Will Hernando County Adopt A “Dexter’s Law” Animal Abuser Registry?

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A woman wants Hernando County FL to adopt an animal abuser registry to honor a tiny, sweet victim, to name and shame abusers, and to spare other animals from little Dexter kitten’s fate.

Brooksville FL resident Betty Dobson  has contacted all five Hernando County Commissioners asking them to adopt an animal abuser registry named for Dexter kitten, who died earlier this week after seeming to make a miraculous recovery from a despicably brutal beating with an aluminum baseball bat on June 10 that brought repeated blows to his tiny head.

Ms. Dobson would like Dexter’s home county to enact an ordinance modeled after an online animal abuser registry in Suffolk County, NY. In Suffolk County, abusers convicted of mistreating animals must register their names, addresses and photos of themselves for five years and pay an annual fee of $50. The photos and data are available online at a website maintained by the SPCA. Ms. Dobson notes that Suffolk County’s registry has overcome legal hurdles, making it a safe, tested model, and she suggests that fees and donations can be put toward the cost of having a local organization maintain the online registry.

At this point, Ms. Dobson’s proposal is no more than one woman’s request to the Commission, at least as far as we know. Hopefully, the widespread attention Dexter’s case has brought to Hernando County will help get the proposed ordinance onto the County’s agenda and influence its approval.  The proposed ordinance is not on the agenda for the Commissioners’ meeting scheduled for next week, and agendas for later meetings have not yet been made public.

On a related, note,  Dexter’s accused abuser Wilana Frazier will appear before Judge Daniel Merritt Jr. at a hearing on September2.

Board of County Commissioners
20 North Main Street
Room 263  Brooksville, FL
34601
(352) 754-4000
Fax (352) 754-4477

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Dave Russell, Jr., District 4

[email protected]

Wayne Dukes, District 2
Vice-Chairman
[email protected]
Jeff Stabins, District 1
2nd Vice-Chairman
[email protected]
James Adkins, District 5
Chairman
[email protected]
John Druzbick, District 3

[email protected]

ADMINISTRATOR’S OFFICE
David Hamilton, County Administrator
[email protected]
20 North Main Street
Room 263
Brooksville, Florida 34601
Phone: (352) 754-4000
Fax: (352) 754-4477

ANIMAL SERVICES
[email protected]
19450 Oliver Street
Brooksville, Florida 34601
Phone: (352) 796-5062
Fax: (352) 796-3746
Animal Services web site

25 thoughts on “Will Hernando County Adopt A “Dexter’s Law” Animal Abuser Registry?”

  1. Yes-Dexter’s law!!!! A little ironic since this is in Florida, but I think the other Dex would be okay with it.

  2. 🙁 I can’t believe a WOMAN can be so mean. I kind of expect that from other people but not a woman. poor little kitten. so small, no animal deserves to go through to any pain.

  3. It would be a good thing, hopefully it works and scares people away from abusing animals. If you don’t want them or for some odd reason don’t like them don’t get one or go near them. I think all people who abuse animals, children, the elderly or whomever should have what they did done back to them.

  4. It should be a world wide law, as these kind of things also happen in the UK. We are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers, but all of our shelters are full of unwanted pets. We are wanting our government to introduce a neutering law so that all responsible pet owners neuter their cats and kittens.

  5. I agree that there should be a law and and “animal abuser registry to honor a tiny, sweet victim, to name and shame abusers, and to spare other animals from little Dexter kitten’s fate”. However, how many people would it deter? Laws are broken all the time and people seem to be able to hide their atrocities. But, I agree that people who are caught abusing animals they should be punished-a felony! and be registered an animal abuser. Sometimes I wonder what good it all will do. When someone can look at a kitten for Christsakes, a kitten, and hurt it-humanity is in trouble. It’s been going on forever, I’m glad that people are getting angry about it!

  6. Should the registry be put into place, area residents could check the site periodically to see if any convicted abusers live in their neighborhoods, and at least be on guard against them and alert their neighbors to keep a close watch on their pets. I don’t really know how strays can be safely guarded, but wonder if organizations that work with ferals might have helpful suggestions.
    Further, it would not be impossible to notify residents of convicted animal abusers in their midst in the same manner they are notified of convicted sex abusers.
    Most animal abusers do not get caught and convicted, but some do, and, as the matter is increasingly being taken seriously by the law, those numbers should grow.

  7. I think this would be a fitting tribute to little Dexter,so he would not have suffered in vain,and then this sweet innocent baby will NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.

  8. I fully support having Dexter’s Law mandatory in every State. Another option is to have a symbol or hologram put on the driver’s license. Miss you Dexter.

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