Man convicted of decapitating newly adopted dog, dumping body in Fort De Soto

Name: Man found guilty of killing dog he adopted
Uploaded: 2025-02-21T10:28:54-05:00
Description: FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.

Man found guilty of killing dog he adopted

FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - A Pinellas County jury found the man accused of killing and dumping a rescue dog days after adopting him guilty.

The jury deliberated for a few hours after closing arguments were given on Friday before delivering the guilty verdict.

Prosecutors told jurors that the dog's death was on purpose, arguing Domingo Rodriguez was responsible for the killing. However, the man's defense team argued that the evidence didn't support that.

"How about the small gap of time between Dexter’s adoption and the time that Dexter goes missing," the prosecutor said. "This defendant adopted and lost a dog within less than 12 hours."

"This is tragic, but what’s more tragic is wrongfully convicting a man when there’s no evidence to support it," Victor Zamora, Rodriguez's defense attorney, said. "No evidence as to who, the what, the where, the when. At best, they have suspicion."

Death of Dexter

The backstory:

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Rodriguez adopted a 4-year-old bulldog mix, Dexter, from Pinellas County Animal Services in May 2024.

Pictured: Dexter.

Four days later, deputies found the dog decapitated in a plastic bag floating in the mangroves of East Beach in Fort De Soto. Pinellas County Animal Services identified Dexter through his microchip, and identified Rodriguez as his owner.

Investigators said Rodriguez admitted he adopted Dexter and that he was at Fort De Soto on the day after he adopted the dog. He said he was at the park for 20 to 25 minutes before he left.

Pictured: Domingo Rodriguez in a Pinellas County courtroom.

Domingo Rodriguez's trial

What they're saying:

Prosecutors began calling witnesses earlier this week, including a deputy who was involved in the investigation, who testified about his conversation with Rodriguez.

"He indicated that it had been let out or ran away," the deputy said.

Investigators say security camera footage from the park shows Rodriguez’s truck driving with a cooler in the truck bed shortly before Dexter’s remains were found.

Domingo Rodriguez's truck entering Fort De Soto Park showed on surveillance cameras.

Additionally, the jury heard from one of the men who found Dexter’s remains while fishing at Fort De Soto.

"I looked over to my left and noticed a transparent, opaque trash bag floating in the water, and it was very obvious that there was stuff inside it," the witness said. "The first thing I saw, it was very stiff, and you could see the thigh area of an animal."

Pictured: Investigators searching the area where Dexter's remains were found at Fort De Soto Park.

The witness said they called law enforcement and reported the incident.

MORE: Man decapitates newly adopted dog, dumps body in Fort DeSoto Park: PCSO

Several neighbors also testified on the witness stand. On Thursday, the state asked one neighbor if she saw or heard anyone looking for a lost dog during the period of time after Rodriguez adopted Dexter.

"Did you ever recall anybody yelling for the dog, Dexter?" the prosecutor asked.

"No. I never heard the name Dexter at all," the neighbor replied.

Multiple neighbors said they had not ever seen Dexter in person, though. Another neighbor who testified said her security cameras didn’t show Rodriguez looking for Dexter.

The other side:

Several of Rodriguez’s family members took the stand on Wednesday, some of whom were living with him at the time Dexter was adopted. They said they weren’t directly with Rodriguez or Dexter the entire time they were at home, but never saw him show any aggressive behavior toward the dog.

Pictured: Domingo Rodriguez's wife testifying on his behalf on Wednesday.

"Did you ever see my client harm the dog in any way?" the defense asked Rodriguez’s wife.

"‘No.’" Rodriguez’s wife said. "Did you ever see my client scream at the dog or act aggressively toward the dog? ‘No’. Did you ever witness my client make any gestures or verbal aggressions toward the dog in question? ‘No’."

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Then, on Thursday, Elizabeth Pearlman, the forensic veterinarian who examined Dexter's body, testified. When asked by the defense, she said there was no clear cause of death.

"Without a full body, it can be very challenging to determine cause of death," Elizabeth Pearlman, the forensic veterinarian said. "It’s possible that there was a gunshot wound. It’s possible that there was strangulation somewhere in the neck. There’s so many variables that I can’t rule in or rule out, like have them as a thought process to what killed Dexter, because I don’t have a key component of the body."

She also said that she couldn't confirm that Dexter died because of decapitation.

Pictured: Dexter.

After the state rested late Thursday, Rodriguez declined to testify.

What's next:

The judge sentenced Rodriguez to 364 days in jail for count one (which was a first-degree misdemeanor) and 60 days in jail for count two (which was a second-degree misdemeanor). He will not be serving those sentences concurrently. The judge also ordered that he pay a $500 fine for court costs.

The Source: This story was written using information from courtroom testimony and previous FOX 13 News reports.

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