The governor of Florida Ron DeSantissigned a measure this Friday ending discrimination against dogs based on their breed.
SB 942, passed by just one dissenting vote in both chambers, ends the latest city and public housing restrictions on certain dog breeds, most of which target pit bulls.
“Don’t let unfounded barriers to public housing continue to contribute to this crisis,” backer of the bill, Miami Republican Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera, said during the House debate, noting that housing is the reason is why so many people give up their animals to animal shelters.
Legislatures have already issued bans against local breed-specific standards, but Miami still has one that requires “pit bulls” to be penned or muzzled.
However, as of October 1st, these and all other rules imposing restrictions on specific breeds will be lifted.
“It will save a lot of lives and a lot of broken hearts,” said Dahlia Canes, founder of the Miami Coalition Against Race Specific Legislation.
His group has been trying to end Miami’s pit bull ban for nearly 20 years.
His dog “Chocolate” was taken away from him because of the ban. It also taught him how arbitrary calling a dog a “pit bull” can be.
Animal rights activists have campaigned for the bill in numerous meetings. It had passed the Senate, then withered and died in the House of Representatives.
According to Telemundo, of the 319,077 dogs and cats that arrived at Florida shelters last year, 272,381 were rescued, but 20,653 were eventually euthanized.