Bill Would Force Animal Shelters To Publicize Euthanasia Deaths

ROYAL PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBSMiami) – A bill filed this week would force animal shelters to publicize animal kills on their websites.

Under the measure (SB 872) by Sen. Joe Abruzzo, D-Royal Palm Beach, animal shelter operators would need to compile monthly and annual reports detailing the outcomes of the dogs and cats they take in, including how many were euthanized, and publish those reports on their website, the News Service of Florida reports.

The bill aims to reduce euthanasia of unwanted animals.

"We do not believe that it is the conscious will of the people of the state of Florida to kill over 50 percent of the lost and homeless shelter pets each year," said Jack Cory, representing Fix Florida, a group that works to reduce killing of shelter animals.

The bill was filed Wednesday, but hasn't been assigned to committees yet and there's no House companion so far.

Another bill filed on Wednesday (SB 674) by Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, is similar in that it would require animal shelters to keep the same records about euthanasia and require taxpayer-funded shelters to make those records available to the public, though it doesn't specify that they'd have to put them online.