Friday, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law Senate Bill 942, preventing dog breed and weight restrictions in local government and public housing.
The bill brings changes to Florida's "Dangerous Dogs" law, prohibiting local governments from declaring a dog dangerous based on its size and weight. Existing legislation already prohibits this on the basis of the dog's breed.
SB 942 also adds public housing to the law.
Currently, most public housing authorities in the state have restrictions on what breeds of dogs can live in a development. Often on that restricted list are breeds like Pit Bulls and German Shepherds.
While the bill still allows public housing authorities to have restrictions, those restrictions cannot be based on size, weight or breed alone.
Dog restrictions have lead to over-crowding in animal shelters and created housing issues for pet owners. The bill aims to alleviate that over-crowding and create more housing options for owners.
