shelter shall
169provide for public inspection an annual summary that includes
170the number of animals, by species type, during the previous
171calendar year which:
172     (a)  Were impounded;
173     (b)  Were euthanized by the animal control agency or animal
174shelter;
175     (c)  Died, were lost, or were stolen while in the direct or
176constructive care of the animal control agency or animal
177shelter;
178     (d)  Were returned to their owners;
179     (e)  Were adopted;
180     (f)  Were transferred to other organizations or rescue
181groups; or
182     (g)  Remain in the custody of the agency or shelter.
183     Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.