DCV Pets
Deer Creek Village is a community that welcomes furry friends as they are residents too. As pet owners, we have a responsibility to take care of our animals and respect our neighbors. This page provides some useful information and resources on pet ownership, such as local laws, healthy tips, and special interest groups. We hope this page helps you and your furry companions enjoy living in Deer Creek Village.
FaceBook Deer Creek Village Pets, Orlando Fl – Private Group
The Deer Creek Village Pets Group on Facebook is not moderated or controlled in any way by the Deer Creek Homeowners Association. The Group is a great place to go to find Pet owner tips and help find lost pets.
Florida's Dog Bite Law
The official tort on this topic is FLSA 767.04, which has a “strict liability” on dog bites, meaning that an owner is liable even if the owner has no warning (“regardless of the former viciousness of the dog”). The owner is liable for injuries when the dog bites another person in a public place or lawfully in a private place. The statute of limitations on this law is four years after the date of the dog bite. The dog owner is less likely to be liable if the bite happens on the owner’s private property and the owner has “Bad Dog” signage clearly visible on the property. There are exceptions to that rule, however. (For example, if the victim is six years old or younger that rule doesn’t apply.) Dogs are also not allowed to attack livestock (see chapter 767 for more info on other types of damages done by dogs).
Florida's Dog-in-Car Law
It’s a horribly cruel thing to do to an animal, and yet there’s no law on the books specifically criminalizing the abusive behavior of leaving a dog in a hot car. In most cases, the state’s broad, general animal cruelty law applies, in which it negligence like this is considered a misdemeanor. There are, as of 2019, civil liability immunities for people hoping to rescue dogs from hot cars, according to FLSA 768.139, but one must take specific actions in order for that tort to apply. For instance, you must call 911 before entering the vehicle and wait with the animal (or child) until law enforcement arrives.
Florida's Dog Leash Laws
Most leash laws in the state of Florida happen on the city or county level, as the only language on the topic on the state level has to do with dangerous dogs. To be defined as a “dangerous dog” (FLSA 767.11), a dog has either aggressively bitten or attacked a person, chased a person while unprovoked, or has more than once severely injured or killed a domestic animal. Dogs that are legally defined as “dangerous dogs” in the state of Florida must be restrained with a muzzle or leash every time it’s outside of a proper enclosure.
Orange County: Orlando pet owners should know that dogs must be kept on a leash not exceeding six feet anytime the dog is off your property.
Florida's Dog Vaccination Laws
According to FLSA 828.30, dogs, cats and ferrets must be vaccinated for rabies as well as a few other core diseases. The only exceptions include those in which a licensed veteran has confirmed in writing that the vaccination would endanger the dog’s health due to its age or other medical considerations. All of these vaccinations are required by law:
Rabies
Adenovirus
Canine distemper
Parvovirus
Leptospirosis
Bordetella
Roundworms
Hookworms
Parainfluenza
Additional vaccinations may be recommended by your Florida veterinarian, such as vaccinations against Lyme disease.