TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida law inspired by the killing of a dog named Dexter is entering its next phase, as a statewide animal cruelty database is set to launch Jan. 1.
Dexter was a 4-year-old dog adopted from a shelter and found decapitated just days later at Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County in May 2024. The case sparked outrage across the Tampa Bay area and renewed calls for stronger animal cruelty enforcement.
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The sentencing portion of Dexter’s Law, which allows judges and prosecutors to apply a multiplier that can increase penalties in animal cruelty cases, took effect July 1.
Advocates said that the provision is already in place, but it depends on prosecutors formally filing charges in order to be used…