Domestic Animals

ENROLLED

2026

Legislature

CS for SB 1004, 1st Engrossed

20261004er
1
2 An act relating to domestic animals; amending s.
3 828.12, F.S.; requiring the Department of Law
4 Enforcement to post on its website specified
5 information relating to each individual convicted of
6 specified animal cruelty offenses; requiring the clerk
7 of each court and county detention facility to provide
8 the Department of Law Enforcement with such
9 information; amending s. 828.29, F.S.; extending the
10 timeframe for which a consumer may pursue remedies for
11 the sale of an animal certifiably unfit for purchase;
12 revising such remedies; requiring that all financing
13 terms be disclosed to the consumer by the pet dealer
14 before the sale of the animal; deleting certain
15 provisions relating to a consumer’s waiver
16 relinquishing his or her rights to return an animal;
17 requiring a pet dealer to provide copies of specified
18 medical records to a consumer; denying a consumer the
19 right to a refund or an exchange for a pet sale under
20 certain circumstances; extending the timeframe within
21 which a consumer must notify the pet dealer of a
22 veterinarian’s determination that the animal is unfit;
23 authorizing the consumer to initiate an action in
24 certain courts for any contestation of veterinary
25 expenses or demands of the pet dealer for a refund or
26 exchange; providing for the award of punitive damages;
27 revising requirements for a required notice to a
28 consumer; revising the text of the required notice;
29 revising the definition of the term “pet dealer”;
30 requiring a pet dealer to retain a copy of a specified
31 notice for a specified period; providing that
32 violations constitute an unfair method of competition
33 or an unfair or deceptive act or practice in violation
34 of specified provisions and subject to penalties;
35 creating s. 828.291, F.S.; providing a legislative
36 purpose; providing construction; requiring the
37 Department of Business and Professional Regulation to
38 develop a list of best management practices for
39 adoption and implementation; specifying requirements
40 for such best management practices; requiring the
41 department to post guidance on its website related to
42 the selection of breeders and the purchase of an
43 animal; requiring the department to post information
44 on its website relating to animal cruelty; providing
45 requirements for such information; providing an
46 effective date.
47
48 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
49
50 Section 1. Subsection (7) of section 828.12, Florida
51 Statutes, is amended, and subsection (8) is added to that
52 section, to read:
53 828.12 Cruelty to animals.—
54 (7)
By

Beginning
January 1,
2027

2026
, the Department of
55 Law Enforcement shall post on its website, in a searchable
56 format prescribed by the department, the names
and any aliases,

57
the date of birth, the race, the counties of conviction, the

58
charges, the case numbers, the dispositions, the description of

59
any identifying marks and tattoos, and a photograph taken at the

60
time of booking related to the animal cruelty offense
of
each

61
individual

those individuals
who
has

have
been convicted of, or
62 who
has

have
entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to,
63 regardless of adjudication, a violation of this section.
64
(8)

Each clerk of court and county detention facility must

65
provide the Department of Law Enforcement with the information,

66
data, and images required in subsection (7).

67 Section 2. Subsections (5) through (8), (10), (12), (13),
68 and (17) of section 828.29, Florida Statutes, are amended, and
69 subsections (18) and (19) are added to that section, to read:
70 828.29 Dogs and cats transported or offered for sale;
71 health requirements; consumer guarantee
; disclosures
.—
72 (5) If, within
30

14
days
after

following
the sale by a pet
73 dealer of an animal subject to this section, a licensed
74 veterinarian of the consumer’s choosing certifies that, at the
75 time of the sale, the animal was unfit for purchase due to
76 illness or disease, the presence of symptoms of a contagious or
77 infectious disease, or the presence of internal or external
78 parasites, excluding fleas and ticks; or if, within 1 year
after

79
following
the sale of an animal subject to this section, a
80 licensed veterinarian of the consumer’s choosing certifies such
81 animal to be unfit for purchase due to a congenital or
82 hereditary disorder which adversely affects the health of the
83 animal; or if, within 1 year
after

following
the sale of an
84 animal subject to this section, the breed, sex, or health of
85 such animal is found to have been misrepresented to the
86 consumer, the pet dealer shall afford the consumer the right to
87 choose one of the following options:
88 (a) The right to return the animal and receive a refund of
89 the purchase price, including
any interest accrued and

the
sales
90 tax
or fees paid or due from the purchaser
, and reimbursement
91 for reasonable veterinary costs directly related to the
92 veterinarian’s examination and certification that the
animal

dog

93
or cat
is unfit for purchase pursuant to this section
or

and

94 directly related to necessary emergency services and treatment
95 undertaken to relieve
the
suffering
of such animal. If the

96
consumer financed the animal pursuant to a financing agreement

97
with the pet dealer, the pet dealer must ensure that the

98
financing agreement is terminated without penalty to the

99
consumer
;
100 (b) The right to return the animal and receive an exchange
101
animal

dog or cat
of the consumer’s choice of equivalent value,
102 and reimbursement for reasonable veterinary costs directly
103 related to the veterinarian’s examination and certification that
104 the
animal

dog or cat
is unfit for purchase pursuant to this
105 section
or

and
directly related to necessary emergency services
106 and treatment undertaken to relieve
the
suffering
of such

107
animal
; or
108 (c) The right to retain the animal and receive
109 reimbursement for reasonable veterinary costs for necessary
110 services and treatment related to the attempt to cure or curing
111 of the
animal, or necessary emergency services or treatment

112
undertaken to relieve the suffering of such animal received

113
within 1 year after purchase

dog or cat
.
114
115
Reimbursement for veterinary costs may not exceed the purchase

116
price of the animal.
The cost of veterinary services is
117 reasonable if comparable to the cost of similar services
118 rendered by other licensed veterinarians in proximity to the
119 treating veterinarian and the services rendered are appropriate
120 for the certification by the veterinarian.
121 (6)
All financing terms must be disclosed by the pet dealer

122
to the consumer before the sale of the animal

A consumer may

123
sign a waiver relinquishing his or her right to return the dog

124
or cat for congenital or hereditary disorders. In the case of

125
such waiver, the consumer has 48 normal business hours,

126
excluding weekends and holidays, in which to have the animal

127
examined by a licensed veterinarian of the consumer’s choosing.

128
If the veterinarian certifies that, at the time of sale, the dog

129
or cat was unfit for purchase due to a congenital or hereditary

130
disorder, the pet dealer must afford the consumer the right to

131
choose one of the following options:

132
(a) The right to return the animal and receive a refund of

133
the purchase price, including sales tax, but excluding the

134
veterinary costs related to the certification that the dog or

135
cat is unfit; or

136
(b) The right to return the animal and receive an exchange

137
dog or cat of the consumer’s choice of equivalent value, but not

138
a refund of the veterinary costs related to the certification

139
that the dog or cat is unfit
.
140 (7)
Before the sale of an animal, a pet dealer must provide

141
to the consumer copies of records of all medical examinations or

142
tests that were conducted on the animal or any medication given

143
before the purchase of the animal.
A pet dealer may specifically
144 state at the time of sale, in writing to the consumer, the
145 presence of specific congenital or hereditary disorders, in
146 which case the consumer has no right to any refund or exchange
147 for those
identified
disorders
, if such consumer signs a

148
notification that indicates that the animal has been examined by

149
a veterinarian who determined that the animal has the identified

150
congenital or hereditary disorder
.
151 (8) The refund or exchange required by subsection (5)
must

152
or subsection (6) shall
be made by the pet dealer not later than
153 10 business days
after

following
receipt of a signed veterinary
154 certification as required in subsection (5)
or subsection (6)
.
155 The consumer must notify the pet dealer within
7

2
business days
156 after
receipt of
the veterinarian’s determination that the
157 animal is unfit. The written certification of unfitness must be
158 presented to the pet dealer not later than 3 business days
159 following receipt thereof by the consumer.
160 (10) If a pet dealer wishes to contest a demand for
161 veterinary expenses, refund, or exchange made by a consumer
162 under this section, the dealer may require the consumer to
163 produce the animal for examination by a licensed veterinarian
164 designated by the dealer. Upon such examination, if the consumer
165 and the dealer are unable to reach an agreement that constitutes
166 one of the options set forth in subsection (5)
or subsection (6)

167 within 10 business days
after

following
receipt of the animal
168 for such examination, the consumer may initiate an action in a
169 court of competent jurisdiction
, or the county court small

170
claims court division, in the county where the animal owner

171
resides,
to recover or obtain reimbursement of veterinary
172 expenses
and a
,
refund, or exchange
, as set forth in subsection

173
(5), and may collect punitive damages in an amount not less than

174
$2,500 at the discretion of the court
.
175 (12) Every pet dealer who sells an animal to a consumer
176 must provide the consumer at the time of sale with a
printed,

177 written notice
in 14-point boldface type to be signed by the

178
consumer
, printed or typed,
which
is separate from the contract

179
and
reads as follows:
180
181
RIGHT TO CANCEL

182
Florida consumers have certain rights under section

183
828.29, Florida Statutes. You have the right to: 1)

184
return the animal; 2) exchange the animal; and 3)

185
receive reimbursement for certain veterinary expenses

186
under certain circumstances. Please have your new pet

187
seen by a veterinarian immediately. A copy of this law

188
is attached to this notice.

189
190 It is the consumer’s right, pursuant to section
191 828.29, Florida Statutes, to receive a certificate of
192 veterinary inspection with each
animal

dog or cat

193 purchased from a pet dealer. Such certificate shall
194 list all vaccines and deworming medications
195 administered to the animal
and list any medical

196
diagnosis and treatments

and shall state that the

197
animal has been examined by a Florida-licensed

198
veterinarian who certifies that, to the best of the

199
veterinarian’s knowledge, the animal was found to have

200
been healthy at the time of the veterinary

201
examination
. In the event that the consumer purchases
202 the animal and finds it to have been unfit for
203 purchase as provided in section 828.29(5), Florida
204 Statutes, the consumer must notify the pet dealer
205 within
7

2 business
days
after

of
the veterinarian’s
206 determination that the animal was unfit. The consumer
207 has the right to retain, return, or exchange the
208 animal and receive reimbursement for certain related
209 veterinary services rendered to the animal, subject to
210 the right of the dealer to have the animal examined by
211 another veterinarian.
212
213
...(Signature of Animal owner or Lessee, or Owner’s or

214
Lessee’s Authorized Person)...

215
216 (13) For the purposes of
this section

subsections (5)-(12)

217
and (16)
, the term “pet dealer” means any person, firm,
218 partnership, corporation, or other association which, in the
219 ordinary course of business, engages in the sale of more than
220
three

two
litters, or
30

20
dogs or cats, per year, whichever is
221 greater, to the public. This definition includes breeders of
222 animals who sell such animals directly to a consumer.
This

223
definition does not include not-for-profit entities that do not

224
purchase dogs or cats from a breeder or broker.

225 (17) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a person
226 who violates
any provision of
this section commits a misdemeanor
227 of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.
228 775.083.
229
(18)

Any record provided to a consumer pursuant to the sale

230
of an animal under this section must be maintained by the pet

231
dealer for a period of at least 7 years after the sale.

232
(19)

A pet dealer who violates this section commits an

233
unfair method of competition or an unfair or deceptive act or

234
practice in violation of part II of chapter 501 and is subject

235
to the penalties and remedies provided for such violations.

236 Section 3. Section 828.291, Florida Statutes, is created to
237 read:
238
828.291

Best management practices for dog breeding.—

239
(1)

The purpose of this section is to allow voluntary

240
participation in best management practices relating to minimum

241
standards of care, facility operations, and breeding practices

242
for individuals or entities engaged in the breeding of dogs in

243
order to protect animal welfare, promote responsible breeding,

244
and ensure the health and safety of animals and consumers.

245
(2)

This section may not be construed to prohibit a local

246
jurisdiction from implementing requirements for individuals or

247
entities engaged in the breeding of dogs.

248
(3)

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation

249
shall develop a list of best management practices that

250
individuals or entities engaged in the breeding of dogs may

251
voluntarily adopt and implement. Such best management practices

252
must include minimum standards of care, facility operations, and

253
breeding practices for individuals or entities engaged in the

254
breeding of dogs, including, but not limited to, standards

255
relating to all of the following:

256
(a)

Breeding.

257
(b)

Feeding.

258
(c)

Housing.

259
(d)

Health.

260
(e)

Enrichment.

261
(f)

Selling and transferring, in accordance with s. 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
county in the state.

276 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.