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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to pet protection; providing a 2
directive to the Division of Law Revision; creating s. 3
468.901, F.S.; providing a short title; creating s. 4
468.903, F.S.; defining terms; creating s. 468.905, 5
F.S.; requiring the licensure of retail pet stores ; 6
requiring the Department of Business and Professional 7
Regulation to adopt standards and procedures for such 8
licensure; prohibiting unlicensed retail pet stores 9
from taking certain actions regarding certain 10
household pets; creating s. 468.907, F.S.; defin ing 11
the term "qualified breeder"; limiting the sources 12
from which retail pet stores may acquire household 13
pets for specified purposes; prohibiting certain 14
household pets from being used by retail pet stores 15
for specified purposes; requiring certain 16
documentation of the sources from which retail pet 17
stores acquire household pets for sale; providing 18
requirements for the living conditions for household 19
pets at retail pet stores; providing retail pet store 20
veterinarian, exercise, and socialization 21
requirements; creating s. 468.909, F.S.; requiring the 22
department to conduct periodic inspections of retail 23
pet stores and to audit sales records; requiring the 24
department to establish procedures for the inspections 25
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and records of the inspections; authorizing contracts 26
with certain veterinarians to conduct inspections; 27
creating s. 468.911, F.S.; requiring the department to 28
deny a retail pet store license under certain 29
circumstances; authorizing disciplinary action under 30
certain circumstances; specifying administrative 31
procedures; providing civil penalties; authorizing the 32
department to adopt rules; creating s. 468.913, F.S.; 33
authorizing civil actions for purposes of enforcement; 34
creating s. 468.915, F.S.; providing criminal 35
penalties for specified violations; creating s. 36
468.917, F.S.; requiring certain moneys to be 37
deposited into the department's Professional 38
Regulation Trust Fund; creating s. 468.919, F.S.; 39
providing construction; creating s. 468.921, F.S.; 40
prohibiting county and municipal ordinances and 41
regulations from prohibiting or regulating the 42
breeding, purchase, or sale of certain working dogs; 43
providing applicability with regard to new and 44
existing county and municipal ordinances and 45
regulations; amending s. 823.15, F.S.; requiring 46
certain public or private anim al agencies to report on 47
a monthly basis certain animal records to the 48
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; 49
requiring public animal rescues to make records 50
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available to the public; requiring the department to 51
make the data reported by the agenc ies available on 52
its website in a specified manner; requiring public 53
and private animal rescues and humane organizations to 54
provide for the sterilization of adopted dogs and cats 55
according to certain requirements; authorizing public 56
or private animal rescu es to implant dogs and cats 57
with radio frequency identification microchips and to 58
contact the owners of such devices to verify pet 59
ownership; requiring certain public or private animal 60
agencies to disclose a dog's bite history before 61
adoption; prohibiting certain public or private animal 62
agencies from intentionally breeding dogs or cats for 63
sale to the public and from exchanging payment or 64
compensation to obtain dogs or cats from certain 65
persons; providing applicability; amending s. 474.203, 66
F.S.; conforming a provision to changes made by the 67
act; providing an effective date. 68
69
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 70
71
Section 1. The Division of Law Revision is directed to 72
create part XVII of chapter 468, Florida Statutes, consistin g of 73
ss. 468.901-468.921, Florida Statutes, to be entitled "Retail 74
Pet Stores." 75
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Section 2. Section 468.901, Florida Statutes, is created 76
to read: 77
468.901 Short title. —This part may be cited as the 78
"Florida Pet Protection Act." 79
Section 3. Section 468.903, Florida Statutes, is created 80
to read: 81
468.903 Definitions. —As used in this part, the term: 82
(1) "Animal rescue" means a nonprofit organization exempt 83
from federal income taxation under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal 84
Revenue Code which keeps, hous es, and maintains household pets 85
and which is dedicated to the welfare, health, safety, and 86
protection of such pets. The term includes an organization that 87
offers spayed or neutered household pets for adoption and 88
charges only reasonable adoption fees to c over the 89
organization's costs, including, but not limited to, costs 90
related to spaying or neutering the pets. 91
(2) "Animal shelter" means a public facility, or a private 92
facility operated by a nonprofit organization exempt from 93
federal income taxation und er s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal 94
Revenue Code, which keeps, houses, and maintains household pets, 95
such as a county or municipal animal control agency or pound, a 96
humane society, an animal welfare society, a society for the 97
prevention of cruelty to animals, or another nonprofit 98
organization devoted to the welfare, protection, and humane 99
treatment of household pets. 100
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(3) "Department" means the Department of Business and 101
Professional Regulation. 102
(4) "Household pet" means a domestic dog or a domestic 103
cat. 104
(5) "Pet broker" means a person who buys, sells, or offers 105
for sale household pets for resale to other persons, or who 106
sells or gives one or more pets to a retail pet store, and who 107
holds a valid Class B animal dealer license issued by the United 108
States Department of Agriculture. 109
(6) "Professional breeder" means a person required to be 110
licensed as a Class A animal dealer by the United States 111
Department of Agriculture. 112
(7) "Retail pet store" means a retail store that sells or 113
offers for sale household pet s to the public. The term does not 114
include an animal rescue; an animal shelter; or a breeder who 115
sells or transfers, directly to the public, household pets bred 116
and raised on the breeder's premises. 117
(8) "Veterinarian" means a health care practitioner 118
licensed under chapter 474, or licensed in another state by the 119
applicable entity in that state, to engage in the practice of 120
veterinary medicine. 121
Section 4. Section 468.905, Florida Statutes, is created 122
to read: 123
468.905 Licensure of retail pet store s.— 124
(1) A person may not operate a retail pet store in this 125
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state without having a valid retail pet store license issued by 126
the department in accordance with this section. 127
(2) The department shall adopt standards and procedures 128
for the licensure of ret ail pet stores consistent with this act. 129
An applicant for a retail pet store license must apply to the 130
department on a form prescribed by the department for each 131
premises. Upon licensure, the department shall assign a unique 132
license number for each license d premises. 133
(3) The department may establish annual licenses that are 134
valid for 1 year and that may be renewed. An application for 135
renewal of a license must be submitted to the department in a 136
format prescribed by the department. 137
(4) A retail pet store that does not have a valid license 138
may not display, offer for sale, deliver, barter, auction, 139
broker, give away, transfer, or sell any household pet from the 140
store. 141
Section 5. Section 468.907, Florida Statutes, is created 142
to read: 143
468.907 Sale or transfer of household pets by retail pet 144
stores.— 145
(1) As used in this section, the term "qualified breeder" 146
means a professional breeder located within or outside this 147
state who meets all of the following requirements: 148
(a) Holds a valid Class A animal li cense issued by the 149
United States Department of Agriculture and, if required by the 150
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state in which he or she is located, is licensed by a state 151
agency. 152
(b) Has not been issued a report of a finally adjudicated 153
direct noncompliance violation by the United States Department 154
of Agriculture under the federal Animal Welfare Act, 7 U.S.C. 155
ss. 2131 et seq., in the 2 years immediately before offering for 156
sale, delivering, bartering, auctioning, brokering, giving away, 157
transferring, or selling a household pet. How ever, a 158
professional breeder is not considered a qualified breeder until 159
any pending report of a direct noncompliance violation is 160
finally adjudicated. 161
(c) Has not had three or more finally adjudicated 162
noncompliance violations documented in any report is sued by the 163
United States Department of Agriculture under the federal Animal 164
Welfare Act, 7 U.S.C. ss. 2131 et seq., for the year immediately 165
before offering for sale, delivering, bartering, auctioning, 166
brokering, giving away, transferring, or selling a ho usehold 167
pet. However, a professional breeder is not considered a 168
qualified breeder until any pending report of a noncompliance 169
violation is finally adjudicated. 170
(2) A retail pet store may not display, offer for sale, 171
deliver, barter, auction, broker, giv e away, transfer, or sell 172
any household pet from the store unless such pet was acquired 173
from one of the following sources: 174
(a) A qualified breeder. 175
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(b) A person who, pursuant to 9 C.F.R. s. 2.1(a)(3)(ii) -176
(vii), is exempt from licensure by the United St ates Department 177
of Agriculture. 178
(c) An animal rescue. 179
(d) An animal shelter. 180
(e) A pet broker; however, if the pet broker acquires the 181
pet from a professional breeder, the breeder must be a qualified 182
breeder. 183
(3) A retail pet store may not sell, de liver, barter, 184
auction, broker, give away, or transfer any household pet: 185
(a) Younger than 8 weeks of age. 186
(b) That has not been implanted with an International 187
Organization for Standardization (ISO) identification microchip. 188
(c) That does not have a valid veterinary certification, 189
including the United States Interstate and International 190
Certificate of Health Examination for Small Animals prescribed 191
by the United States Department of Agriculture or the official 192
certificate of veterinary inspection pre scribed by the 193
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services pursuant to s. 194
828.29. 195
(d) To a person younger than 18 years of age, as verified 196
by a valid driver license, state identification card, or other 197
government-issued identification card bearing a photograph of 198
the cardholder. 199
(e) Acquired from a qualified breeder or pet broker, 200
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unless the retail pet store provides to the buyer acquiring the 201
pet, before completing the transaction, a written certification 202
that includes the following: 203
1. The name, address, and, if applicable, United States 204
Department of Agriculture license number of the breeder who bred 205
the household pet. 206
2. An electronic or paper copy of the breeder's most 207
recent United States Department of Agriculture inspection 208
report, if applicable. 209
3. The household pet's date of birth, if known. 210
4. The date the retail pet store took possession of the 211
household pet. 212
5. The breed, gender, color, and any identifying marks of 213
the household pet. 214
6. A signed statement by the retail pet store's Florida-215
licensed veterinarian, in a format prescribed by the department, 216
which describes any known disease, illness, or congenital or 217
hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the 218
household pet at the time of examination. 219
7. A document signed by the owner or a manager or an 220
employee of the retail pet store certifying that all information 221
required to be provided to the person acquiring the household 222
pet under this paragraph is accurate. 223
224
A retail pet store shall keep an electroni c or paper copy of the 225
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certification for at least 3 years after the date the buyer 226
acquires the household pet. The owner or a manager or an 227
employee of a retail pet store may not fraudulently alter or 228
provide false information on a certification provided i n 229
accordance with this paragraph. 230
(4) A licensed retail pet store shall provide the buyer of 231
a household pet with all of the following information: 232
(a) The pet's microchip identification number. 233
(b) The complete name, address, and telephone number of 234
all professional breeders, pet brokers, or other persons who 235
kept, housed, or maintained the pet before the retail pet store 236
took possession of the animal or proof that the pet was acquired 237
through an animal rescue or animal shelter. 238
(c) A photograph or digital image and the name and 239
registration number of both of the pet's parents, sire and dam. 240
241
A retail pet store shall keep a copy of the documentation 242
required under this subsection for at least 3 years after the 243
date it acquired the household pet. 244
(5) A retail pet store shall provide for all of the 245
following: 246
(a) Flooring in the primary enclosures that house 247
household pets which is constructed of a solid surface or, if 248
grid-style or wire flooring is used, the surface of which is 249
covered with a rubberized or coated material that prevents a 250
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pet's toe or foot from passing through or being caught in the 251
flooring. A retail pet store shall clean all primary enclosures 252
daily, or as often as necessary to prevent accumulation of 253
bodily waste, and keep a dail y sanitation log. 254
(b) An isolation enclosure with separate ventilation which 255
allows a household pet to be kept separately from other pets 256
while under veterinarian -directed isolation. 257
(c) Climate control that ensures that the ambient air 258
temperature of the retail pet store's premises is kept between 259
67 and 78 degrees at all times. Retail pet stores shall keep 260
daily logs of the temperature. If, for any reason, the 261
temperature falls outside the required range, a corrective 262
action record detailing steps tak en to adjust the temperature 263
must be kept. 264
(d) A Florida-licensed veterinarian who visits the retail 265
pet store at least twice each week to observe the condition of 266
the pets' health and overall well -being. 267
(e) An enrichment program for puppies which con sists of 268
exercise and socialization for at least two 30 -minute periods 269
each day. A retail pet store must keep a log for each puppy of 270
the daily activities that the puppy participates in as part of 271
the program. 272
(f) A photograph or digital image and video footage 273
depicting each breeding facility from which the retail pet store 274
acquires household pets. 275
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Section 6. Section 468.909, Florida Statutes, is created 276
to read: 277
468.909 Inspections. — 278
(1)(a) At least annually, the department shall inspect 279
each retail pet store that is subject to licensure to ensure 280
compliance with this part and with rules adopted under this 281
part. The inspection must include, but need not be limited to, 282
an audit of the records that the licensee maintains pursuant to 283
s. 468.907(3)(e) and (4). 284
(b) The department also may conduct an inspection upon 285
receipt of a complaint or other information alleging a violation 286
of this part or rules adopted under this part. 287
(2) The department shall establish procedures for 288
conducting inspections a nd making records of inspections. 289
Inspections must be conducted during regular business hours in 290
accordance with the department's procedures and may be conducted 291
without prior notice. The department shall maintain a record of 292
each inspection in accordance with such procedures. 293
(3) The department may enter into a contract or an 294
agreement with one or more veterinarians to conduct inspections 295
under this section. Such veterinarians must be independent and 296
may not be affiliated with a retail pet store or an an imal 297
rights advocacy organization. 298
Section 7. Section 468.911, Florida Statutes, is created 299
to read: 300
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468.911 Administrative remedies; penalties. — 301
(1) The department must deny an application for issuance 302
or renewal of a retail pet store license if e ither of the 303
following applies: 304
(a) The licensee or applicant violates this part or any 305
rule or order issued under this part, if the violation 306
materially threatens the health or welfare of a household pet. 307
(b) The licensee or applicant, in the past 20 years, has 308
been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to, 309
regardless of adjudication, a misdemeanor or felony under 310
chapter 828 or a misdemeanor or felony under chapter 741 311
involving an act of domestic violence. 312
(2) The department may enter an order for one or more of 313
the following if the department finds that an owner of a retail 314
pet store, or a person employed or contracted by a retail pet 315
store about whom the owner knows or reasonably should have 316
known, has violated or is operating in violati on of this part or 317
any rule or order issued pursuant to this part: 318
(a) Issuing a notice of noncompliance under s. 120.695. 319
(b) Imposing an administrative fine for each act or 320
omission, not to exceed the following amounts: 321
1. For a first violation, $2 50. 322
2. For a second violation, $500. 323
3. For a third or subsequent violation, $1,000. 324
325
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Each day that a violation continues constitutes a separate 326
violation. 327
(c) Directing that the person cease and desist specified 328
activities. 329
(d) Refusing to issue o r renew a license or revoking or 330
suspending a license. 331
(e) Placing the licensee on probation, subject to 332
conditions specified by the department. 333
(3) The administrative proceedings that could result in 334
the entry of an order imposing any of the penalties specified in 335
subsection (1) or subsection (2) are governed by chapter 120. 336
(4) The department may adopt rules to administer this 337
part. 338
Section 8. Section 468.913, Florida Statutes, is created 339
to read: 340
468.913 Civil penalties; remedies. —The department may 341
bring a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction to 342
recover any penalties or damages authorized by this part and for 343
injunctive relief to enforce compliance with this part. 344
Section 9. Section 468.915, Florida Statutes, is created 345
to read: 346
468.915 Criminal penalties. —A person commits a misdemeanor 347
of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 348
775.083, if he or she violates either of the following: 349
(1) Section 468.905(1) or (4), relating to operation of a 350
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retail pet store without a license. 351
(2) Section 468.907(2) or (3), relating to unlawful 352
practices in the sale of household pets by a retail pet store. 353
Section 10. Section 468.917, Florida Statutes, is created 354
to read: 355
468.917 Deposit of funds. —All moneys collected by the 356
department under this part from civil penalties must be 357
deposited into the department's Professional Regulation Trust 358
Fund for use by the department for administration of this part. 359
Section 11. Section 468.919, Florida Statutes, is create d 360
to read: 361
468.919 Construction. —This part may not be construed to 362
prohibit or regulate a person who offers for sale, directly to 363
the public, only dogs that the person has bred or has trained to 364
be hunting dogs, field trial dogs, sporting dogs, conformat ion 365
dogs, cattle dogs, police dogs, or service dogs as defined under 366
the Americans with Disabilities Act. 367
Section 12. Section 468.921, Florida Statutes, is created 368
to read: 369
468.921 Local regulation; grandfathering of existing local 370
regulations.— 371
(1) A county or municipality may not prohibit or regulate 372
a person who offers for sale, directly to the public, only dogs 373
that the person has bred or has trained to be hunting dogs, 374
field trial dogs, sporting dogs, conformation dogs, cattle dogs, 375
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police dogs, or service dogs as defined under the Americans with 376
Disabilities Act. 377
(2)(a) A county or municipality may adopt an ordinance or 378
a regulation on or after July 1, 2022, which regulates, but does 379
not prohibit, the operation of retail pet stores or the 380
breeding, purchase, or sale of household pets, provided the 381
ordinances or regulations are consistent and not in conflict 382
with the rules imposed under s. 468.907. 383
(b) This subsection does not affect any of the following: 384
1. Any county or municipal ordin ance or regulation in 385
effect on or before June 1, 2021, which prohibits the operation 386
of retail pet stores within its jurisdiction. 387
2. Any county or municipal ordinance or regulation adopted 388
before July 1, 2022, which imposes a moratorium on the 389
establishment of new retail pet stores, or that otherwise 390
regulates such stores within its jurisdiction. 391
(c) This subsection does not affect a local government's 392
authority to levy a local business tax pursuant to chapter 205. 393
Section 13. Section 823. 15, Florida Statutes, is amended 394
to read: 395
823.15 Public or private animal agencies; sterilization , 396
required for dogs and cats released; recordkeeping, and 397
disclosure requirements; microchipping. — 398
(1) The Legislature finds has determined that the 399
importation of dogs and cats into, and the uncontrolled breeding 400
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of dogs and cats in, this state pose risks to the well -being of 401
dogs and cats, the health of humans and animals, and the 402
agricultural interests in this state. Importation of dogs and 403
cats from outside the United States could result in the 404
transmission of diseases that have been eradicated in the United 405
States to dogs and cats, other animals, and humans living in 406
this state. Uncontrolled breeding results in the birth of many 407
more puppies and kittens than are needed to provide pet animals 408
to new owners or to replace pet animals that have died or become 409
lost. This leads to many dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens being 410
unwanted, becoming strays and suffering privation and death, 411
being impounded and destroy ed at great expense to the community, 412
and constituting a public nuisance and public health hazard. It 413
is therefore declared to be the public policy of the state that 414
every feasible means be used to reduce the incidence of birth of 415
unneeded and unwanted pup pies and kittens. Determining which 416
programs result in improved adoption rates and in reduced 417
euthanasia rates for animals in shelters and animal control 418
agencies is crucial to this effort. 419
(2)(a) Each public or private animal shelter, animal 420
rescue, humane organization, or animal control agency operated 421
by a humane organization or by a county, municipality, or other 422
incorporated political subdivision , shall prepare and maintain 423
the following records required by this paragraph and make them 424
available for public inspection and dissemination for the 3 425
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preceding years. The following data must will be available and 426
reported to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 427
on a monthly basis commencing July 31, 2013 : 428
1. The total number of dogs and cats taken in by the 429
animal shelter, animal rescue, humane organization, or animal 430
control agency, divided into species, in the following 431
categories: 432
a. Surrendered by owner; 433
b. Stray; 434
c. Impounded; 435
d. Confiscated; 436
e. Transferred from within this state Florida; 437
f. Transferred into or imported from out of this the 438
state; and 439
g. Born in shelter. 440
441
Species other than domestic cats and domestic dogs should be 442
recorded as "other." 443
2. The disposition of all animals taken in by a public or 444
private animal shelter, animal rescue, humane organization, or 445
animal control agency operated by a humane society or by a 446
county, municipality, or other incorporated political 447
subdivision, divided into species. These data must include 448
dispositions by: 449
a. Adoption; 450
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b. Reclamation by owner; 451
c. Death in kennel; 452
d. Euthanasia at the owner's request; 453
e. Transfer to another public or private animal shelter, 454
animal rescue, humane organization, or animal control agency 455
operated by a humane society or by a county, muni cipality, or 456
other incorporated political subdivision; 457
f. Euthanasia; 458
g. Released in field/Trapped, Neutered, Released (TNR); 459
h. Lost in care/missing animals or records; and 460
i. Ending inventory/shelter count at end of the last day 461
of the month. 462
3. A public or private animal shelter, animal rescue, 463
humane organization, or animal control agency operated by a 464
humane society, or by a county, municipality, or other 465
incorporated political subdivision , which routinely euthanizes 466
dogs based on size or bre ed alone must provide a written 467
statement of such policy. Dogs euthanized due to breed, 468
temperament, or size must be recorded and included in the 469
calculation of the total euthanasia percentage. 470
4. Certificates of veterinary inspections for all dogs and 471
cats imported into this state. 472
(b) Records of a public animal shelter, animal rescue, 473
humane organization, or animal control agency operated by a 474
humane society must be made available to the public pursuant to 475
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provisions in chapter 119. 476
(c) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 477
shall make the data it receives pursuant to this subsection 478
available to the public on a monthly basis and in a searchable 479
format on its website. 480
(3) In furtherance of this policy, provision shall be made 481
for the sterilization of all dogs and cats sold or released for 482
adoption from any public or private animal shelter , animal 483
rescue, humane organization, or animal control agency operated 484
by a humane society or by a county, municipality city, or other 485
incorporated political subdivision, by either: 486
(a) Providing sterilization by a licensed veterinarian 487
before relinquishing custody of the animal; or 488
(b) Entering into a written agreement with the adopter or 489
purchaser guaranteeing that sterilization will be pe rformed 490
within 30 days or before prior to sexual maturity. The shelter 491
or animal control agency shall require a sufficient deposit from 492
the adopter or purchaser, which deposit shall be refundable upon 493
presentation to the shelter or animal control agency of written 494
evidence by the veterinarian performing the sterilization that 495
the animal has been sterilized. The deposit or donation may be 496
based upon recommended guidelines established by the Florida 497
Federation of Humane Societies. Failure by either party to 498
comply with the provisions of this paragraph constitutes shall 499
be a noncriminal violation as defined in s. 775.08(3), 500
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punishable by a fine, forfeiture, or other civil penalty, and, 501
in addition thereto, the deposit or donation shall be forfeited 502
to the shelter or animal control agency. Any legal fees or court 503
costs used for the enforcement of this paragraph are the 504
responsibility of the adopter. Upon the request of a licensed 505
veterinarian, and for a valid reason, the shelter or animal 506
control agency shall ext end the time limit within which the 507
animal must be sterilized. 508
(4) All costs of sterilization pursuant to this section 509
shall be paid by the prospective adopter unless otherwise 510
provided for by ordinance of the local governing body, with 511
respect to animal control agencies or shelters operated or 512
subsidized by a unit of local government, or provided for by the 513
humane society governing body, with respect to an animal control 514
agency or shelter operated solely by the humane society and not 515
subsidized by public funds. 516
(5) Employees, agents, or contractors of a public or 517
private animal shelter, animal rescue, a humane organization, or 518
an animal control agency operated by a humane organization or by 519
a county, municipality, or other incorporated political 520
subdivision may implant dogs and cats with radio frequency 521
identification microchips as part of their work with such public 522
or private animal shelter, animal rescue, humane organization, 523
or animal control agency. 524
(6) Notwithstanding s. 474.2165, employees, agents, or 525
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contractors of a public or private animal shelter, animal 526
rescue, a humane organization, or an animal control agency 527
operated by a humane organization or by a county, municipality, 528
or other incorporated political subdivision may contact the 529
owner of record listed on a radio frequency identification 530
microchip to verify pet ownership. 531
(7) Any public or private animal shelter, animal rescue, 532
humane organization, or animal control agency operated by a 533
humane society or any county, municipality, or other 534
incorporated political subdivision shall disclose any bite 535
history that exists for a dog before releasing the animal for 536
adoption. 537
(8) A public or private animal shelter, animal rescue, 538
humane organization, or animal control agency operated by a 539
humane society or any county, municipality, or other 540
incorporated political subdivision may not intentionally breed 541
dogs or cats for sal e to the public or, in exchange for payment 542
or any other compensation, obtain a dog or cat from a person who 543
breeds dogs or cats, resells dogs or cats from a breeder, or 544
sells dogs or cats at auction. This subsection does not apply to 545
or affect the ability of a person who offers for sale, directly 546
to the public, dogs or cats that the person has bred or trained 547
on his or her own property. 548
Section 14. Subsection (9) of section 474.203, Florida 549
Statutes, is amended to read: 550
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474.203 Exemptions. —This chapter does not apply to: 551
(9) An employee, an agent, or a contractor of a public or 552
private animal shelter, animal rescue, humane organization, or 553
animal control agency operated by a humane organization or by a 554
county, a municipality, or another incorporated political 555
subdivision whose work is confined solely to the implantation of 556
a radio frequency identification device microchip for dogs and 557
cats in accordance with s. 823.15. 558
559
For the purposes of chapters 465 and 893, persons exempt 560
pursuant to subsection ( 1), subsection (2), or subsection (4) 561
are deemed to be duly licensed practitioners authorized by the 562
laws of this state to prescribe drugs or medicinal supplies. 563
Section 15. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 564