Florida is establishing an online database of animal abusers, so people will be able to find out who in their communities has committed offenses. Proponents said it would help deter heinous acts of cruelty against defenseless animals.
The database is one element of two animal-cruelty measures signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Appearing at Big Dog Ranch Rescue, a no-kill dog rescue in Loxahatchee Groves, DeSantis and others described the importance of dogs in their lives — interspersed with horrific stories of cruelty.
Inspiration for one of the new laws came from the case of a dog now known as Trooper, who was tied to a fence and abandoned along Interstate 75 as Hurricane Milton approached the state’s Gulf Coast last year. Rescued by a Highway Patrol officer, the bull terrier has since been adopted by Frank and Carla Spina, of Parkland.
The second law was inspired by a dog named Dexter, who was adopted from a shelter in Pinellas County — and “killed in the most horrific way,” said Debbie Darino, an anti-animal cruelty advocate from Volusia County who pushed for the second new law.
Dexter was found decapitated four days after his adoption.
“Today marks a turning point, not just for us but for thousands of dogs across this state who have no voice of their own,” said Lauree Simmons, founder of Big Dog Ranch Rescue. “Both these bills will save lives. Not possibly, not hopefully. They will save lives,” she said, predicting that “they will force people to think twice before they abandon their dog or commit acts of cruelty we see far too often.”
Simmons said the rescue organization has cared for dogs that have been nearly starved to death, “abandoned, abused, and left to die.” Others have been shot full of buckshot and had their ribs broken “by hands of monsters.” Some have been “deliberately burned,” requiring months of care. A few weeks ago, three Chihuahuas were dragged behind a truck until they had no skin left on their arms or paws, she said.
“This legislation is a signal: Enough is enough. Animal abuse must end. Those who hurt animals must be held accountable. Animal abuse is not rare. It is rampant, and it must be stopped. People who abuse animals need to be held accountable. No more slaps on the wrist, no more loopholes. You abuse an animal, you face real consequences, period,” Simmons said.
Both “Trooper’s Law” and “Dexter’s Law” had unanimous support in the Florida House and Florida Senate, with all Democrats and Republicans voting yes.
Dexter’s Law, formally House Bill 255, requires the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to host a searchable database on its website. Starting Jan. 1, it will include the names of individuals who have been convicted of, or who have entered a plea of guilty or no contest to animal cruelty offenses.
FDLE already operates another publicly searchable database, a registry that allows people to look up information about sexual offenders and predators.
Darino said there are only a handful of databases across the country.
The new law also imposes a “sentencing multiplier” that would increase sentences for aggregated animal-cruelty offenses that included the knowing and intentional torture or torment of an animal that injured, mutilated, or killed the animal. That provision takes effect July 1.
Trooper’s Law, formally Senate Bill 150, makes it a third-degree felony to restrain a dog outside during a natural disaster and then abandon the dog. The law applies when a hurricane, tropical storm or tornado warning has been issued by the National Weather Service or the community is under a mandatory or voluntary evacuation order.
The law, which goes into effect Oct. 1, would provide a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
It also provides for misdemeanor penalties for failing to provide confined animals sufficient food, water, and exercise, and for abandoning an animal.
“If you evacuate, make sure you’re taking care of your pets. You cannot leave a dog behind if you’re in an evacuation zone. All of our shelters, all of our counties have at least one shelter that is pet friendly,” DeSantis said.
He also said most hotels will accommodate evacuees with pets during a natural disaster. “So there’s really no reason that you would need to be in a situation where you’re leaving a dog behind.”
Highway Patrol Trooper Orlando Morales found the abandoned dog, and namesake of the new law, tied to a fence as Milton approached in October 2024. Video of the dog tied to the fence surrounded by water went viral and generated extensive news coverage, galvanizing support for the new law.
Morales said one of Trooper’s current owners was ill on Wednesday, and the couple were not able to attend the bill-signing event.
“Trooper’s Law did not come into being by accident. It didn’t come out of nowhere. It started with the deplorable actions of a human being, abandoning his dog on the side of an interstate during a hurricane. It involves the rescue of that same four-legged beautiful dog by a state trooper,” said Dave Kerner, executive director of the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which includes the Florida Highway Patrol.
DeSantis emphasized that Dexter’s Law would “only apply to acts of cruelty against domesticated companion animals. This does not in any way, shape, or form impact Floridians’ right to hunt and fish as that is traditionally done.” And, Darino said, it does not apply to agricultural animals.
The Loxahatchee Groves event was livestreamed on the Florida Channel and on social media. The new laws were widely applauded.
But several commenters objected to the decision by DeSantis appointees to the Florida Fish and Wildlive Conservation Commission to give preliminary approval for a controversial black bear hunt for later this year.
“Speak for the animals — protect Florida Black Bears!” one commenter wrote. Another said she was “glad you are for helping dogs. I’m disappointed that you are not helping our Black Bears. Please STOP THE PROPOSED BEAR KILLING SEASON. Horrible.”
Dogs were the focus on Wednesday.
“Florida will not tolerate cruelty to animals, especially in times of crisis,” DeSantis said. “What happened to Trooper is unfortunately not an isolated incident. Across Florida we’ve seen horrifying instances of animal cruelty that demand a stronger response from our justice system.”
DeSantis said “most people have a very soft spot in their hearts for our four-legged friends.” The governor said since he and his wife Casey have been married “she’s been involved in fostering and helping rescue dogs.”
Kerner, a former police officer and former Palm Beach County commissioner, said he was part of a contingent of Palm Beach County law enforcement officers who were dispatched to Puerto Rico to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017.
“I remember being on top of this mountain and out of the woods and out of the trees came a potcake,” a mixed breed found in the Caribbean, Kerner said. “Out came this dog that was just beaten, battered, bleeding, but he was smiling, and he came up to me and he put his paw on me and I promised myself that I would give him the best life that I could give him.”
He enlisted help from an animal advocate, now state Rep. Meg Weinberger, who enlisted Simmons. Kerner’s dog, now named Nick, became one of thousands from Puerto Rico that he said Big Dog Ranch Rescue helped after the storm.
Kerner said it changed the course of his life, and the dog’s. “It’s been a blessing every day.”
Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.
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