Florida Senate - 2026 SENATOR AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 1004
Ì342166,Î342166
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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Floor: 1/AD/2R .
02/20/2026 11:04 AM .
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Senator Gaetz moved the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete lines 127 - 280
4 and insert:
5 to the consumer before the sale of the animal. A consumer may
6 sign a waiver relinquishing his or her right to return the dog
7 or cat for congenital or hereditary disorders. In the case of
8 such waiver, the consumer has 48 normal business hours,
9 excluding weekends and holidays, in which to have the animal
10 examined by a licensed veterinarian of the consumer’s choosing.
11 If the veterinarian certifies that, at the time of sale, the dog
12 or cat was unfit for purchase due to a congenital or hereditary
13 disorder, the pet dealer must afford the consumer the right to
14 choose one of the following options:
15 (a) The right to return the animal and receive a refund of
16 the purchase price, including sales tax, but excluding the
17 veterinary costs related to the certification that the dog or
18 cat is unfit; or
19 (b) The right to return the animal and receive an exchange
20 dog or cat of the consumer’s choice of equivalent value, but not
21 a refund of the veterinary costs related to the certification
22 that the dog or cat is unfit.
23 (7) Before the sale of an animal, a pet dealer must provide
24 to the consumer copies of records of all medical examinations or
25 tests that were conducted on the animal or any medication given
26 before the purchase of the animal. A pet dealer may specifically
27 state at the time of sale, in writing to the consumer, the
28 presence of specific congenital or hereditary disorders, in
29 which case the consumer has no right to any refund or exchange
30 for those identified disorders, if such consumer signs a
31 notification that indicates that the animal has been examined by
32 a veterinarian who determined that the animal has the identified
33 congenital or hereditary disorder.
34 (8) The refund or exchange required by subsection (5) must
35 or subsection (6) shall be made by the pet dealer not later than
36 10 business days after following receipt of a signed veterinary
37 certification as required in subsection (5) or subsection (6).
38 The consumer must notify the pet dealer within 7 2 business days
39 after receipt of the veterinarian’s determination that the
40 animal is unfit. The written certification of unfitness must be
41 presented to the pet dealer not later than 3 business days
42 following receipt thereof by the consumer.
43 (10) If a pet dealer wishes to contest a demand for
44 veterinary expenses, refund, or exchange made by a consumer
45 under this section, the dealer may require the consumer to
46 produce the animal for examination by a licensed veterinarian
47 designated by the dealer. Upon such examination, if the consumer
48 and the dealer are unable to reach an agreement that constitutes
49 one of the options set forth in subsection (5) or subsection (6)
50 within 10 business days after following receipt of the animal
51 for such examination, the consumer may initiate an action in a
52 court of competent jurisdiction, or the county court small
53 claims court division, in the county where the animal owner
54 resides, to recover or obtain reimbursement of veterinary
55 expenses and a, refund, or exchange, as set forth in subsection
56 (5), and may collect punitive damages in an amount not less than
57 $2,500 at the discretion of the court.
58 (12) Every pet dealer who sells an animal to a consumer
59 must provide the consumer at the time of sale with a printed,
60 written notice in 14-point boldface type to be signed by the
61 consumer, printed or typed, which is separate from the contract
62 and reads as follows:
63
64 RIGHT TO CANCEL
65 Florida consumers have certain rights under section
66 828.29, Florida Statutes. You have the right to: 1)
67 return the animal; 2) exchange the animal; and 3)
68 receive reimbursement for certain veterinary expenses
69 under certain circumstances. Please have your new pet
70 seen by a veterinarian immediately. A copy of this law
71 is attached to this notice.
72
73 It is the consumer’s right, pursuant to section
74 828.29, Florida Statutes, to receive a certificate of
75 veterinary inspection with each animal dog or cat
76 purchased from a pet dealer. Such certificate shall
77 list all vaccines and deworming medications
78 administered to the animal and list any medical
79 diagnosis and treatments and shall state that the
80 animal has been examined by a Florida-licensed
81 veterinarian who certifies that, to the best of the
82 veterinarian’s knowledge, the animal was found to have
83 been healthy at the time of the veterinary
84 examination. In the event that the consumer purchases
85 the animal and finds it to have been unfit for
86 purchase as provided in section 828.29(5), Florida
87 Statutes, the consumer must notify the pet dealer
88 within 7 2 business days after of the veterinarian’s
89 determination that the animal was unfit. The consumer
90 has the right to retain, return, or exchange the
91 animal and receive reimbursement for certain related
92 veterinary services rendered to the animal, subject to
93 the right of the dealer to have the animal examined by
94 another veterinarian.
95
96 ...(Signature of Animal owner or Lessee, or Owner’s or
97 Lessee’s Authorized Person)...
98
99 (13) For the purposes of this section subsections (5)-(12)
100 and (16), the term “pet dealer” means any person, firm,
101 partnership, corporation, or other association which, in the
102 ordinary course of business, engages in the sale of more than
103 three two litters, or 30 20 dogs or cats, per year, whichever is
104 greater, to the public. This definition includes breeders of
105 animals who sell such animals directly to a consumer. This
106 definition does not include not-for-profit entities that do not
107 purchase dogs or cats from a breeder or broker.
108 (17) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a person
109 who violates any provision of this section commits a misdemeanor
110 of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.
111 775.083.
112 (18) Any record provided to a consumer pursuant to the sale
113 of an animal under this section must be maintained by the pet
114 dealer for a period of at least 7 years after the sale.
115 (19) A pet dealer who violates this section commits an
116 unfair method of competition or an unfair or deceptive act or
117 practice in violation of part II of chapter 501 and is subject
118 to the penalties and remedies provided for such violations.
119 Section 3. Section 828.291, Florida Statutes, is created to
120 read:
121 828.291 Best management practices for dog breeding.—
122 (1) The purpose of this section is to allow voluntary
123 participation in best management practices relating to minimum
124 standards of care, facility operations, and breeding practices
125 for individuals or entities engaged in the breeding of dogs in
126 order to protect animal welfare, promote responsible breeding,
127 and ensure the health and safety of animals and consumers.
128 (2) This section may not be construed to prohibit a local
129 jurisdiction from implementing requirements for individuals or
130 entities engaged in the breeding of dogs.
131 (3) The Department of Business and Professional Regulation
132 shall develop a list of best management practices that
133 individuals or entities engaged in the breeding of dogs may
134 voluntarily adopt and implement. Such best management practices
135 must include minimum standards of care, facility operations, and
136 breeding practices for individuals or entities engaged in the
137 breeding of dogs, including, but not limited to, standards
138 relating to all of the following:
139 (a) Breeding.
140 (b) Feeding.
141 (c) Housing.
142 (d) Health.
143 (e) Enrichment.
144 (f) Selling and transferring, in accordance with s. 828.29.
145 (g) Recordkeeping, in accordance with s. 828.29.
146 (4) The Department of Business and Professional Regulation
147 shall post on its website guidance for the public about how to
148 identify the breeders that are following best management
149 practices and provide a checklist to use when purchasing an
150 animal.
151 (5) The Department of Business and Professional Regulation
152
153 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
154 And the title is amended as follows:
155 Delete lines 14 - 48
156 and insert:
157 before the sale of the animal; deleting certain
158 provisions relating to a consumer’s waiver
159 relinquishing his or her rights to return an animal;
160 requiring a pet dealer to provide copies of specified
161 medical records to a consumer; denying a consumer the
162 right to a refund or an exchange for a pet sale under
163 certain circumstances; extending the timeframe within
164 which a consumer must notify the pet dealer of a
165 veterinarian’s determination that the animal is unfit;
166 authorizing the consumer to initiate an action in
167 certain courts for any contestation of veterinary
168 expenses or demands of the pet dealer for a refund or
169 exchange; providing for the award of punitive damages;
170 revising requirements for a required notice to a
171 consumer; revising the text of the required notice;
172 revising the definition of the term “pet dealer”;
173 requiring a pet dealer to retain a copy of a specified
174 notice for a specified period; providing that
175 violations constitute an unfair method of competition
176 or an unfair or deceptive act or practice in violation
177 of specified provisions and subject to penalties;
178 creating s. 828.291, F.S.; providing a legislative
179 purpose; providing construction; requiring the
180 Department of Business and Professional Regulation to
181 develop a list of best management practices for
182 adoption and implementation; specifying requirements
183 for such best management practices; requiring the
184 department to post guidance on its website related to
185 the selection of breeders and the purchase of an
186 animal; requiring the department to post information