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Fresh Squeezed Politics - March On Politics Blog

AG race could be a contest of dog lovers

Posted Nov 18, 2009 by William March

Updated Nov 19, 2009 at 02:17 PM

If Pam Bondi gets into the Republican primary for Florida attorney general, it could be a contest among dog lovers.

Bondi, an assistant state attorney and press spokeswoman in the Hillsborough state attorney’s office, is considering running against Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and former state health care administration Chief Holly Benson in the primary.

Bondi got national press attention in 2007 when she took in what she thought was an abandoned St. Bernard from New Orleans that had ended up, severely underweight and afflicted with parasites, in a Pinellas County animal shelter after Hurricane Katrina.

She eventually went through an unsuccessful legal battle in an attempt to keep the dog when its New Orleans family reclaimed ownerhship. She reached a settlement agreement under which she will pay for the dog’s food and veterinary care, and have visitation rights with the dog she called Noah, and the New Orleans family called Master Tank.

Bondi later got a new St. Bernard puppy.

Kottkamp, meanwhile, has been known in the state Legislature for legislation against animal abuse.

He successfully sponsored a 2002 bill—after trying unsuccessfully in 2001—to make intentional cruelty to an animal a felony.

“We kept getting contacted by domestic abuse shelters and quickly learned that there was a link between animal and domestic abuse,” he said. “Virtually every mass murderer and a lot of other murderers start out with intentional acts of cruelty against animals. It’s a sign that somebody is going to slip further.”

His wife, Cyndie Kottkamp, got involved in establishing pet shelters at domestic violence shelters, because domestic violence victims sometimes refused to go to a shelter for fear the abuser would kill a pet left behind, he said.

The Kottkamps have rescued three dogs from the county dump near their home, where people often abandon pets. They named two of them George and Jeb—after the Bush brothers—and another Buddy.

George went to an adoptive home, but the Kottkamps have kept Jeb and Buddy, both yellow Labrador retrievers.

What about Benson?

Well, she doesn’t actually have a dog right now.

But a spokeswoman wanted it known that Benson claims dog-lover status also. She grew up with basset hounds, and received an award a few years ago for efforts to find homes for retired racing greyhounds, which often end up being euthanized when they can no longer compete on the track.

“She just doesn’t have a dog right now because of the pressure of her schedule,” said spokeswoman Sarah Bascom.

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