![\"Florida](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.animals24-7.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Picsart_25-05-23_21-07-10-533-e1748059661110.jpg?ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\n(Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n TALLAHASSEE,\u00a0 Florida\u2013\u2013<\/strong>Florida governor Ron DeSantis on May 21,\u00a0 2025 signed into law the \u201cPam Rock Act,\u201d\u00a0 authored by Republican state representatives Bobby Payne and Mike Beltran.<\/p>\n Named for 2022 pit bull victim Pamela Jane Rock,\u00a0 the \u201cPam Rock Act\u201d is meant to undo some of the damage that DeSantis,\u00a0 also a Republican, \u00a0earlier did on behalf of pit bull advocates,\u00a0 including Jupiter,\u00a0 Florida resident Lara Trump,\u00a0 daughter-in-law of U.S. president Donald Trump.<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n DiSantis on September 28,\u00a0 2023 endorsed into law a pair of \u201cAuthorization of Restrictions Concerning Dogs\u201d laws that repealed a Miami-Dade County ban on possession of pit bulls in effect since 1989,\u00a0 but not enforced to the letter in at least two decades.<\/p>\n The \u201cAuthorization of Restrictions Concerning Dogs\u201d laws also prohibited all Florida cities and counties from enforcing breed-specific ordinances,\u00a0 including to exclude pit bulls from public housing.<\/p>\n The \u201cAuthorization of Restrictions Concerning Dogs\u201d laws had almost immediate fatal consequences.<\/p>\n Alexander Andres Torres.<\/strong><\/em> Alexander Andres Torres,\u00a0 29, \u00a0<\/strong>of Kendall,\u00a0 <\/strong>Florida,\u00a0 <\/strong>in Miami-Dade County,\u00a0 <\/strong>was killed by his own pit bull on or about December 18,\u00a0 2023.<\/p>\n Torres had kept the pit bull since 2021, \u00a0in evident violation of the intent of the former Miami-Dade County ban on possession of pit bulls.\u00a0 Torres was at least the fifth pit bull fatality attributable to non-enforcement of the Miami-Dade County pit bull ban since 2014.<\/p>\n (See Repeal of Miami-Dade pit bull ban brings 1st fatality in only 78 days<\/a>.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The \u201cPam Rock Act,\u201d \u00a0\u00a0ironically,\u00a0 might not have saved Pam Rock herself,\u00a0 since most of it is in effect a \u201cone free bite\u201d law.<\/p>\n (See Flanders v. Goodfellow:\u00a0 New York dog bite victims get 2\/3rds cup of justice<\/a>.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Pamela Jane Rock & three of the pit bulls who killed her.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/em>(Facebook photos)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n A U.S. Postal Service delivery driver,\u00a0 Rock, \u00a062, \u00a0of Melrose,\u00a0 Florida,\u00a0 \u00a0was fatally mauled by five pit bulls after her delivery vehicle broke down on August 21,\u00a0 2022 along Walker Drive in Interlachen, \u00a0Florida.\u00a0 This obliged Rock to deliver the local mail on foot.<\/p>\n The pit bulls\u2019 owner was not criminally charged,\u00a0 even though the owner knew the pit bulls were dangerous,\u00a0 because he had twice unsuccessfully attempted to surrender them to the Putnam County Animal Shelter,\u00a0 the Florida State Attorney\u2019s Office explained to media.<\/p>\n Detailed Pam Rock\u2019s brother Tom Rock in a June 30,\u00a0 2023 op-ed column for Newsweek<\/em>, \u201cPutnam County Sheriff\u2019s Department failed to notify Animal Control or follow up on a seriously injured victim\u2014200 stitches\u2014attacked six months before Pam\u2019s death by the same dogs who killed her.\u201d<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n This prompted the owner\u2019s first attempt to surrender the pit bulls for euthanasia.<\/p>\n His request was refused by the Putnam County Animal Shelter,\u00a0 apparently because of the lack of a record confirming the attack.<\/p>\n The owner tried again to surrender the pit bulls for euthanasia just ten days before Pam Rock was killed.<\/p>\n \u201cPutnam County Animal Shelter is a \u2018no-kill\u2019 facility,\u201d\u00a0 continued Tom Rock. \u00a0\u201cAnimal Control is therefore reluctant to take in dangerous dogs. \u00a0Their facility was \u2018too full\u2019 for more than one year. \u00a0So the dogs who killed our sister, \u00a0already demonstrated to be dangerous, \u00a0were knowingly allowed to roam free.\u201d<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The \u201cPam Rock Act,\u201d\u00a0 explained WJXT digital content producer Kendra Mazeke, defines a \u201cdangerous dog\u201d as one who \u201cseriously injures a person.\u00a0 It requires owners to keep these dogs \u2018securely confined.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n This might have saved Pam Rock,\u00a0 but only if the Putnam County Sheriff\u2019s Department had reported the first attack to Animal Control,\u00a0 thereby creating a \u201cdangerous dog\u201d record.<\/p>\n The \u201cPam Rock Act,\u201d\u00a0 Mazeke continued,\u00a0 also will \u201cCreate a statewide registry of dangerous dogs;\u00a0 require owners of dangerous dogs to carry $100,000 in liability insurance;\u00a0 increase penalties for owners whose dogs attack;\u00a0 enforce stricter confinement rules for all dogs;\u00a0 allow authorities to hold dogs during investigations;\u00a0 and permit humane euthanasia for dogs responsible for severe injuries.<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cAccording to the bill sponsors,\u201d\u00a0 Mazeke added, \u00a0\u201cthis act is \u2018breed neutral,\u2019 \u00a0meaning it focuses on making all dog owners accountable for their pet\u2019s behavior regardless of their breed.\u201d<\/p>\n But being \u201cbreed neutral\u201d also means that the \u201cPam Rock Act\u201d does little or nothing to prevent first attacks.<\/p>\n If pit bull owners\u2019 statements are to be trusted,\u00a0 approximately half of all fatal and\/or disfiguring pit bull attacks are the first known violent incidents involving the dogs.\u00a0 This includes more than 60% of all human deaths from dog attacks and more than 70% of all dog attack disfigurements since ANIMALS 24-7<\/strong> began logging fatal and\/or disfiguring dog attacks in 1982.<\/p>\n Florida dog attack civil liability law,\u00a0 incidentally,\u00a0 rejects the \u201cone free bite\u201d approach in favor of \u201cstrict liability,\u201d\u00a0 meaning that a dog owner is liable for any damage his or her dog does,\u00a0 regardless of whether the dog has previously demonstrated dangerous behavior.<\/p>\n Kent Recklein. (GoFundMe photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Elsewhere around the U.S.,\u00a0 the 2025 dog attack fatality count on May 20 rose to 31 confirmed,\u00a0 25 by pit bull, \u00a0with two more fatalities by pit bull possible but not yet confirmed as dog attack deaths.<\/p>\n The two most recent victims were Kent P. Recklein, \u00a067, \u00a0of Caseyville,\u00a0 Illinois,\u00a0 and Richard L. Dambrowski, \u00a046,\u00a0 of Riga,\u00a0 New York.<\/p>\n Caseyville police chief Woodrow Hall told\u00a0Robert Townsend and Lupita Villarreal of KSDK television news in St. Louis,\u00a0 Missouri that Recklein died at his home.<\/p>\n \u201cNeighbors said three pit bulls lived at the home,\u201d\u00a0 Townsend and Villarreal recounted.\u00a0 \u201cTwo of the dogs were fighting in the home\u2019s backyard when a man and his son-in-law tried to break them up, \u00a0neighbors said.<\/p>\n Hall indicated that all three pit bulls were involved.<\/p>\n \u201cSt. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. identified the victim,\u201d\u00a0 Townsend and Villarreal said.<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Recklein was pronounced dead within 15 minutes of police receiving the emergency call.<\/p>\n An obituary posted by the Kassly-Meredith Funeral Home in Collinsville,\u00a0 Illinois,\u00a0 described Recklein as \u201ca car and motorcycle enthusiast whose favorite place was a garage.\u201d<\/p>\n Recklein had that,\u00a0 as well as pit bulls,\u00a0 in common with Dambrowski,\u00a0 killed by his own pit bull about six hours later at his home.<\/p>\n Reported Victoria E. Freile for the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle<\/em>,\u00a0 Dambrowski suffered \u201c\u2019significant physical trauma\u2019\u201d to his face and neck from the encounter, \u00a0which occurred inside the house,\u201d\u00a0 according to sheriff\u2019s spokesperson deputy Brendan Hurley.<\/p>\n Richard Dambrowski.\u00a0 (Facebook photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Added Freile,\u00a0 \u201cDambrowski was pronounced dead at the scene, \u00a0Hurley said.\u00a0 The Humane Society of Greater Rochester\u2019s humane law enforcement team responded to the home and euthanized the dog, \u00a0an American pit bull terrier, \u00a0Hurley said.\u201d<\/p>\n Dambrowski in a September 27,\u00a0 2023 Facebook posting described the pit bull who killed him,\u00a0 at least the third pit bull he had owned,\u00a0 as \u201cA little bit monster, \u00a0mostly just determined and physically very strong, \u00a0so can be a handful, \u00a0but what he [is] supposed to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Posted the Lake Alice Mud Bogs \u201cmudding\u201d car club,\u00a0 \u201cRich was a very well known photographer for many New York state mud bog events and was a member of Lake Alice\u2019s team for years. \u00a0Rich captured many family memories and amazing mega truck shots throughout the years at our events.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cBreed-neutral\u201d new law perpetuates \u201cone free bite\u201d loophole<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nDiSantis endorsed repeal of Miami-Dade pit bull ban<\/h2>\n
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(Facebook photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nAlexander Torres was at least fifth victim of non-enforcement<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThe Pam Rock case<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cNo kill\u201d shelter twice refused to accept the pit bulls for euthanasia<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nWhat the \u201cPam Rock Act\u201d does<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nWhat \u201cbreed-neutral\u201d means<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nTwo car & motorcycle buffs killed by their own pit bulls<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cFavorite place was a garage\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cA little bit monster\u201d<\/h2>\n