A St. Petersburg man convicted of brutally killing his newly adopted dog is asking a judge to release him on bond while he appeals his conviction, in a case that not only shocked animal advocates nationwide but also inspired landmark legislation that takes effect today.
Domingo Rodriguez, 66, appeared before WTSP reports in Pinellas County court on Friday requesting bond during his appeal process. The request comes as Florida implements “Dexter’s Law” – legislation bearing the name of Rodriguez’s victim – which significantly strengthens penalties for animal abuse and establishes the state’s first public registry of convicted animal abusers.
The Case That Changed Florida Law
Rodriguez adopted Dexter, a 4-year-old bulldog mix, from Pinellas County Animal Services on May 10, 2024. According to Tampa Bay Times, just four days later, deputies discovered the dog’s decapitated body wrapped in a plastic bag and floating in the mangroves at Fort De Soto Park. A veterinarian’s necropsy revealed that FOX 13 reported the head was likely removed with “a sharp force instrument” after Dexter was already dead.
Surveillance footage captured Rodriguez driving his pickup truck to the park area with a cooler in the back on May 11, 2024, Tampa Bay Times reported. Deputies found similar plastic bags at Rodriguez’s home and noted that multiple neighbors testified they never heard anyone searching for or calling out for Dexter in the neighborhood after the alleged escape Rodriguez claimed.
Maximum Sentence and Appeal
In February 2025, a Pinellas County jury found Rodriguez guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals and unlawful disposal of bodies of dead animals. Judge Keith Meyer sentenced him to the maximum penalty: one year and 60 days in jail, plus $6,395 in court costs and fines, according to In Defense of Animals…