Amending Florida’s Pam Rock Act: Why This New Dog Law Could Spell Disaster for Man’s Best Friend

By Alexander Penalta, Esq. and Mindy Patterson, President of The Cavalry Group 

August 7, 2025

Hey there, fellow animal lovers and advocates! If you’re a dog owner in Florida, or just someone who cares about fair laws and our four-legged friends, you’ve got to hear this. The Pam Rock Act went into effect on July 1, 2025, and while it’s meant to make our communities safer after a tragic incident, it’s got some serious flaws that could lead to heartbreak for thousands of families. We’re talking about dogs being unfairly labeled as “dangerous,” mandatory confiscations, and even what we call “canine ethnic cleansing” the wiping out of entire breeds through bad legislative policy.

As representatives of The Penalta Law Firm and The Cavalry Group, an organization dedicated to protecting animal owners’ rights and fighting against overreaching regulations, we’re here to break it down for you. We’ll explain the problems with the Dunbar Bite Scale, the vague language that’s like a trap for home protection dogs, and why this law might mean the end for any pup whose teeth are just a bit too big for their own good. Stick with us, and we’ll share how we can fix this before it’s too late.

The Pam Rock Act: Good Intentions, Bad Execution

Florida’s new law amends Chapter 767 of the state statutes, ramping up rules for dogs classified as “dangerous.” Think mandatory microchipping, spaying or neutering, super-secure enclosures, and even requiring owners to carry $100,000 in liability insurance. It all stems from the heartbreaking death of Pam Rock, killed by a pack of free ranging roaming dogs – no one disputes the need for better safety measures over vicious dogs running wild in the streets. But the way this Act uses the Dunbar Bite Scale to decide a dog’s fate? That’s where things go off the rails.

If a dog bites and scores a Level 5 or higher on this scale, it’s automatic confiscation. Sounds straightforward, right? Wrong. This setup ignores context and could sweep up innocent guardians of our homes.

Why the Dunbar Bite Scale is a Dangerous Tool for Lawmakers

Developed back in the 1980s by vet Dr. Ian Dunbar, this scale rates bites from 1 (just aggressive posturing, no contact) to 6 (fatal attack). Here’s a quick breakdown:

| Level | What It Means   | Injury Level  | What Happens Under the Act  |

|——- |—————  |————– |————————- |

| 1  | Snapping or growling, 

no touch  | None  | Might trigger a look-see  |

| 2  | Teeth touch skin, 

no break  | Bruising  | Same as above  |

| 3  | One to four shallow 

punctures  | Moderate  | Could get labeled dangerous  |

| 4  | Deep punctures with 

tearing  | Severe  | Serious trouble brewing  |

| 5  | Multiple deep bites, 

maybe shaking  | Very severe  | Bye-bye dog – mandatory 

confiscation/euthanasia |

| 6  | The bite kills  | Death  | certain euthanasia   |

On paper, it seems like a smart way to measure severity. But in practice? It’s riddled with problems.

It’s Way Too Subjective

Who decides if a wound is “deep” enough for Level 5? All animal bites will involve at least 4 punctures because of the upper and lower teeth. An indoctrinated animal control officer on a bad day? Government Animal Shelter Staff members brainwashed by animal rights groups like HSUS, ASPCA, PETA and others who have a financial business interest or an ideological interest in killing all animals kept under human care. Studies show that different people rate the same bite differently – sometimes by as much as 30%. No standard forensic rules mean your dog’s life could hang on someone’s gut feeling. The likelihood that your dog’s case will be evaluated by a forensic veterinarian are zero. You will also not be allowed to request a temperament assessment of your dog even if you pay for the assessment. 

It Ignores Why the Bite Happened

Picture this: Your German Shepherd spots a burglar breaking in and does what it’s trained to do – protect your family. That bite might save lives, but if it’s deep (hello, big dog teeth), it’s Level 5, and your hero dog gets hauled away. The law talks about “unprovoked” attacks, but what counts as provoked? It’s not clear, and that blindness to context puts every home protection dog at risk.

Big Teeth? Big Problems

Breeds like German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, Mastiffs, or Pit Bulls have naturally larger teeth and stronger jaws. Even a quick, defensive nip from a smaller breed like an English or French Bulldog can create a “deep puncture” that hits Level 5. Suddenly, tooth size is a death sentence. It’s not about aggression; it’s about anatomy. This bias hits working breeds hardest – the very dogs we rely on for security. The sponsors of the July 1, 2025, Trojan Horse legislation have revived the laws against Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) once held unconstitutional in 2023 in Florida. Unconstitutional and unlawful BSL has been repackaged by the ideologues who despise dog owners and private ownership of protection dogs.  

Vague Words That Trap Good Dogs

The Act throws around terms like “menacing fashion” or “dangerous propensities.” What does that even mean? A dog barking at a stranger could be seen as menacing if the officer doesn’t like the breed. For home protection dogs…think Dobermans or Bullmastiffs trained to guard…this is a nightmare. Their job is to look intimidating! Combine that with the bite scale, and you’ve got a recipe for overzealous prosecution of your dog, where one complaint or incident leads straight to the pound, solitary confinement, mistreatment and mandatory death.

Legal experts agree: Vague laws like this lead to arbitrary decisions, often fueled by breed stereotypes and ideological zealots. It’s not fair, and it’s not effective.

The Dark Side: Canine Ethnic Cleansing and Needless Deaths

We don’t use “canine ethnic cleansing” lightly. It’s a term that captures the horror of what has happened in Florida (and other jurisdictions), beginning July 1, 2025. This law, though not naming breeds, will hit any dog on this list of breeds larger than a teacup: 

1. English Mastiff

2. Boerboel

3. St. Bernard

4. Great Dane

5. Leonberger

6. Neapolitan Mastiff

7. Tibetan Mastiff

8. Dogue de Bordeaux

9. Great Pyrenees

10. Newfoundland

11. Anatolian Shepherd Dog

12. Black Russian Terrier

13. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

14. Bullmastiff

15. Komondor

16. Kuvasz

17. Irish Wolfhound

18. Bernese Mountain Dog

19. Cane Corso

20. Dogo Argentino

21. Rottweiler

22. Akita (American)

23. Akita (Japanese)

24. Bouvier des Flandres

25. Old English Sheepdog

26. Bloodhound

27. Briard

28. Otterhound

29. Scottish Deerhound

30. Borzoi

31. German Shepherd Dog

32. Doberman Pinscher

33. Alaskan Malamute

34. Weimaraner

35. Giant Schnauzer

36. Black and Tan Coonhound

37. Bracco Italiano

38. Chinook

39. Retriever (Curly-Coated)

40. Beauceron

41. Rhodesian Ridgeback

42. Clumber Spaniel

43. Spinone Italiano

44. Labrador Retriever

45. Golden Retriever

46. English Setter

47. Gordon Setter

48. Belgian Malinois

49. Belgian Sheepdog

50. Belgian Tervuren

51. Collie (Rough/Smooth)

52. German Shorthaired Pointer

53. German Wirehaired Pointer

54. Airedale Terrier

55. American Foxhound

56. American Staffordshire Terrier

57. Berger Picard

58. Bull Terrier

59. Chow Chow

60. Dalmatian

61. Greyhound

62. Flat-Coated Retriever

63. Irish Setter

64. Treeing Walker Coonhound

65. Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

66. Irish Water Spaniel

67. Australian Shepherd

68. Basset Hound

69. Samoyed

70. Saluki

71. Portuguese Water Dog

72. Siberian Husky

73. Vizsla

74. Wirehaired Vizsla

75. Afghan Hound

76. Chinese Shar-Pei

77. English Foxhound

78. Harrier

79. Plott Hound

80. Irish Red and White Setter

81. Azawakh

82. Bearded Collie

83. Border Collie

84. Canaan Dog

85. Norwegian Elkhound

86. Pharaoh Hound

87. Welsh Springer Spaniel

88. Australian Cattle Dog

89. Bulldog

90. Ibizan Hound

91. Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

92. Sloughi

93. English Springer Spaniel

94. Field Spaniel

95. Standard Schnauzer

96. Spanish Water Dog

97. German Pinscher

98. Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen

99. Keeshond

100. Skye Terrier

101. Sussex Spaniel

102. Brittany

103. Glen of Imaal Terrier

104. Kerry Blue Terrier

105. Miniature American Shepherd

106. Norwegian Buhund

107. Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen

108. Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

109. Boykin Spaniel

110. Cardigan Welsh Corgi

111. Staffordshire Bull Terrier

112. Lagotto Romagnolo

113. Swedish Vallhund

114. English Cocker Spaniel

115. Dachshund (Standard)

116. Cocker Spaniel (American)

117. Icelandic Sheepdog

118. Nederlandse Kooikerhondje

119. Norwegian Lundehund

120. Pembroke Welsh Corgi

121. Pyrenean Shepherd

122. Tibetan Terrier

123. Mudi

124. Pumi

125. Miniature Bull Terrier

126. Irish Terrier

127. Cirneco dell’Etna

128. Boston Terrier

129. Rat Terrier

130. Shetland Sheepdog

131. Basenji

132. Cesky Terrier

133. Dandie Dinmont Terrier

134. Sealyham Terrier

135. Bedlington Terrier

136. Shiba Inu

137. Scottish Terrier

138. Australian Terrier

139. Miniature Schnauzer

140. Welsh Terrier

141. West Highland White Terrier

142. Beagle

143. Bichon Frise

144. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

145. Lhasa Apso

146. Lakeland Terrier

147. Parson Russell Terrier

148. American Hairless Terrier

149. Schipperke

150. Shih Tzu

151. Border Terrier

152. Coton de Tulear

153. Lowchen

154. Russell Terrier

155. Tibetan Spaniel

156. Xoloitzcuintli (Miniature)

157. Cairn Terrier

158. Italian Greyhound

159. Pekingese

160. Havanese

161. Portuguese Podengo Pequeno

162. Chinese Crested

163. Norfolk Terrier

164. Norwich Terrier

165. Japanese Chin

166. Manchester Terrier (Toy)

167. Affenpinscher

168. American Eskimo Dog (Toy)

169. Brussels Griffon

170. Miniature Pinscher

171. Papillon

172. Silky Terrier

173. Toy Fox Terrier

174. Biewer Terrier

175. Pomeranian

176. Yorkshire Terrier

177. Chihuahua

178. Maltese

179. Caucasian Ovcharka

180. Central Asian Shepherd

181. Kangal Shepherd Dog

182. Tornjak

183. Sarplaninac

184. Karakachan

185. Tosa Inu

186. Estrela Mountain Dog

187. Spanish Mastiff

188. Pyrenean Mastiff

189. Fila Brasileiro

190. Broholmer

191. Rafeiro do Alentejo

192. Castro Laboreiro Dog

193. Karst Shepherd

194. Maremma Sheepdog

195. Polish Tatra Sheepdog

196. Appenzeller Sennenhund

197. Entlebucher Mountain Dog

198. Dutch Shepherd

199. Bavarian Mountain Hound

200. Puli

201. Slovensky Cuvac

202. Schapendoes

203. Bergamasco Shepherd

204. Catalan Sheepdog

205. Kintamani Bali Dog

206. Sulimov Dog

207. Danish-Swedish Farmdog

208. Lancashire Heeler

209. Teddy Roosevelt Terrier

210. Jagdterrier

211. Patterdale Terrier

212. Volpino Italiano

213. Russian Toy

The working dogs and protection dog breeds will be hit the hardest. Why? They’re already stereotyped as aggressive, making up 60-70% of severe bite reports in Florida, not because they’re meaner, but because of bias in reporting and enforcement.

Here’s how it plays out:

Mass Confiscations and Euthanasia: Level 5+ means impoundment, and if you can’t afford the insurance or enclosure upgrades? Your dog dies. Florida shelters already euthanize over 20,000 dogs a year. This will skyrocket.

Breeding Bans in Disguise: Mandatory spaying/neutering for “dangerous” dogs means fewer of these breeds over time. It’s like slowly erasing them from existence. It’s a form of government mandated extinction.

Hitting the Vulnerable Hardest: These breeds are popular in low-income and minority communities. The law’s costs (insurance, etc.) make ownership impossible, turning pet ownership into a class issue. It’s like racial profiling, but for dogs and it extends to their owners.

And remember those big teeth? Any Florida pet with jaws that can make a deep cut even in self-defense is at risk. One bite, no matter the reason, and it’s game over. This isn’t safety; it’s a purge. Even though the law provides for two statutory defenses, it will be up to you to hire counsel to assert those defenses in a hearing. Government bureaucrats will always cover themselves under the guise of “public safety”. They will simply ignore the fact that your dog was defending itself, your home or your family member.

Time to Fight Back: Our Proposed Fixes

At The Cavalry Group, we’re not just complaining – we’re advocating for change. Here’s what Florida lawmakers need to do to amend the Pam Rock Act:

Add Context to Bites: Exempt defensive bites on your property if there’s proof (like security footage) of a threat.

Raise the Bar for Confiscation: Make it only for Level 6, and require a judge’s review plus a pro trainer’s temperament assessment for Level 5.

Focus on Rehab, Not Death: Fund programs to train and fix behaviors instead of just impounding dogs and placing them in solitary confinement and doggie death row. The law allows for rehabilitation of the most violent and evil humans yet the July 1, 2025, provides no options for heroic acts by dogs protecting the home and your family.

Clear Up the Fuzzy Language: Define terms like “menacing” with real examples, and train officers to avoid breed bias.

Mandatory Fairness Training: Ensure enforcers get educated on unbiased evaluations, maybe with vet input.

These changes keep people safe while saving dogs’ lives.

Join the Fight. YOUR Dog Could Be Next!

Florida, we can do better. The Pam Rock Act honors a victim but at the cost of countless innocents, both human and canine. If you’re fired up, sign petitions, contact your legislators, and support groups like ours at The Cavalry Group. Let’s amend this law before it leads to a statewide tragedy.

What do you think? Share your stories with the Cavalry Group www.thecavalrygroup.com and join the fight today. Together, we can protect our furry family members.

Alexander Penalta, Esq., is a legal expert in animal welfare law, and Mindy Patterson leads advocacy efforts at The Cavalry Group, a national organization that monitors injustices against working animals, fighting for property rights and responsible animal ownership.