Florida man convicted of decapitating his dog ‘Dexter’ wants out of jail
Hearing Friday in ‘Dexter’ case
Domingo Rodriguez wants to be released from jail on bond while appealing his conviction in a high-profile animal cruelty case. FOX 13’s Kylie Jones reports.
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The attorney representing the Pinellas County man convicted of killing and dumping a rescue dog days after adopting him was back in court on Friday, asking a judge to let him out of jail on bond while he appeals his conviction.
Conviction of Domingo Rodriguez
The backstory:
Domingo Rodriguez adopted a 4-year-old bulldog mix, Dexter, from Pinellas County Animal Services in May 2024. Four days later, deputies found the dog decapitated in a plastic bag floating in the mangroves of East Beach in Fort De Soto.
Pictured: Dexter.
In February 2025, a jury found Rodriguez guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals and unlawful disposal of bodies of dead animals.
He's currently serving a sentence of one year and 60 days in jail.
Last month, Rodriguez's attorney filed a motion for bond, saying they're appealing the case and Rodriguez has no prior criminal history.
Pictured: Domingo Rodriguez in a Pinellas County courtroom.
Case inspired Dexter's Law
Dig deeper:
The case outraged animal activists and led Florida lawmakers to pass Dexter's Law, which increases punishment for especially heinous animal cruelty cases, and establishes an offender database on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's website.
Those on the registry will be banned from owning, living with or working with an animal.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Dexter's Law last month.
RELATED: Gov. DeSantis signs Dexter's Law, Trooper's Law targeting animal abuse
What's next:
The judge said he would make a decision by Roriguez's next court date, which is on July 9.
The Source: This story was written with information from Pinellas County court records and previous FOX 13 News reports.
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