JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A state senator’s office is now in the process of drafting legislation to tighten the leash on dangerous dogs and their owners.
This comes after a Putnam County mail carrier was killed by dogs on her route last year, and an 86-year-old veteran had to have her leg amputated after being attacked by a neighbor’s dogs earlier this year in Hawthorne, Fl.
Proposed changes to the law include the creation of statewide dangerous dog registry, which is similar to a sex offender registry, letting the public know where dangerous dogs are and creating strict guidelines for their owners.
Mail carrier Pamela Rock was killed by dogs after her car broke down while delivering mail in Putnam County in Putnam County. She was a public servant, an animal lover, and the baby in a family of 14 children.
In May, Gertrude Bishop, a beloved mother and veteran known as “Ms. Terri,” was at home, walking to get water out of her car when two dogs attacked.
Her son Wayne Thomas said she’s been at a nursing and rehabilitation center. He said she’s weary, but slowly progressing after her leg had to be amputated.
“Her right ear is completely gone. She has multiple bite wounds on all of her extremities...both of her arms, both of her legs,” Thomas said.
Rock also lost an arm and part of her leg, but she ultimately didn’t make it.
Rock’s family believes her death is the result of overlapping policy failures they’re now pushing to correct with tighter regulations on dangerous dogs, which are canines that have attacked people or pets.
“If we had done any of these things before, we would not have lost Pam,” said her brother Tom Rock.
They want Florida’s laws on dangerous dogs to look more like Virginia’s, which require them to be spayed or neutered, microchipped, insured up to $100,000, and put on a Dangerous Dogs Registry.
Their owners have to share their location, contact information, and what the dog did, and it’s all posted online.
Their owners also have to pay yearly fees that go toward the registry, which is maintained by the state.
“We can’t get Pam back, but this is something that I think the state of Florida really needs,” said her brother Dick Rock.
Thomas said his mother wants to partner with the Rock family to push for changes to the law as soon as she is physically able.
In an email, an aid to Sen. Travis Hutson, a Republican who presents Putnam, St. Johns, and Flagler Counties, told News4JAX:
“We’ve received some suggestions from the Rock family about what they would like to see in dangerous dog legislation. There are several areas we’re looking at including:
- How to speed up the process of designating a dog as dangerous.
- Creating a statewide registry for dangerous dogs
- Mandatory spay, neuter, and bite history disclosure
We’re currently in the process of drafting this legislation and working through the feasibility of various reforms,” Sen. Hutson said.