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Dangerous Dog Bill Goes Before Florida House Committee Monday

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - A Florida House bill which would abolish Miami-Dade County's dangerous dog ordinance, which specifically bans pit bulls, gets a hearing Monday in the House Community and Military Affairs Subcommittee.

Current state law, enacted in 1990, allows local governments to take action against dangerous dogs after a complaint is made and served on the owner, who can appeal the classification to county court. Afterward, the owner may be required to register the dog with local animal control and, depending on the severity of the dog's actions, it may be ordered impounded or even destroyed.

The law prohibits regulations by breed, although Miami-Dade County and several of its municipalities were allowed to retain restrictions already in place on pit bulls. Florida is among only 12 states that prohibit breed-specific regulations.

Miami-Dade approved the breed specific ban in 1989 after an 8-year old girl was brutally mauled by a pit bull.

The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.

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