Republican Florida Rep. Aaron Bean is introducing a bill Tuesday to intensify prison sentences for people who assault or injure police dogs and horses in the line of duty.
The Leo K9 Protection Act, named after a K9 shot and killed by an armed suspect in 2024, would make the maximum penalty for harming a police animal 15 years rather than ten. The legislation will also expand the federal statute to any state, county or local police animal assisting a federal agency, according to bill text first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. (RELATED: Foreign Man Kicks CBP Dog During Search, Gets Booted From US)
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 04: (L-R) Military Working dog Summer and his handler Micah Jones, Rep. Aaron Bean and CEO of American Humane Robin Ganzert attend Canines on Capitol Hill on June 04, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for American Humane)
“Our police dogs and horses serve on the front lines, protecting officers and communities alike,” Bean said in a statement to the DCNF. “They deserve real protection, not just praise — and the “Leo K9 Protection Act” will deliver tougher penalties against those who harm these heroic animals in the line of duty.”
Police animals are subject to the same dangers as officers and federal agents, such as shootings, stabbings, attacks, accidents and other related fatalities. A total of 21 police K9s died in the line of duty in 2024, and concerns for police animals are heightened as attacks on ICE agents and other immigration enforcement officers have increased 830% in the last six months, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
In 2022, eight K9s died from gunfire and one from stabbing in the line of duty. In 2023, nine K9s died from gunfire and three from assault. So far this year, four K9s died from gunfire and one from an inadvertent gunfire incident, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
Leo, the fallen K9 inspiring the bill’s name, had been serving the Florida’s Marion County Sheriff’s Office for three years when he was killed in action. His handler, Sergeant Justin Tortora, called Leo family and said losing K9 partners in the field brings “heartbreak” to the animal’s handlers.
“K9 Leo was more than a partner; he was family. He gave his life to protect others, and not a day goes by that I don’t feel his absence. The Leo K9 Protection Act ensures that the sacrifices of courageous K9s like Leo are never forgotten and that the next injured K9 has the best chance of returning home,” Tortora said in a statement to the DCNF. “By supporting this bill, we can guarantee that federal working K9s receive the urgent care they deserve and help prevent more handlers from experiencing the heartbreak of losing their partners in the line of duty.”
The legislation will also provide a good faith exception for anyone providing emergency care to an injured police animal. It will also direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue regulations allowing emergency medical services to transport an injured canine if the provider chooses to do so.
Debbie Johnson, Founder and President of K9s United, stressed the K9s are officers rather than just animal assets, and they deserve justice from the legal system when they are killed in the line of duty.
“The Leo K9 Protection Act represents a long-overdue advancement in how our nation values and protects federal working K9s. These courageous dogs are not just assets; they are officers, partners and heroes who willingly put themselves in harm’s way to protect us. Yet, when they are injured or killed in the line of duty, our legal system too often fails to deliver justice or ensure timely emergency care. That ends with this bill,” Johnson said in a statement to the DCNF. “This legislation affirms what we at K9s United have always known: the bravery and sacrifice of our K9 partners demand the same level of respect and protection we afford their human counterparts.”
“With the passage of this bill, we will no longer allow their service to go unrecognized or unprotected,” Johnson added in her statement.
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