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CS/CS/CS/HB 1521 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to domestic animals; amending s. 2
828.12, F.S.; requiring the Department of Law 3
Enforcement to post on its website specified 4
information relating to each individual convicted of 5
specified animal cruelty offenses; requiring the clerk 6
of each court and county detention facility to provide 7
the Department of Law Enforcement with such 8
information; amending s. 828.29, F.S.; extending the 9
timeframe for which a consumer may pursue remedies for 10
the sale of an animal certifiably unfit for purchase; 11
revising such remedies; requiring that all financing 12
terms be disclosed to the consumer by the pet dealer 13
before the sale of the animal; deleting certain 14
provisions relating to a consumer's waiver 15
relinquishing his or her rights to return an animal; 16
requiring a pet dealer to provide copies of specified 17
medical records to a consumer; denying a consumer the 18
right to a refund or an exchange for a pet sale under 19
certain circumstances; extending the timeframe within 20
which a consumer must notify the pet dealer of a 21
veterinarian's determination that the animal is unfit; 22
authorizing the consumer to initiate an action in 23
certain courts for any contestation of veterinary 24
expenses or demands of the pet dealer for a refund or 25
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
exchange; providing for the award of punitive damages; 26
revising requirements for a required notice to a 27
consumer; revising the text of the required notice; 28
revising the definition of the term "pet dealer"; 29
requiring a pet dealer to retain a copy of a specified 30
notice for a specified period; providing that 31
violations constitute an unfair method of competition 32
or an unfair or deceptive act or practice in violation 33
of specified provisions and subject to penalties; 34
creating s. 828.291, F.S.; providing a legislative 35
purpose; providing construction; requiring the 36
Department of Business and Professional Regulation to 37
develop a list of best management practices for 38
adoption and implementation; specifying requirements 39
for such best management practices; requiring the 40
department to post guidance on its website related to 41
the selection of breeders and the purchase of an 42
animal; requiring the department to post information 43
on its website relating to animal cruelty; providing 44
requirements for such information; providing an 45
effective date. 46
47
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 48
49
Section 1. Subsection (7) of section 828.12, Florida 50
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Statutes, is amended, and subsection (8) is added to that 51
section, to read: 52
828.12 Cruelty to animals.— 53
(7) By Beginning January 1, 2027 2026, the Department of 54
Law Enforcement shall post on its website, in a searchable 55
format prescribed by the department, the names and any aliases, 56
the date of birth, the race, the counties of conviction, the 57
charges, the case numbers, the dispositions, the description of 58
any identifying marks and tattoos, and a photograph taken at the 59
time of booking related to the animal cruelty offense of each 60
individual those individuals who has have been convicted of, or 61
who has have entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, 62
regardless of adjudication, a violation of this section. 63
(8) Each clerk of court and county detention facility must 64
provide the Department of Law Enforcement with the information, 65
data, and images required in subsection (7). 66
Section 2. Subsections (5) through (8), (10), (12), (13), 67
and (17) of section 828.29, Florida Statutes, are amended, and 68
subsections (18) and (19) are added to that section, to read: 69
828.29 Dogs and cats transported or offered for sale; 70
health requirements; consumer guarantee; disclosures.— 71
(5) If, within 30 14 days after following the sale by a 72
pet dealer of an animal subject to this section, a licensed 73
veterinarian of the consumer's choosing certifies that, at the 74
time of the sale, the animal was unfit for purchase due to 75
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illness or disease, the presence of symptoms of a contagious or 76
infectious disease, or the presence of internal or external 77
parasites, excluding fleas and ticks; or if, within 1 year after 78
following the sale of an animal subject to this section, a 79
licensed veterinarian of the consumer's choosing certifies such 80
animal to be unfit for purchase due to a congenital or 81
hereditary disorder which adversely affects the health of the 82
animal; or if, within 1 year after following the sale of an 83
animal subject to this section, the breed, sex, or health of 84
such animal is found to have been misrepresented to the 85
consumer, the pet dealer shall afford the consumer the right to 86
choose one of the following options: 87
(a) The right to return the animal and receive a refund of 88
the purchase price, including any interest accrued and the sales 89
tax or fees paid or due from the purchaser, and reimbursement 90
for reasonable veterinary costs directly related to the 91
veterinarian's examination and certification that the animal dog 92
or cat is unfit for purchase pursuant to this section or and 93
directly related to necessary emergency services and treatment 94
undertaken to relieve the suffering of such animal. If the 95
consumer financed the animal pursuant to a financing agreement 96
with the pet dealer, the pet dealer must ensure that the 97
financing agreement is terminated without penalty to the 98
consumer; 99
(b) The right to return the animal and receive an exchange 100
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animal dog or cat of the consumer's choice of equivalent value, 101
and reimbursement for reasonable veterinary costs directly 102
related to the veterinarian's examination and certification that 103
the animal dog or cat is unfit for purchase pursuant to this 104
section or and directly related to necessary emergency services 105
and treatment undertaken to relieve the suffering of such 106
animal; or 107
(c) The right to retain the animal and receive 108
reimbursement for reasonable veterinary costs for necessary 109
services and treatment related to the attempt to cure or curing 110
of the animal, or necessary emergency services or treatment 111
undertaken to relieve the suffering of such animal received 112
within 1 year after purchase dog or cat. 113
114
Reimbursement for veterinary costs may not exceed the purchase 115
price of the animal. The cost of veterinary services is 116
reasonable if comparable to the cost of similar services 117
rendered by other licensed veterinarians in proximity to the 118
treating veterinarian and the services rendered are appropriate 119
for the certification by the veterinarian. 120
(6) All financing terms must be disclosed by the pet 121
dealer to the consumer before the sale of the animal A consumer 122
may sign a waiver relinquishing his or her right to return the 123
dog or cat for congenital or hereditary disorders. In the case 124
of such waiver, the consumer has 48 normal business hours, 125
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excluding weekends and holidays, in which to have the animal 126
examined by a licensed veterinarian of the consumer's choosing. 127
If the veterinarian certifies that, at the time of sale, the dog 128
or cat was unfit for purchase due to a congenital or hereditary 129
disorder, the pet dealer must afford the consumer the right to 130
choose one of the following options: 131
(a) The right to return the animal and receive a refund of 132
the purchase price, including sales tax, but excluding the 133
veterinary costs related to the certification that the dog or 134
cat is unfit; or 135
(b) The right to return the animal and receive an exchange 136
dog or cat of the consumer's choice of equivalent value, but not 137
a refund of the veterinary costs related to the certification 138
that the dog or cat is unfit. 139
(7) Before the sale of an animal, a pet dealer must 140
provide to the consumer copies of records of all medical 141
examinations or tests that were conducted on the animal or any 142
medication given before the purchase of the animal. A pet dealer 143
may specifically state at the time of sale, in writing to the 144
consumer, the presence of specific congenital or hereditary 145
disorders, in which case the consumer has no right to any refund 146
or exchange for those identified disorders, if such consumer 147
signs a notification that indicates that the animal has been 148
examined by a veterinarian who determined that the animal has 149
the identified congenital or hereditary disorder. 150
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(8) The refund or exchange required by subsection (5) must 151
or subsection (6) shall be made by the pet dealer not later than 152
10 business days after following receipt of a signed veterinary 153
certification as required in subsection (5) or subsection (6). 154
The consumer must notify the pet dealer within 7 2 business days 155
after receipt of the veterinarian's determination that the 156
animal is unfit. The written certification of unfitness must be 157
presented to the pet dealer not later than 3 business days 158
following receipt thereof by the consumer. 159
(10) If a pet dealer wishes to contest a demand for 160
veterinary expenses, refund, or exchange made by a consumer 161
under this section, the dealer may require the consumer to 162
produce the animal for examination by a licensed veterinarian 163
designated by the dealer. Upon such examination, if the consumer 164
and the dealer are unable to reach an agreement that constitutes 165
one of the options set forth in subsection (5) or subsection (6) 166
within 10 business days after following receipt of the animal 167
for such examination, the consumer may initiate an action in a 168
court of competent jurisdiction, or the county court small 169
claims court division, in the county where the animal owner 170
resides, to recover or obtain reimbursement of veterinary 171
expenses and a, refund, or exchange, as set forth in subsection 172
(5), and may collect punitive damages in an amount not less than 173
$2,500 at the discretion of the court. 174
(12) Every pet dealer who sells an animal to a consumer 175
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must provide the consumer at the time of sale with a printed, 176
written notice in 14-point boldface type to be signed by the 177
consumer, printed or typed, which is separate from the contract 178
and reads as follows: 179
180
RIGHT TO CANCEL 181
Florida consumers have certain rights under section 182
828.29, Florida Statutes. You have the right to: 1) 183
return the animal; 2) exchange the animal; and 3) 184
receive reimbursement for certain veterinary expenses 185
under certain circumstances. Please have your new pet 186
seen by a veterinarian immediately. A copy of this law 187
is attached to this notice. 188
189
It is the consumer's right, pursuant to section 190
828.29, Florida Statutes, to receive a certificate of 191
veterinary inspection with each animal dog or cat 192
purchased from a pet dealer. Such certificate shall 193
list all vaccines and deworming medications 194
administered to the animal and list any medical 195
diagnosis and treatments and shall state that the 196
animal has been examined by a Florida-licensed 197
veterinarian who certifies that, to the best of the 198
veterinarian's knowledge, the animal was found to have 199
been healthy at the time of the veterinary 200
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examination. In the event that the consumer purchases 201
the animal and finds it to have been unfit for 202
purchase as provided in section 828.29(5), Florida 203
Statutes, the consumer must notify the pet dealer 204
within 7 2 business days after of the veterinarian's 205
determination that the animal was unfit. The consumer 206
has the right to retain, return, or exchange the 207
animal and receive reimbursement for certain related 208
veterinary services rendered to the animal, subject to 209
the right of the dealer to have the animal examined by 210
another veterinarian. 211
212
...(Signature of Animal owner or Lessee, or Owner's or 213
Lessee's Authorized Person)... 214
215
(13) For the purposes of this section subsections (5)-(12) 216
and (16), the term "pet dealer" means any person, firm, 217
partnership, corporation, or other association which, in the 218
ordinary course of business, engages in the sale of more than 219
three two litters, or 30 20 dogs or cats, per year, whichever is 220
greater, to the public. This definition includes breeders of 221
animals who sell such animals directly to a consumer. This 222
definition does not include not-for-profit entities that do not 223
purchase dogs or cats from a breeder or broker. 224
(17) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a 225
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person who violates any provision of this section commits a 226
misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 227
775.082 or s. 775.083. 228
(18) Any record provided to a consumer pursuant to the 229
sale of an animal under this section must be maintained by the 230
pet dealer for a period of at least 7 years after the sale. 231
(19) A pet dealer who violates this section commits an 232
unfair method of competition or an unfair or deceptive act or 233
practice in violation of part II of chapter 501 and is subject 234
to the penalties and remedies provided for such violations. 235
Section 3. Section 828.291, Florida Statutes, is created 236
to read: 237
828.291 Best management practices for dog breeding.— 238
(1) The purpose of this section is to allow voluntary 239
participation in best management practices relating to minimum 240
standards of care, facility operations, and breeding practices 241
for individuals or entities engaged in the breeding of dogs in 242
order to protect animal welfare, promote responsible breeding, 243
and ensure the health and safety of animals and consumers. 244
(2) This section may not be construed to prohibit a local 245
jurisdiction from implementing requirements for individuals or 246
entities engaged in the breeding of dogs. 247
(3) The Department of Business and Professional Regulation 248
shall develop a list of best management practices that 249
individuals or entities engaged in the breeding of dogs may 250
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voluntarily adopt and implement. Such best management practices 251
must include minimum standards of care, facility operations, and 252
breeding practices for individuals or entities engaged in the 253
breeding of dogs, including, but not limited to, standards 254
relating to all of the following: 255
(a) Breeding. 256
(b) Feeding. 257
(c) Housing. 258
(d) Health. 259
(e) Enrichment. 260
(f) Selling and transferring, in accordance with s. 261
828.29. 262
(g) Recordkeeping, in accordance with s. 828.29. 263
(4) The Department of Business and Professional Regulation 264
shall post on its website guidance for the public about how to 265
identify the breeders that are following best management 266
practices and provide a checklist to use when purchasing an 267
animal. 268
(5) The Department of Business and Professional Regulation 269
shall post on its website information regarding animal cruelty, 270
including a description of conduct constituting animal cruelty 271
under ss. 828.12 and 828.13, the penalties for such conduct, and 272
instructions for reporting suspected animal cruelty or abuse to 273
the appropriate local authorities, including the contact 274
information for at least one appropriate authority for each 275
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county in the state. 276
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 277