This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

It is devastating to learn that anyone would abuse an animal but to learn that a man adopted a dog and decapitated him the next day is horrifying. We must do our best to seek justice for Dexter, an adorable and popular dog with the staff and volunteers of Pinellas County Animal Services who was adopted on May 10, 2024, and found slain days later.
 

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to reports of a deceased dog wrapped in plastic at Fort Desoto Park on May 14. When they arrived, they found Dexter decapitated floating in the mangroves. Scanning for a microchip led them to Domingo Rodriguez, who had adopted Dexter from Pinellas County Animal Services on May 10.

Rodriguez tried to claim that Dexter had run off but his story couldn't counter the evidence, including a surveillance video of him driving into the park with a large cooler in the back of his pickup truck.

Rodriguez was charged with a count of felony animal cruelty and a count of illegally disposing of Dexter's remains then booked into the Pinellas County Jail.

We want to take this opportunity to mention that when you sign onto an In Defense of Animals letter, you are joining thousands of fellow advocates in demanding justice for abused, tortured, and murdered animals. These letters positively impact outcomes. They're directed at prosecutors to support their role in seeking the maximum amount of justice legally possible and we ask them to present the documents to the presiding judge during the sentencing phase of adjudication.

Letter to Decision Maker(s) for reference:

Subject: Full Prosecution & Jail for Man Who Decapitated Newly Adopted Dog

I am writing to support the vigorous prosecution of Domingo R. Rodriguez who adopted a dog named Dexter from Pinellas County Animal Services on May 10, 2024, and was just days later arrested for brutally decapitating him.

Dexter’s mutilated remains were discovered floating in a bag on the mangrove swamp the next morning at Fort Desoto Park. The poor dog didn’t stand a chance against the monster who acquired him, and the man’s despicable actions mortified the shelter staff members who unknowingly provided an innocent victim to a depraved and immoral man.

Rodriguez is a violent and seriously disturbed individual who must be held responsible for such a heinous act with a long stay in jail, and a mental evaluation and treatment must be mandated before he is released. This person is a serious potential danger to everyone he encounters. He should also never be allowed around animals again for the remainder of his life.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

Signed

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.