Help us Pursue Federal Legislation
Seeking Justice after the Death of K9 Fang
In May, 2019, Florida Governor Ron Desantis signed Senate Bill 96, nicknamed the "Fang Memorial Bill", creating harsher penalties for criminals who harm law enforcement animals in the state of Florida.
This legislation makes killing a law enforcement canine in the line-of-duty a second-degree felony, increasing it from a third-degree felony. The bill also triples the maximum penalties from five years in a state prison to 15 and raises the fine from $5,000 to $15,000. The penalties will also apply to harming fire, search-and-rescue dogs, as well as mounted patrol units.
Debbie Johnson, Founder and CEO of nonprofit K9s United, championed the bill after the tragic death of K9 Fang with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. She rallied thousands of people to the cause and emphasized the urgent need for harsher penalties when harming law enforcement animals in the line-of-duty. Until now, the existing penalties for killing a brave, highly trained canine protecting and assisting their handler were no more severe than stealing an item valued at $300 or more.
Fang selflessly gave his life so our dear friend Officer Herrera could go home to his beautiful family, but Fang's attacker didn't get the sentence he deserved for brutally maiming and killing a police officer. That's why we took drastic action to pursue justice for these heinous crimes.
By the time we are done, everyone across the United States will know about Fang's ultimate sacrifice. This should, without a doubt, be federal law, and we are currently working to lobby lawmakers and garner more support for the cause. We will share any significant updates here when we have them!
K9s United is also currently pursuing federal legislation that allows any critically injured K9 to be transported via EMS - shockingly, that is not currently the case.
This should, without a doubt, be federal law, and we are working tirelessly to lobby lawmakers and put a bill forward in 2020 or early 2021. We truly couldn't do any of this without your support for our K9 heroes. Please join our e-newsletter to stay up to date on what you can do to help us win this fight as we pursue federal legislation.
In the meantime, fundraising is critical to continue to make a difference for law enforcement K9s across the country. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help with the time-intensive work of lobbying for this lifesaving legislation.