Overview
- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement put the statewide animal-abuser list online Jan. 1 and says it will refresh it on the first of each month.
- The database, created under Dexter’s Law, records people found guilty or who pleaded guilty or no contest to animal cruelty.
- The live list shows roughly 1,700 names without dates of birth, photos, or counties, making it hard to distinguish people with common names, rescue groups say.
- Law author Debbie Darino and the bill’s sponsor plan to press FDLE to add identifying details, pointing to Volusia County’s mug shots and birthdates as a model.
- There is disagreement over whether older convictions should appear, with Darino objecting to legacy cases showing up and other reporting noting only post‑effective‑date convictions are intended.