🧑⚖️ Who: Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
📢 What: Announcement of a proposal to protect dogs and crack down on unethical breeders
📅 When: November 25, 2025
📍 Where: Loxahatchee, Florida
❓ Why: To stop abusive puppy mills, support overwhelmed shelters, and strengthen animal cruelty laws
LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis announced a wide-ranging proposal Monday aimed at tackling abusive puppy mills, strengthening oversight of dog breeders, and expanding animal welfare protections across the state. The plan pairs new regulatory authority with increased penalties and reforms designed to reduce cruelty, improve shelter conditions, and give residents more tools to report mistreatment.
Speaking at an event in Loxahatchee alongside leaders from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, DeSantis said the proposal would introduce the most significant state-level oversight of dog breeding Florida has ever had. Under the initiative, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) would develop and enforce licensing requirements for breeders—authority the state has not previously exercised in a unified way.
“In Florida, we will always fight to protect man’s best friend,” DeSantis said. “The proposal we announced today will end unethical puppy mills, hold accountable abusive breeders, and help shelter dogs find loving homes.”
A centerpiece of the proposal is the requirement that all dog breeders operating in Florida obtain a state license. That license would be tied to compliance with a new set of statewide standards governing the treatment, housing, and care of dogs. These standards would address chronic problems seen in abusive breeding operations, including:
Overbreeding female dogs
Confining dogs to cages too small to stand or turn around
Leaving animals exposed to extreme heat or cold
Failing to provide consistent access to clean water or adequate nutrition
State officials say the goal is to eliminate the “patchwork” system of county-level rules that has allowed some breeders to evade oversight by relocating to jurisdictions with little enforcement.
The governor’s plan also creates a statewide hotline where residents can report suspected breeding abuse directly to state regulators. These reports would be used to trigger inspections, investigations, or emergency responses for dogs in immediate danger.
Officials say the hotline is intended to empower communities to help root out abusive operations that often run out of barns, sheds, or makeshift backyard facilities hidden from the public.
The proposal also includes a directive to develop legislation increasing penalties for individuals who abuse or torture animals in front of children. State officials say exposure to violence against animals is linked to emotional harm in minors and correlates with higher risks of future violent behavior.
The administration has signaled it wants courts to treat these cases with “enhanced seriousness,” potentially layering additional sentencing or fines on top of existing cruelty statutes.
DeSantis highlighted two major animal protection laws passed earlier this year as evidence of continued bipartisan support for tougher enforcement.
Trooper’s Law was named after a dog abandoned along the roadside as Hurricane Milton approached. Florida Highway Patrol troopers rescued the dog moments before the storm made landfall. The law now makes it a felony to restrain or abandon a dog during a state of emergency — something first responders say is becoming more common during hurricane evacuations.
Dexter’s Law was enacted after a newly adopted dog was tortured and killed within days of entering a new home. The law adds sentencing enhancements for people who torture, mutilate, or kill a dog, and it requires the creation of a statewide database of convicted animal abusers. Shelters can now check that database before allowing an individual to adopt an animal.
State agencies will spend the coming months drafting detailed language for the breeder licensing rules, hotline structure, and new consumer protections. Legislative components of the plan are expected to be introduced during the 2026 session.
DeSantis emphasized that the proposal is designed both to punish abusive breeders and to expand compassion for animals.
“Florida will not tolerate the abuse of animals,” he said. “This proposal ensures that dogs are treated humanely and helps more of them find the loving homes they deserve.”
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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