TAMPA, Fla. \u2014\u00a0A statewide animal cruelty database is set to launch today.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the newest phase of\u00a0Dexter\u2019s Law<\/a>, named after a 4-year-old black and white bulldog mix. He was adopted from\u00a0Pinellas County Animal Services<\/a>\u00a0and then, days later, found brutally killed in Fort De Soto Park.<\/p>\n Dexter\u2019s Law allows judges to increase penalties in animal cruelty cases. That part went into effect back in July. But today, the part of the law requiring the state to create and maintain a public database of abusers goes into effect.\u00a0<\/p>\n What You Need To Know<\/p>\n The State of Florida is launching an animal cruelty database on the\u00a0Florida Department of Law Enforcement\u2019s website<\/a> today as part of Dexter’s Law Those who have either been found guilty, pleaded guilty or no contest to animal cruelty charges will be listed in the database<\/p>\n If your name is placed in the database, it will stay there for ten years- with re-offenders placed back in the databse for another ten years<\/p>\n Those people who have either been found guilty, pleaded guilty or no contest to animal cruelty charges will be listed in the database. This database will take public records and pull them onto the Florida Department of Law Enforcement\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s designed to help shelters and pet rescues that screen applicants before the adoption process is complete. It will also help pet owners looking to re-home their pets and even law enforcement and investigators as they work cases.<\/p>\n
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Dexter’s Law went into effect in July, allowing judges to increase penalties in animal cruelty cases<\/p>\n