Pet insurance, animal cruelty changes take effect

Lilly Baron and Molly attended the “Molly’s Law” documentary premiere at the Marion Theatre in Ocala on April 24, 2022. Molly was stabbed and beaten. Her abuser was found guilty and sentenced to prison. The cruelty led to the formation of the Marion County Animal Abuser Registry, known as Molly’s Law. Starting Jan. 1, Dexter’s Law takes effect, which is a statewide animal abuser database. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]

Regulating pet insurance and providing a database about animal cruelty are among a handful of changes in state laws that take effect at the start of 2026.

Several companies offer pet insurance, but a new law (HB 655) would create a regulatory framework, including required disclosures, consumer protection and definitions of such things as pre-existing conditions and wellness programs.

The North American Pet Health Insurance Association, an industry group, said on its website that coverage for pets, mostly dogs, has grown annually 20 percent over the past five years.

Also beginning Thursday, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will be required to provide an online database about people convicted of animal cruelty offenses.

The database was part of a law (HB 255), known as Dexter’s Law, that increased penalties for aggravated animal cruelty offenses. It was proposed after a St. Petersburg man was accused of decapitating his newly adopted dog.

Editor’s note: The “Gazette” has reported numerous times about Molly’s Law, which was similar to Dexter’s Law and involved a local canine. The abuse Molly sustained, which landed her abuser in prison, led to a Marion County animal abuser database referred to as Molly’s Law. Learn more at DeSantis signs animal cruelty bills, including statewide database | Ocala Gazette and Remembering Molly | Ocala Gazette, among other articles.