New Florida law lifts ban on all dog breeds, pit bulls remain controversial (2024)

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New Florida law lifts ban on all dog breeds, pit bulls remain controversial? ›

Now, for the first time in 34 years, pit bulls are once again legal in all of Florida. On Oct. 1, House Bill 941 went into effect in Florida, prohibiting governmental public housing authorities from banning dogs based on their breed, weight or size. The law also overturned remaining breed bans by local governments.

As of Sunday, Oct. 1, an update to Florida's "Dangerous Dogs" law effectively prohibits local governments or public housing authorities from banning pit bulls. It also prohibits any local ordinances or policies that declare a dog dangerous based on its breed, size or weight.

Florida adopted a new dangerous dog law that went into effect on October 1, 2023. This new law prevents local governments and public housing authorities from adopting policies or ordinances that designate a dog as dangerous based solely on its breed, size, or weight.

There are no US states where Pit Bulls are banned from the entire state, but many cities have breed bans that prohibit Pit Bulls and other breeds considered dangerous. If you have or are considering getting a Pit Bull, it is important to research your area's laws to make sure that you won't lose your dog.

The Impact of Breed-Specific Legislation on Pit Bulls

However, these laws often do more harm than good, leading to an increase in the number of pit bulls in shelters and a decrease in adoption rates. Pit bulls spend three times longer in shelters than other breeds, and approximately 1 million are euthanized annually.

Florida law says that owners can be held liable for bite injuries "regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owners' knowledge of such viciousness." This rule makes Florida a strict liability state when it comes to dog bites, separating it from states that use a so-called "one-bite" rule.

An HOA can enforce pet limits in the community. Your HOA dog rules can have limitations on breed, the number of pets, and maximum size or weight. For example, if the community is comprised of families with a lot of young children, you might want to prohibit dangerous dog breeds, such as pit bulls and rottweilers.

The law requires that your dog has access to “proper” shelter at all times! Just as you would not like to be exposed to the rain or hot sun neither does your dog! Be sure your dog has a comfortable, weather-resistant house to protect him from the elements.

These dogs are dangerous because they were originally bred for their ability to fight. Some common Pit Bull type names are: Pit Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull, American Staffordshire, Irish Staff, Irish Blue Staffordshire. These dangerous dogs are prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act (1991).

Why are pitbulls so banned? ›

Starting around 1990, multiple features of American life converged to inspire widespread bans that made pit bulls outlaws, called “four-legged guns” or “lethal weapons.” The drivers included some dog attacks, excessive parental caution, fearful insurance companies and a tie to the sport of dog fighting.

California law does not set specific requirements for owners of pit bulls. The law establishes restrictions for “potentially dangerous” or “vicious” dogs as defined in the law (see below), based on the individual dog's conduct (Cal. Food & Agric. Code.

Pit bulls are the most common dog breed found in animal shelters in the United States, and the most likely to be euthanized. Each year, 1.2 million dogs are euthanized in shelters and approximately 40% are Pit Bulls, according to the website thegentlepit.com.

Shelter dogs

Either way, this gives pit bull types a 93% euthanasia rate in the United States. “[And yes,] pit bulls are more likely to be euthanized — both because of their bad reputations and the fact that they are harder to get adopted because of all the negative press,” Palmer said.

Pit bulls and pit bull mixes account for nearly 60% of all dog attack fatalities despite making up only 6% of the dog population. There are approximately 4.7 million dog bites every year according to the Center for Disease Study.

Miami-Dade is the only county in Florida to ban Pitbulls. The ban started in 1989 when a Pitbull attacked a 7-year-old girl named Melissa Moreira while she was helping unload groceries. After the attack, owning, keeping, or harboring a Pitbull within the county limits became illegal.

California Pitbull Laws

This means that while the state itself does not ban Pitbulls, local jurisdictions can impose their own rules, which can range from mandatory sterilization to outright bans in certain areas.

Pit Bulls can be wonderful emotional support dogs and if they do not cause a disturbance or any damages they must be accepted by your landlord as an ESA. Your dog must be well behaved and be under your control to qualify as an emotional support animal.