Florida’s ‘Dangerous Dogs’ Law Gets a Paw-sitive Makeover

.Hold onto your leashes, because there's a new doggy drama unfolding here in the Sunshine State. Florida's "Dangerous Dogs" law is getting a makeover, and it's leaving us all scratching our heads and wondering if Fido is now above the law.

According to WESH, starting this October, Florida is putting its paw down on breed-specific bans. No more singling out poor old German Shepherds or pit bulls just because they have a reputation for being a tad feisty. It's a bit like telling a restaurant they can't ban pineapple on pizza – freedom for all flavors!

Before this, counties could give the stink eye to owners. Like dogs over a certain weight or size if they caused a ruckus. But now, Florida's decided that size matters, too. Yep, if your Great Dane goes on a wild adventure and causes chaos, blame it on the scale, buddy.

Public housing authorities can still wag their fingers at dangerous dogs, but they can't point the paw at breeds, sizes, or weights. It's like telling a detective to solve a mystery without any clues. Good luck with that!

And they're throwing out the granddaddy of all provisions: the one that said local governments could enforce breed-specific bans that existed before October 1, 1990. Sorry, Miami-Dade County and the City of Sunrise, but your "pit bull dogs" restrictions just got tossed out like yesterday's chewed-up bone.

This new law, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis, is like a carnival ride you never asked for... Exciting, confusing, and making you wonder why you even got on in the first place. So, get ready, Florida, because the dog days of October are coming.  It's anyone's guess what kind of mischief our four-legged friends will get up to now.

If you're a pet owner, you know that sometimes expenses can add up and 3 Florida cities are among those that are the most expensive to own a dog.

They say a dog is a man's best friend, but this loyal companionship can come at a significant financial cost. I wouldn't trade the cuddles, wagging tail, and unconditional love for anything, but there's no denying that owning a dog can quickly become a budget-busting affair. The area I spend the most on with my little guy Rocket is with his sitter. Thankfully I have found an amazing couple to watch him when I first moved to Fort Myers, which allows me to travel as much as I do. I try to take him with me where I can, but sometimes it's just not feasible. While it's not cheap, I know he's well cared for, so it's worth every penny.

In some parts of the country, owning a dog is more expensive than others. To determine which cities were the most expensive for dog ownership, Forbes Advisor looked at the percentage of household income needed to cover dog-related expenses in 78 different cities. They looked at things like vet costs, pet insurance premiums and boarding fees (for a 7 day vacation)/doggie day care (2x per week for 48 weeks).

In Florida, coming in at #12 on the list is St. Petersburg with a score of 87.66 out of 100. 2.37% of the median household income is needed to cover annual expenses at the vet, insurance and boarding. Miami comes in at #15 with a score of 82.63 with 2.34% of median household income required. And Tampa comes in at #19 on the list with a score of 75.44. 2.26% of median household income is necessary for these expenses.

To see the full list, click here. Below are the top 5 most expensive cities for owning a dog.

In Memphis, the annual cost of boarding, vet care and insurance is $1,418, with the annual doggie day care expense at $2,688.

El Paso got a score of 95.75 out of 100. Annual costs amount to $1,323 with doggie day care costing $2,496.

Dog boarding fees, vet costs and pet insurance premiums in Bakersfield make up 2.64% of the median household income (the third highest amount in the country), and doggy day care expenses amount to $2,688.

In Greensboro, the annual costs of boarding, vet care and insurance is $1,546. Greensboro tied with Winston-Salem for having those amounts make up the highest percentage of household income at 2.67%.

Winston-Salem got a score of 100.00 out of 100. Annual costs for vet, insurance and boarding amount to $1,533 with doggie day care costing $2,784.