Located in Florida. Sharing the adventures, daily life, and my musings on the Shiba Inu. I focus on temperament, structure, and type – in that order.
03/08/2025
Florida is trying to pass more anti breeder laws. Please join me in emailing our representatives to reconsider passing these laws. I already sent my emails in & will send more. This is the information I received from AKC government relations:
SUMMARY
As introduced, SB 1830 and HB 1481 would:
Define “dog breeder” as a person who owns or possesses a “breeding female dog” (more than six months old and capable of reproduction) and offers dogs bred from the breeding female dog for sale or exchange in return for consideration.
Define “dog breeding facility” to mean any location in which a dog breeder has at least one breeding female dog. This would include private homes where an intact female is kept.
Require dog breeders to register with the state, to be renewed annually; and to submit to inspections.
Require the development of standards of care for dog breeding, in consultation only with local government entities and dog rescue organizations. Dog breeders—i.e., those with expertise and knowledge about dog breeding—would not be consulted. Standards would include minimum federal regulations for dog breeding facilities. This means that USDA’s commercial facility standards would be forced upon the private homes of those considered dog breeders.
Develop limits on the number of breeding females a dog breeder can have, and limits on the number of times a breeding female dog may be bred annually. AKC opposes limit laws, and believes the decision to breed dogs should be made by an owner in consultation with their dog’s veterinarian.
Allow for cooperative agreements with any individual, municipality, county, or organization to perform inspections or boarding of confiscated dogs. AKC believes that such activities must only be performed by governmental entities with properly trained staff.
Create a publicly available database of registered dog breeders, dog breeding facility certificates of inspection, and administrative actions taken against any individual, dog breeder, dog breeding facility, or retail establishment. This requirement is potentially a violation of a person’s privacy rights, and could potentially incentivize dog theft or harassment by anti-breeder activists.
Establish a whistleblower program that establishes a reward system for any individual who alerts the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services about a violation. The program would be funded with fines or through an agreement with a private organization. AKC strongly opposes this provision, as it would effectively create a bounty program funded by anti-breeding organizations, with no attestation or other substantiation required; and be subject to abuse by anti-breeding activists. AKC believes private money should stay out of enforcement activities.
Please note that the bullet points represent only the most threatening provisions of SB 1830 and HB 1481. Concerned Florida residents are strongly encouraged to review the legislation fully to determine their complete impacts.
Click here to read SB 1830, and click here to read HB 1481.
SB 1830 has not yet been assigned to a legislative committee for further consideration.
HB 1481 has been referred to the Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee (Commerce), the Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee (Commerce), and the full House Commerce Committee.
OTHER ANTI-BREEDER PACKAGE BILLS
Senate Bill 1832 (sponsored by State Sen. Martin) and House Bill 1583 (by State Rep. Porras) would impose registration and renewal fees of up to $500 for dog breeders.
Senate Bill 1834 (Martin) and House bill 1585 (Porras) would create a Dog Breeders Trust Fund, which would be funded by the fees, penalties, or payments imposed on dog breeders. The fund would be used in implementing and enforcing SB 1830/HB1481.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
All Floridians are strongly encouraged to contact the bills’ sponsors along with their Florida state senator and representative to respectfully request they oppose SB 1830 and HB 1481 as introduced.
Sample text (please do not copy and paste; instead, address it to the specific lawmaker(s) to whom you are writing):
State Senator/Representative ______,
I am a resident of _______, and strongly oppose SB 1830 and HB 1481 and related bills, which would regulate everyone with an intact female dog in Florida. I respectfully ask you join me in opposing this package of extremist and overreaching legislation. Legislation seeking to regulate dog breeders should be of appropriate scope and be developed in consult with responsible purebred dog breeders.
Thank you,
[Your name]
[Your city/town]
[Your phone number and/or email address]
State Senator Jonathan Martin, SB 1830 Sponsor (Lee County)
(850) 487-5033
[email protected]
State Representative Megan “Meg” Weinberger, HB 1481 Sponsor (Palm Beach County)
(850) 717-5094
[email protected]
State Representative Juan Porras, HB 1481 Sponsor (Dade County)
(850) 717-5119
[email protected]
To find your state senator and representative, go to https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find and enter your address. (Note that the search results will identify both federal and state legislators. Please ensure that you contact your state senator and state representative.)
Each address in Florida is associated with a single Florida Senate district, a single Florida House district , and a single Congressional district . This district information is printed on your voter registration card. United States Senators are elected statewide.
