Florida Statutes

Fla. Stat. § 843.19 (2025)

Offenses against police canines, fire canines, SAR canines, or police horses.

✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session

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843.19 Offenses against police canines, fire canines, SAR canines, or police horses.—

(1) As used in this section, the term:

(a) “Police canine” means any canine, and “police horse” means any horse, that is owned, or the service of which is employed, by a law enforcement agency or a correctional agency for the principal purpose of aiding in the detection of criminal activity, enforcement of laws, or apprehension of offenders.

(b) “Fire canine” means any canine that is owned, or the service of which is employed, by a fire department, a special fire district, or the State Fire Marshal for the principal purpose of aiding in the detection of flammable materials or the investigation of fires.

(c) “SAR canine” means any search and rescue canine that is owned, or the service of which is employed, by a fire department, a law enforcement agency, a correctional agency, a special fire district, or the State Fire Marshal for the principal purpose of aiding in the detection of missing persons, including, but not limited to, persons who are lost, who are trapped under debris as the result of a natural, manmade, or technological disaster, or who are drowning victims.

(2) Any person who intentionally and knowingly, without lawful cause or justification, causes great bodily harm, permanent disability, or death to, or uses a deadly weapon upon, a police canine, fire canine, SAR canine, or police horse commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(3) Any person who actually and intentionally maliciously touches, strikes, or causes bodily harm to a police canine, fire canine, SAR canine, or police horse commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(4) Any person who intentionally or knowingly maliciously harasses, teases, interferes with, or attempts to interfere with a police canine, fire canine, SAR canine, or police horse while the animal is in the performance of its duties commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(5) A person convicted of an offense under this section shall make restitution for injuries caused to the police canine, fire canine, SAR canine, or police horse and shall pay the replacement cost of the animal if, as a result of the offense, the animal can no longer perform its duties.

History.—s. 1, ch. 81-43; s. 1, ch. 84-187; s. 2, ch. 93-20; s. 2, ch. 97-61; s. 1, ch. 2005-139; s. 1, ch. 2019-9; s. 2, ch. 2023-110.

Arrestable Offenses under F.S. 843.19

M = misdemeanor · F = felony · degree: F=1st S=2nd T=3rd

§843.19(2)PUBLIC ORDER CRIMESRENUMBERED. SEE REC # 8734F · 3rd

§843.19(2)PUBLIC ORDER CRIMESCAUSE GREAT HARM DEATH POLICE FIRE SAR ANIMALF · 2nd

§843.19(2)PUBLIC ORDER CRIMESUSE DEADLY WEAPON ON POLICE FIRE SAR ANIMALF · 2nd

§843.19(2)PUBLIC ORDER CRIMESRENUMBERED. SEE REC # 8733F · 3rd

§843.19(3)PUBLIC ORDER CRIMESRENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9899M · 1st

§843.19(3)PUBLIC ORDER CRIMESRENUMBERED. SEE REC # 10275F · 3rd

§843.19(3)ANIMAL CRUELTYTOUCH/STRIKE/CAUSE HARM POLICE/FIRE/SAR ANIMALF · 3rd

§843.19(4)PUBLIC ORDER CRIMESRENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9900M · 2nd

§843.19(4)PUBLIC ORDER CRIMESHARASS/TEASE/INTERFERE POLICE/FIRE/SAR ANIMALM · 1st

§843.19OBSTRUCT POLICEREVISED. SEE REC#S 5861, 5862, 5863, 5864F · 3rd

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 8 cases, 1985–2020 · leading case: R.n., a Child v. State of Florida, 257 So. 3d 507 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018).

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R.n., a Child v. State of Florida, 257 So. 3d 507 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018). · cites it 28× “A review of section 843.19, Florida Statutes, shows that different subsections within the section employ different terms.”

Cannada v. State, 472 So. 2d 1296 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985). · cites it 5× “Cannada was charged with injury to a police dog pursuant to section 843.19, Florida Statutes (1983). [1] For a conviction under that statute, a defendant must inflict "great bodily harm, permanent disability, or death upon a police dog.”

T.W. v. State, 98 So. 3d 238 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012). · cites it 8× “*243 Neither section 843.19 nor any Florida case law offers a definition of “great bodily harm” under these types of circumstances.”

Nicor Int'l Corp. v. El Paso Corp., 318 F. Supp. 2d 1160 (S.D. Fla. 2004). · cites it 2× “(unlawful installation of radio equipment); § 843.165, Fla. Stat. (unlawful transmission); § 843.”

Yarn v. State, 106 So. 3d 39 (Fla. 2d DCA 2013). · cites it 2× “Section 843.19(3), Florida Statutes (2009), provides that “[a]ny person who actually and intentionally maliciously touches, strikes, or causes bodily harm to a police dog” commits a first-degree misdemeanor.”

In Re: Stand. Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases - Report 2019-12 (Fla. 2020). · cites it 15× “In chapter 2019-9, section 1, Laws of Florida, the Legislature amended section 843.19, Florida Statutes, to broaden the statute covering crimes against police, fire, and search and rescue (SAR) “dogs” to encompass crimes against police, fire, and search and rescue “canines.”

Bass v. State, 791 So. 2d 1124 (Fla. 4th DCA 2000). “Harming or killing a police dog is a third degree felony under section 843.19(2). Aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer is a first degree felony, and the fact that the victim of a capital felony is a law enforcement officer is a statutory aggravating factor for…”

Allen v. State, 211 So. 3d 55 (Fla. 4th DCA 2017). · cites it 5× “Section 843.19, Florida Statutes (2014), provides that it is a third degree felony to cause great bodily harm, permanent disability or death to a police dog.”

— 843.19(1) — 1 case

In Re: Stand. Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases - Report 2019-12 (Fla. 2020). “In chapter 2019-9, section 1, Laws of Florida, the Legislature amended section 843.19, Florida Statutes, to broaden the statute covering crimes against police, fire, and search and rescue (SAR) “dogs” to encompass crimes against police, fire, and search and rescue “canines.”

— 843.19(2) — 6 cases

T.W. v. State, 98 So. 3d 238 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012). “*243 Neither section 843.19 nor any Florida case law offers a definition of “great bodily harm” under these types of circumstances.”

R.n., a Child v. State of Florida, 257 So. 3d 507 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018). “A review of section 843.19, Florida Statutes, shows that different subsections within the section employ different terms.”

Cannada v. State, 472 So. 2d 1296 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985). “Cannada was charged with injury to a police dog pursuant to section 843.19, Florida Statutes (1983). [1] For a conviction under that statute, a defendant must inflict "great bodily harm, permanent disability, or death upon a police dog.”

— 843.19(3) — 4 cases

Yarn v. State, 106 So. 3d 39 (Fla. 2d DCA 2013). “Section 843.19(3), Florida Statutes (2009), provides that “[a]ny person who actually and intentionally maliciously touches, strikes, or causes bodily harm to a police dog” commits a first-degree misdemeanor.”

R.n., a Child v. State of Florida, 257 So. 3d 507 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018). “A review of section 843.19, Florida Statutes, shows that different subsections within the section employ different terms.”

Allen v. State, 211 So. 3d 55 (Fla. 4th DCA 2017). “Section 843.19, Florida Statutes (2014), provides that it is a third degree felony to cause great bodily harm, permanent disability or death to a police dog.”

— 843.19(4) — 2 cases

R.n., a Child v. State of Florida, 257 So. 3d 507 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018). “A review of section 843.19, Florida Statutes, shows that different subsections within the section employ different terms.”

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