Dogs confiscated at fighting facilities no longer automatically considered 'dangerous'

TAMPA - Governor Scott signed new legislation into law that changes Florida's definition of a "dangerous dog." Under the new law, dogs confiscated from fighting rings will not automatically be labeled as 'dangerous.'

Every month, more than 200 pit bull terriers enter the Hillsborough County shelter system.

When they come from dog fighting rings, they enter animal control facilities with the title "dangerous dog."

"That is a death sentence. They won't be adopted and they are euthanized," said Connie Johnson of Best Friends Animal Society.

Johnson lobbied legislators to strike one line from Florida's dangerous dog definition; the part that automatically labels a dog "dangerous" if it has any prior connection with dog fighting.

"In most cases, when dogs are confiscated in dog fighting busts, they are bait dogs. They're mother dogs. They're puppies," Johnson said. "These dogs have never been exposed to anything like this anyway. They would be automatically deemed dangerous."

All dogs will still have to pass an aggression test, but each shelter gets to decide whether to post the dog's history.

The only way to find out for sure is to do what Terry and Mike Bollent did Wednesday when looking to adopt a dog at the Hillsborough County Humane Society.  They asked.

"Prospective owners or adopters should know the background of the dog," Mike said.  The couple says they definitely would want to know if a dog comes from a fighting ring.

Though they'd be hesitant to adopt a dog with that kind of history, they still think the dogs should get a second chance with someone.  They were in horrendous conditions, and you never know what a little bit of love's going to do for them," Terry said.

For years, Johnson has worked with dogs confiscated from fighting facilities, and she says that past doesn't automatically mean the dogs are destined toward aggressive tendencies.

Johnson said. "I have worked with many dogs that have come from dog fighting rings, even worked with the Michael Vick dogs, several of those dogs are now therapy dogs."

The goal, Johnson says, is to give those dogs the same chance as other dogs brought into the shelter system.  "Be adopted to a family, to have a forever home, a second chance at life."