Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a measure (HB 255) establishing a searchable database in Florida of people convicted of animal cruelty.
The bill directs the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to post on its website a database of those who have committed crimes of animal abuse.
While cities have them, this would be a statewide resource.
The law is named after Dexter, a shelter dog adopted only to be brutally decapitated four days later, DeSantis said.
Per a House bill summary, “registrants are not allowed to own, possess, or reside in the same household or on the same property as an animal while on the registry; prohibited from working with a companion animal, with or without compensation; and strictly prohibited from adopting, purchasing, or otherwise obtaining certain animals from any animal shelter, pet seller, or other person or entity involved in the exchange of animals by adoption, sale, or other means.”
The measure, per DeSantis, “ensures the offenders are tracked and punished accordingly.”
It would also enhance penalties for animal cruelty, according to Republican Sen. Tom Leek, who sponsored the companion measure in the Senate.
“Under current law, aggravated animal cruelty is a third-degree felony and scores 28 points on the criminal punishment code scoresheet,” Leek said.
The legislation creates a 1.25 sentence multiplier, which must be applied to a defendant’s total sentencing points to determine his or her total sentencing point. An aggravated animal cruelty offense would score 35 points, potentially increasing the offender’s total sentencing score and sending that person to prison.
The law is effective July 1, with implementation required by Jan. 1, 2026. It is “narrowly tailored to apply to acts of cruelty to domesticated companion animals,” DeSantis said, not affecting Floridians’ rights to hunt and fish.
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