Q: Is it lawful for counties in Florida to impose licensing and yearly vaccinations for dogs but not for chickens or livestock?
I recently received a letter from my county stating that my dog license has expired and outlining a $75.00 annual fee because my dog is not spayed, even though I do not breed her. Additionally, the county requires yearly vaccinations and licensing since my vet reported the initial rabies vaccination. Is it lawful for the county to impose such licensing and vaccination requirements on pet owners, and why might these not apply to other animals like chickens or livestock?
A: These would be policy decisions by your County Commission and are lawful unless it can be shown they would violate the State and/or Federal Constitutions (and a Court would agree with that argument). If there were to be any constitutional argument (and I'm not saying there is), litigation over it would likely be very expensive. To be certain that the letter you received accurately reflects the County Code of Ordinances, read the applicable ordinances. Most codes can be found on Municode.com. Or simply ask the Clerk of the County Commission to show you the code. For policy decisions that you think are unfair, but which cannot be challenged in Court (due to either legalities or practicalities), all you can do is urge commissioners to change the code.
Pamela Marie Mori Holcombe agrees with this answer
A: The short answer is that chickens and other animals that are not mammals do not get rabies. Rabies is almost always transmitted by bites, thus the importance of vaccinating domesticated carnivore mammals (with teeth designed to bite and eat meat) as opposed to herbivores (with teeth designed for grinding plants).
Charles M. Baron agrees with this answer
Justia Ask A Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get free answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask A Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between Justia and you, or between any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions and you, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask A Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
