LOXAHATCHEE, Fla — Governor Ron DeSantis signed two bills that impose harsher penalties on people who harm animals.
Trooper's Law was inspired by a dog that was found tied up and abandoned on I-75 in October while evacuations were taking place to prepare for Hurricane Milton.
The law makes it a third-degree felony to restrain or abandon a dog outside during an emergency or evacuation order. Violators of the law may be imprisoned for up to five years and face a fine of up to $10,000.
The governor also signed Dexter's Law, which was named after a Pinellas County shelter dog that was killed days after being adopted. The bill will require law enforcement to post on its website, in a searchable format, the names of people who have violated specific animal cruelty provisions. The law would make penalties for animal cruelty harsher and would most likely send people who commit those offenses to prison.
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