TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis is introducing a new initiative to protect dogs in Florida, including new regulations on puppy mills.

On Tuesday, DeSantis announced a partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to develop new standard practices to ensure ethical dog breeding.

This includes directing the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation to license dog breeders and hold accountable puppy mills that abuse dogs, whether by overbreeding them, leaving them out in extreme weather, cramming them into small cages or limiting their access to water.

The proposal also would establish a hotline for people to report abuse by breeders, require pet stores to offer their space to local shelters for adoption before using it to sell dogs fro

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