New Animal Welfare Laws in Florida Set to Start in 2026

TAMPA, Fla. – A wave of new laws will take effect in Florida on January 1, 2026, including significant changes for animal welfare. The newly enacted rules aim to improve protections for pets and ensure responsible adoption processes.

Among these new regulations is Dexter’s Law, which will allow potential pet adopters to check if they have a history of animal abuse. Animal advocate Debbie Darino, who championed the legislation, stated, “This is the first database that’s been implemented in the entire state of Florida.” She believes the database will help prevent future abuses and tragic outcomes.

Dexter’s Law is named after a dog adopted in Pinellas County who was killed shortly after adoption. Supporters of the law claim the database could stop similar incidents. “Anyone charged with animal cruelty in the state of Florida will be listed in the database, which updates every day,” Darino added. “This makes it a lot easier for people to find abusers.”

Elizabeth Olson, founder of the Animal Justice Task Force, emphasized the database’s importance for shelters and rescues. “This will make it wonderfully easy to look someone up and determine if they have a violent history against animals,” Olson explained.

Another crucial law taking effect is aimed at enhancing transparency in pet insurance. Insurers will be required to clearly outline what their policies cover and how claims are handled. Olson expressed concern about unclear coverage, stressing, “Pet insurance is pretty expensive. You don’t want to spend a lot of money only to find out nothing is covered when you file a claim.”

The new pet-related laws are part of more than 100 new measures set to begin in Florida. Other significant changes include mandates for healthcare providers to refund patients if they are overcharged and eliminating co-pays and deductibles for diagnostic breast exams under state insurance plans.

Officials stated these new laws are designed to improve access to care and enhance consumer protections. The information for this story was gathered from interviews with animal advocates, the Florida Senate website, and previous reporting by FOX 13 News.