Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took a major stand for our four-legged friends.
Animal abusers in the Sunshine State now face serious consequences.
And Ron DeSantis delivered one powerful message to animal abusers that left Floridians cheering.
DeSantis signs two major animal protection bills into law
Governor Ron DeSantis signed two significant animal protection bills into law on Wednesday at the Big Dog Ranch in Palm Beach County, delivering a clear message to those who harm animals in Florida.
“It was evident that Florida law needed to do more to protect dogs from senseless violence,” DeSantis said at the signing.
The first bill, known as “Trooper’s Law” (SB 150), makes it a third-degree felony to restrain and abandon a dog outdoors during a declared natural disaster or when an evacuation order is in effect.Â
Offenders could face up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The law was inspired by a bull terrier named Trooper, who was found chained to a pole in rising floodwaters along Interstate 75 during Hurricane Milton last year.
Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Orlando Morales, who rescued the dog, spoke at the bill signing ceremony about the harrowing experience.
“And it took several loops, but I thank God that He gave me the right time and right place of where to be,” Morales said. “And after, like, the second or third loop, I was able to find a dog clearly in water, in distress. It was a horrific moment to be in.”
The dog was eventually placed with a family in Broward County, who has since gotten another dog.
“He’s living his best life and he’s doing amazing,” Morales said of Trooper.
Florida creates its first statewide animal abuser registry
The second bill, “Dexter’s Law” (HB 255), enhances penalties for aggravated animal cruelty by applying a 1.25 sentencing multiplier for the most severe offenses, making it more likely that convicted abusers will serve prison time.
Perhaps most significantly, the law establishes Florida’s first statewide animal abuser registry, requiring the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to create a publicly searchable online database of individuals convicted of animal cruelty.
The law is named after Dexter, a shelter dog who was adopted from a shelter in Pinellas County, only to have his decapitated body discovered in a bag dumped in a park’s waters just four days later.
Port Orange resident and animal activist Debbie Darino, who was present at the signing ceremony, was the driving force behind Dexter’s Law.Â
Darino was also instrumental in passing Ponce’s Law in 2018, named after a Labrador retriever puppy who was beaten to death by his owner in Ponce Inlet.
“Dexter’s Law seeks to deter animal cruelty and hold offenders more accountable for their actions. Dexter’s Law helps push Florida to the forefront in the fight against animal cruelty,” Darino said at the ceremony.
Statewide database will be a game-changer for animal shelters
Darino told The News-Journal that only a handful of states have statewide animal abuse databases, making Florida’s new law a significant step forward in animal protection.
The statewide database is modeled after one Darino advocated for in Volusia County, which was passed in 2019.Â
She noted that within months of the Volusia County law taking effect, a couple of people in the database tried to adopt pets in Daytona Beach but were denied after shelter workers identified them in the database.
“That should help tremendously for people that work in shelters and rescues and your everyday person trying to rehome a pet, law enforcement, animal control,” Darino explained.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will have the statewide database up and running by January 1, 2026.
DeSantis clarified that the bill applies to “acts of cruelty against domesticated companion animals” and would not “in any way, shape or form impact Floridians’ right to hunt and fish as that is traditionally done.”
New laws come just in time for hurricane season
With hurricane season beginning on June 1, the timing of the new laws is particularly relevant. DeSantis reminded Floridians that they must take their pets with them when evacuating.
“When you’re evacuating, make sure you’re taking care of your pets,” DeSantis said. “You cannot leave a dog behind if you’re in an evacuation zone.”
The governor noted that all counties in Florida have at least one pet-friendly shelter, and the state has arrangements with the restaurant and lodging association so that “virtually any hotel” will allow pets during a state of emergency.
Trooper’s Law will take effect on October 1, while Dexter’s Law will become effective on July 1.
The signing of these bills represents a significant step forward in animal protection in Florida and sends a clear message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated in the Sunshine State.
