Florida animal abusers will be publicly tracked while those who abandon pets during emergencies will face prison time, according to two new laws signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday.
Named after two dogs abused by their owners, HB 255 and SB 150 strengthen penalties and increase transparency for those who neglect, harm, or kill their pets.
The measures, publicly signed into law at a Loxahatchee press conference on Wednesday, came after a Tampa man chained his terrier to a fence ahead of Hurricane Milton's disastrous flooding and a Pinellas man decapitated his bulldog four days after his adoption.
"Across Florida, we've seen horrifying instances of animal cruelty that demand a stronger response from our justice system," DeSantis said. Â "We're a law and order state, and that includes the need to prosecute those who are derelict in their duty to take care of their own pets."
On May 6, 2024, 66-year-old Domingo Rodriguez adopted a four-year-old bulldog mix named Dexter. Four days later, Dexter's body was found chopped up and decapitated in the mangroves of Fort DeSoto State Park.
This inspired Dexter's Law, HB 255, which creates a sentence multiplier for especially heinous crimes against animals and demands the Florida Department of Law Enforcement create and publish a database of convicted animal abusers. It will take effect on July 1.
DeSantis also signed Trooper's Law, named after a Bull Terrier abandoned by his 23-year-old owner, Giovanny Garcia, ahead of Hurricane Milton in October. And though Garcia tied the five-year-old to a Tampa fence as floods lashed the coastal town, the terrier was rescued by Trooper Orlando Morales in water up to his neck.
Named Trooper, he's since been adopted by a Broward couple.
Trooper's Law, SB 150, makes it a third-degree felony to abandon a pet during a declared state of emergency, presenting offenders with up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. It takes effect on October 1.
