Commissioners have agreed to draft stronger regulations for aggressive dogs in Broward County.
The commission agreed to hire three additional animal care specialists to handle incidents of dog aggression and mistreatment, according to a Broward County media release.
The county attorney will also draft regulations requiring the revenue from animal registration tags and vaccinations to be used to fund low cost sterilization programs.
"We have an estimated 800,000 dogs in Broward County which are not registered and vaccinated. Revenue generated from enforcing registration and vaccination will pay for a number of animal care programs and enforcement without the need for increasing taxes," Vice Mayor Barbara Sharief said in an email statement. "These proposals may not cover everything, but they are a start."
Additionally, new regulations for commercial and hobby breeders would require getting a breeder's license and limiting the number of litters that can be raised. Vaccinations, micro-chipping and vet records would have to be maintained.
The new regulations will be reviewed and voted on by the Commission at a future hearing prior to being approved.
These rules would require maximum penalties in animal cruelty cases and create programs to reduce the number of animal abuse cases, as well as begin training for Broward County deputies who respond to animal-related incidents.
Commissioners also approved a separate item that prohibits teaching animals how to fight and imposes a $500 fine for violations. The fine for pet owners who do not register and vaccinate their pets was also raised to $300.
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