What Can We Learn From Angie Harmon? Insights from a Celebrity Incident

Actress Angie Harmon (and my doppelganger?? I flatter myself) filed a lawsuit against Instacart and a former Instacart shopper after the man allegedly shot and killed her dog, on her driveway, while making a delivery to her North Carolina house!!! In his defense (this blog never takes sides!), the driver said that he was acting in self-defense and claimed that the dog attacked him first.

So, what can we learn from menacing pooches?

We can discuss a new FL bill, House Bill 593, making its way through the FL legislature. If signed into law, the bill would:

• Require “dangerous” dog owners to buy liability insurance coverage of at least $100K;
  
• Mandate that all dangerous dogs be registered in a new, statewide dangerous dog registry maintained by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services;
  
• Increase the civil penalty for violations of the law to $1K;
  
• And if a dangerous dog causes serious injury or death, the owner could face FELONY CHARGES and the dog would be euthanized.
  

Considerations and Local Ordinances: The law has some hiccups in that it will be important to clearly define what is a “dangerous” dog and try to avoid breed discrimination or unfairly targeting certain types of dogs. Some Counties are ahead of the law and have their own rules. In Hillsborough County, dangerous dog owners are required to:

• Register their pets,
  
• Provide proof of sterilization and microchipping,
  
• Post warning signs at all entrances to their property.
  

The county also requires dog obedience training and regular inspections by animal control to ensure owners’ compliance. There are similar ordinances in effect in Pinellas, Polk, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.

Conclusion: It’s going to be more important than ever to make sure your dog understands the importance of not being “dangerous”. As far as Angie and Instacart, I’m sure the two will settle the matter and Instacart will increase the background checks to prevent these incidents. But the real question is, do I look like Angie Harmon or am I delulu as the kids say? LOL