Padi's dog-bite defense legislation now in hands of Gov. Scott

This should be a slam-dunk for Gov. Rick Scott. The Severe Injuries Caused by Dogs legislation -- inspired by Padi, a Manatee County male Labrador mix who bit off part of a child's ear last summer -- won unanimous approval in both the House and Senate, the latter passing the measure Thursday. The bill now awaits the governor's signature.

The legislation brings common sense and due process to state law by giving dog owners the right to mount a defense in severe bite cases. Hearing officers thus have discretion in determining the fate of canines instead of automatically ordering the death penalty as required under the old law. That statute was deemed unconstitutional after Paul Gartenberg, a veterinarian and Padi's owner, took Manatee County to court to save Padi. The canine is now free.

Kudos to state Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, who filed the bill after the Padi controversy exploded across social media and blogs around the country.

The uproar in Manatee County over the initial decision to euthanize Padi turned ugly with the unwarranted anger directed at Manatee County commissioners, who were handcuffed by the old law. The county was not misinterpreting the law, as the court case proved. The county attorney even sided with Gartenberg in the court case.

"This is going to help a lot of animals," Gartenberg told Herald reporter Kate Irby after the Senate vote. "It wasn't just the micro issue of getting Padi back, but this macro issue of this being about all animals. It's amazing this law stood for 25 years."

Indeed. Scott can eliminate an unjust statute with the stroke of a pen, which we fully expect. We cannot imagine a veto. Padi's paw print should be on the document, too.

This story was originally published February 13, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Padi's dog-bite defense legislation now in hands of Gov. Scott ."