ORLANDO, Fla. — Like many animal rescuers, Heidi Hardman waited for Florida to finally publish a state-wide list of convicted animal abusers that was supposed to help her ensure her dogs entered safe, loving families.
The database was a significant part of “Dexter’s Law,” passed in 2025, which was named after a dog that was adopted and then killed.
Hardman, the leader of Polka Dogz Pet Rescue, has re-homed 2,000 dogs over the past 10 years. It’s an exhaustive process, she said, filled with home visits and background checks.
As she peered over the database for the first time with WFTV, her reaction was disbelief as she viewed the 1,677 names – with no accompanying pictures, dates of birth or counties where the conviction happened.
“That’s it?” she asked. “We have no idea where they live in this state.”
Perhaps Hardman and others should have seen this coming. The bill passed by Florida lawmakers and signed by Gov. DeSantis only mandated that the FDLE post a searchable list of names on its website.
Without additional information, there’s no easy way to differentiate which of the hundreds of people named “John Smith” in Florida appears in the database. There’s also no way to tell if the two “John Smiths” are the same people or different.
The problem persists for other common names, like Juan Gonzalez, Timothy Brown, James Green, and Kimberly Hicks. Central Florida police officers share several names. Another matches a high-profile educator.
Activist Debbie Darino, who was one of the major forces behind the law, said that wasn’t what was discussed in the legislative committee meetings she attended.
“I think that when they said list, they did a list,” Darino said.
Darino pushed Volusia County to make its own list several years ago. The county’s database, updated daily, features photos, charges, dates of birth, and conviction dates.
That was the format lawmakers had in mind, she said, adding that she had already spoken to those who helped pass the law about approaching the FDLE.
“Representative Cheney, who is my house sponsor, is going to reach out to the FDLE about it on Monday,” Darino explained. “Hope to clear some of this up and have it the way it’s supposed to look.”
A spokeswoman for Sen. Tom Leek, who sponsored the law on the Senate side, did not respond to a question asking if this was the intent behind Leek’s support for the effort.
Until adjustments are made, Hardman and a leader of a second rescue group, who both already conduct extensive background checks, said that people with common names on the list will find it more challenging to adopt and could be asked to prove they’re not the person on the list.
“Do we have the time to go through all of that without more information than a name?” Hardman asked. “That’s going to make more people suspicious and make it harder. It’s going to be harder for John Smith, who is not convicted, if there’s not more information.”
She said all her group would need from FDLE would be a picture and a date of birth. In the meantime, she said they’ll check the list because it’s there – but won’t lean on it.
“I’m glad to see something happening, but this is not really a valid document for us,” she explained. “It’s a start. It’s not enough information.”
FDLE staff, who were out of the office for the New Year’s holiday, did not respond to a request for comment asking if they planned to add more information to the database in the future.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2026 Cox Media Group
