A bill requiring animal shelters to keep records of animals as they arrive and are put down is headed for a House floor vote. The bill unanimously passed its final committee on Tuesday after testimony from the National Rifle Association, of all groups.
It might seem at first the National Rifle Association doesn’t have a dog in this fight. But the group’s Florida chapter spokeswoman, Marion Hammer, said, gun owners have a strong interest in holding animal shelters responsible for their inventory: Mainly, it’s about keeping hunting and farming dogs disease-free.
"People forget these dogs. They think about puppies and kitties," she said. "But these animals are vulnerable to mutated strains of diseases that flow into Florida."
Hammer said, other states with no-kill policies are dumping their animals in Florida. And, she thinks, requiring shelters to keep records tracing where animals came from will cut down on that.
The Senate version of the bill is up for a full vote soon.