Florida Governor Signs Animal Cruelty Bills Named After Dexter and Trooper

New Animal Cruelty Laws in Florida

• ⚖️ Governor Ron DeSantis has signed two new laws aimed at combating animal cruelty in Florida.
• 📌 These bills are named in honor of two high-profile animal abuse cases in Tampa Bay history: Dexter and Trooper.

Dexter's Law and Trooper's Law

• 🐕 Dexter's Law is named after a rescue dog found decapitated in Pinellas County.
• ⚡ This law increases sentences for animal cruelty by multiplying them by 1.25.
• 🚨 Trooper's Law is named after a dog found tethered to a fence along I-75 in Tampa during a hurricane.
• ⚠️ This law makes it an additional crime to leave an animal unprotected during a natural disaster.

Animal Cruelty Registry

• 💻 Dexter's Law also establishes a searchable animal cruelty database on the FDLE website.
• 🚫 Individuals convicted of animal cruelty will be placed on this registry and banned from owning, living with, or working with animals.
• 🗓️ Trooper's Law takes effect on July 1st, while Dexter's Law and the database go into effect on January 1st of next year.

Impact and Cases

• 💔 The cases of Dexter and Trooper have been described as horrific, even by those who investigate violent crimes.
• 🗣️ Animal advocates state these laws are the least that can be done for animals who cannot speak for themselves.
• 🚔 The owner in Trooper's case, Giovani Garcia, was charged with aggravated animal cruelty and is awaiting trial.
• 🏡 Trooper is now reportedly living with a family in South Florida.