This is an interesting point that I picked up on my travels across the Internet. It needs some research. Richard Dressel of the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office told patch.com last Tuesday that there is no law against feeding stray dogs in Lake Placid, Florida but there is a law about feeding feral cats. Or did he mean across Florida?
“There is no law against feeling stray dogs. There is a law about feeding feral cats, but it is only applicable if you are doing it on someone else’s property. There is no law about feeding dogs and cats on your own property.”
The relevancy of this statement arises because of a story on patch.com about killer dogs biting a man 100 times and killing him. Six stray dogs have been accused of the attack. The authorities have captured the dogs and are doing DNA tests to see if they were the ones involved.
One woman, Alyssa Collins blames the feeding of stray dogs.
“People won’t stop feeding [the strays] so it made it impossible to catch the dogs. I’m hoping that everyone’s help we can get some laws changed on feeling strays.”
The difference in how Floridians relate to stray dogs compared to stray cats is interesting. Rarely do I see a discussion on this topic.
My research
My initial research on a law prohiting feeding feral cats in Lake Placid, Florida, does not bring up confirmation that this law exists. I have searched the city ordinances and I can confirm that such a law does not exist. The sheriff appears to be wrong. But there is an absolute ban on cats and dogs ‘running at large’.
“There shall be no dogs or cats running at large in the Town of Lake Placid”
This means, indirectly, that feeding either cats or dogs is illegal I would have thought.
