Volusia Council raises minimum insurance for dogs deemed dangerous to $500,000

The Volusia County Council on May 6 amended its dangerous-dog ordinance to require owners of dogs officially declared dangerous to maintain liability insurance of at least $500,000 and approved the revised ordinance 6–1.

Council members debated the measure for more than an hour during a packed meeting, with supporters saying a high insurance minimum would make owners think twice before keeping dangerous animals and provide better financial protection for victims. Opponents said the threshold could be so costly that owners would be unable to find or afford coverage and that the county risked effectively mandating euthanasia in many cases.

The council first considered a motion to set a $1 million minimum. That proposal was amended during debate to $500,000 by a motion from Councilman David Santiago, seconded by Councilman Troy Kent. The amendment passed on a 4–3 roll-call vote (Kent, Reinhart,…