The man convicted in the killing of Dexter, the shelter dog whose death helped inspire Florida’s “Dexter’s Law,” has been ordered back to jail after a court directed him to serve his previous sentence, according to Pinellas County court records.
Pinellas County court records show Domingo Rodriguez was remanded back into custody on May 6. A separate docket entry states the “defendant to serve previous sentence.”
Rodriguez had previously been released on bond while appealing his conviction in the high-profile animal cruelty case. Court records show he was released on bond in February 2025 and later granted a $50,000 supersedeas bond while the appeal process continued.
The case drew statewide attention after Dexter, a 4-year-old bulldog mix adopted from Pinellas County Animal Services in 2024, was found dead and decapitated in Fort De Soto Park just days after his adoption, according to investigators and prior reporting.
Left: Domingo Rodriguez booking photo after being taken back into custody in the Dexter case. Right: Dexter, the dog whose killing led to national attention and helped inspire Florida’s “Dexter’s Law.” (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)
Rodriguez was later convicted in connection to Dexter’s death. The case became the catalyst for “Dexter’s Law,” a Florida animal cruelty measure signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2025.
The law increased penalties for aggravated animal cruelty cases and established a statewide registry for certain convicted animal abusers.
Recent court filings indicate Rodriguez’s sentence is now being enforced after the appeal process no longer prevented the jail term from being carried out.
The Pinellas County docket also shows multiple recent financial filings labeled “satisfaction of judgment” before Rodriguez was remanded back into custody.
Additional pre-trial hearing dates remain listed in the court record extending into 2026.
