DeSantis Signs Animal Protection Bills into Law, Increasing Penalties, Fines for Animal Cruelty
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed two animal protection bills into law on Wednesday that increase the penalties and fines against people who harm animals.
One of the laws, which is called Trooper’s Law, is named after a dog who had been tied to a pole by his previous owner ahead of Hurricane Milton. The other law is called Dexter’s Law, and is named after a dog that was “found decapitated” days after the dog had been adopted, WTSP News reported.
Per the outlet, under Trooper’s Law people who “restrain or abandon a dog outside during a natural disaster” could possibly “face a five-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000.” The law is set to go into effect on October 1:
Trooper’s Law makes it a third-degree felony to restrain or abandon a dog outside during a natural disaster. Anyone who violates this law could face a five-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000. It also creates fines for people who abandon their pets or those who don’t provide confined animals with proper food, water or exercise.
Under Dexter’s Law, a person “could face harsher penalties in severe cases” of animal cruelty, and the law will “require the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to post the names of certain individuals who have violated animal cruelty laws,” according to the outlet. The law is set to go into effect on July 1.
“Trooper’s Law sends a clear message: Florida will not tolerate cruelty towards animals, especially in times of crisis,” DeSantis said during a press conference on Wednesday. “Now, what happened to Trooper is unfortunately not an isolated incident. Across Florida, we’ve seen horrifying instances of animal cruelty that demand a stronger response from our justice system. One of the worst examples was the case of Dexter, a shelter dog in Pinellas County, who was adopted only to be found brutally decapitated just four days later.”
Breitbart News previously reported that in October 2024, DeSantis revealed that the former owner of Trooper — who tied the dog to a pole ahead of Hurricane Milton, was going to be charged with “aggravated animal cruelty, which is a third-degree felony.”
DeSantis also revealed that the dog, who had previously been named “Jumbo,” was rescued by Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) officers and was being renamed “Trooper.”
The announcement by DeSantis in October came after FHP Tampa posted a video on X showing an officer approaching a white dog with a black spot on his ear, that was tied to a pole.
As the officer approaches the scared dog — whose legs were submerged in water, the officer can be heard telling the dog that “it’s okay.”
“It’s okay buddy, it’s okay,” the officer says as the dog can be seen backing up. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”
“It’s okay. It’s okay,” the officer continues as the dog starts to growl and bark. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you. I don’t blame you, it’s okay.”
“The dog’s now in a safe and thriving home in Broward County,” DeSantis added during the press conference.
