

Domingo Rodriguez, Florida dog owner decapitates bulldog one day after adoption from Pinellas animal shelter as he is charged with animal cruelty.
A Florida man has been charged with animal cruelty after a dog he newly adopted was found decapitated at a park near his residence.
Domingo Rodriguez, 66, of St. Petersburg, was arrested after the body of a dog was found floating in a mangrove in Fort DeSoto Park according to a release from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
The dog, a 4-year-old bulldog mix named Dexter, was found wrapped in plastic on May 14 and had a microchip, the sheriff’s office said.
‘Inconsistent statements’
The dog had been adopted from Pinellas County Animal Services by Rodriguez just days before it was found dead.
The sheriff’s office said deputies spoke to Rodriguez, who allegedly told them he thought the dog ran away on the night of May 10, only to recant and admit going to Fort DeSoto Park on May 11. Police said Rodriguez gave ‘several inconsistent statements.’
Deputies used the internal chip in the dog to identify Rodriguez as the owner. They learned that he reportedly had adopted Dexter just the day before. Cops also reviewed surveillance camera footage which showed Rodriguez’s grey pick-up truck with a large cooler in the bed according to an arrest affidavit cited by lawandcrime.
Rodriguez’s wife said the dog was ‘alive and well’ before she left to work the morning of May 11 and both her husband and Dexter were gone when she returned, according to the affidavit.
Pinellas Animal Services posted in a statement on Facebook that it is grieving for Dexter.
‘Dogs like Dexter who arrive as strays, many injured and scarred, are the reason animal welfare workers and volunteers get up every morning to do what we do. Our jobs are full of wonderful rewards, especially when we receive updates showing our adoption dogs and cats resting easy in loving homes, but an event like this breaks our hearts,’ the statement said.

No known motive
The agency released another statement to WFLA that it screens for potential adopters for any prior animal cruelty charges or issues with other pets’ licenses and vaccinations. No such problems popped up with Rodriguez, the agency said.
‘You think they are going to have a wonderful life, never in a million years would you think that something so bad, so tragic could happen to them,’ volunteer Robin Warniment told WFLA. ‘This little boy was so sweet and so wonderful. All he ever wanted to do was get on your lap, he didn’t want to play with toys, and he might have wanted to play fetch a little bit.’
Rodriguez was charged with animal cruelty and disposal of bodies of dead animals and has since been released from custody on bond of $5150.
No known motive for the animal abuse was known.