A new bill in the Florida State Legislature would make the practice of leaving animals behind during natural disasters illegal and punishable by a fine and possibly jail time. According to the Miami Herald, Senate Bill 1738 was introduced by Republican Joe Gruters, a member of Florida's Senate, on March 1. Pet owners in violation of the law could be slapped with a $5,000 fine and up to one year behind bars because of an animal cruelty charge, which is classified as a first-degree misdemeanor. The Florida Senate is considering the bill, which according to the Herald would go into effect July 1 if it makes it through the legislative process. It already passed in the Senate Agriculture Committee on Monday by a 5-0 vote. The law would be applicable during all natural disasters and during both mandatory and voluntary evacuations. Pet owners would be subjected to it if they restrain their animals outside and then leave the property to escape the storm. "We want to give these dogs a fighting chance," Gruters said during Monday's Agriculture Committee hearing, according to The Palm Beach Post. https://www.newsmax.com/politics/animal-cruelty-florida-hurricanes/2019/03/20/id/907943/
There are some inherent problems. At least at one time, Red Cross would not allow any animals. When there is available federal pet facilities the federals won't deploy it to save money but rather depend on volunteers, and volunteers have a spotty record and often no capacity. So people who do refuse to leave an animal behind can be potentially left behind too unless there is a facility for care since people areas can't have a bunch of pets running around it (they've tried, didn't work out well). I can't remember where this was but I remember reading of one place that was prone to floods where they passed a law that if you left your house during a flood danger you couldn't leave your dog tied or fenced in where they would be unable to escape. Seemed like a good law. This new law that requires people to take responsibility for their pets during a natural disaster seems to take things a little too far.
I have a breeding pair of large foreign spiders, so I would need to release them and their eggs into the wider world?
Animals do not have rights. In order for an entity to have rights, it must first be conscience of that fact, and then it must actively defend them. Only people who are complete morons do not understand that.
