For Dexter: Tom Leek’s animal abuse registry bill starts moving in Senate

Legislation that would publicly list those who are cruel to cats, dogs and other animals is finally moving in the Senate.

The Senate Criminal Justice Committee has advanced legislation (SB 494) by Sen. Tom Leek.

The measure is a way of honoring a dog that never had a chance, Leek said.

“This law is meant to honor a dog named Dexter, who was adopted by an individual, and four days later, Dexter’s decapitated body was found by Pinellas County deputies in a bag, dumped in the water at Fort DeSoto Park,” Leek said.

“The horrific cases we witness every day highlight the need for this legislation and are a reminder that those that perpetrate this type of abuse on animals can often and do and often do pose a threat of violence to human beings as well.”

The bill would compel the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to post on its website in a searchable format the names of people convicted of animal cruelty and those who pleaded guilty or no contest to the same.

If passed and signed, the measure would be effective July 1, with implementation required by Jan. 1, 2026.

A strike-all amendment adding felony scoring sheets to the bill was adopted in committee. That seems to align with SB 150, filed by Sen. Don Gaetz, which makes animal cruelty “a felony of the third degree.” Leek said that component of the bill would be fleshed out during future committee stops.