News

Florida Sportsmen Face Forced Spay and Neuter Law

Florida sporting dog owners face a mandatory spay/neuter bill. House Bill 451 will put unnecessary hardships on sporting dog owners and permanently damage the breeding of hunting dogs. Florida sportsmen should contact their state legislators and oppose this bill.

House Bill 451 is sponsored by State Representative Scott Randolph (D-Thorton Park). It will require owners of every dog or cat in Florida to have animals sterilized at four months of age, or within 30 days of the owner receiving the animal. While there are limited exemptions in the bill, they fail to provide protections for sporting dog breeders.
“These mandates basically act as a poison pill for legitimate sporting dog breeders,” said Rob Sexton, vice president of government affairs for the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance. Sexton continued, “There are no protections in HB 451 that can give sportsmen any level of comfort that they won’t be forced to spay/neuter their accomplished hunting dogs.”

Another cause for concern with HB 451 is its potential for unintended health consequences for dogs and the public. There is a risk that individuals who do not comply with the new law will stop taking their dogs for veterinary care.

Sportsmen should also be aware that mandatory spay/neuter bills like HB 451 are on the wish list for many anti-hunting organizations, especially the largest such group, the Humane Society of the United States.

Take Action! Florida sportsmen must contact their state representatives today. Urge them to oppose this measure and ask that before any legislation is passed they ensure it includes protections for sporting dog kennels.  

To find your state representative’s phone number, please use the Legislative Action Center.