Florida Voter Attitudes On Key Animal Welfare Issues
Florida voters remain strongly opposed to the trophy hunting of black bears, the breeding of dogs in puppy mills, and greyhound racing as a form of entertainment, according to this March 2011 poll sponsored by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
The results of this survey show that 68% of Florida voters oppose the reopening of black bear hunting, compared to 22% who are in support, and 10% who are undecided. In addition, the majority of voters are firmly opposed to the hunting of black bears with dogs (78%), and support the state’s use of non-lethal methods to deal with human-black bear conflicts (82%).
On greyhound racing, 36% of voters said they had a “very favorable” or “somewhat favorable” impression of the state’s dog racing industry today. However, more had “somewhat unfavorable” (22%) or “very unfavorable” (27%) opinions on the activity, while 15% had no opinion. In discussing previously enacted legislation where the state mandated dog racing to be present at gambling facilities in order to preserve greyhound racing, 68% said they would now oppose this legislation, while 19% would approve, and 13% remain unsure.
Florida voters also strongly oppose the level of care given in puppy mills, preferring regulation of these operations so that the dogs receive at least the basic standards of humane care; the majority (80%) would support such a law, while 15% would oppose, and 5% are undecided.