Owner arrested after dog found tied in rising waters as Hurricane Milton neared Florida
UPDATE: A 23-year-old Ruskin man has been arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty in connection with the dog found abandoned along Interstate 75 in Tampa, the Florida Highway Patrol reports.
The original story is below.
A heartbreaking rescue of a dog was handled by the Florida Highway Patrol just hours before Hurricane Milton’s landfall, and the predicament was intentional, officials say.
The dog was “left tied to a pole” along northbound Interstate 75 north of Tampa and was belly-deep in rising water when a trooper found it.
“Do not do this to your pets please,” the agency wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The discarded pet was found Wednesday, Oct. 9, when an anonymous caller reported seeing it near the exit for Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, officials said.
Body camera video shows the dog was about 50 feet off the interstate, and it growled and barked in fear as the trooper neared it.
“I don’t blame you,” the trooper is heard telling the dog. “It’s okay, buddy. It’s okay.”
The trooper overcame the dog’s fear and was able to coax it into the back of his patrol car, a photo showed.
He also volunteered to care for the dog, which was checked for injuries by a veterinarian and reported to be in good health, officials said. After the storm passed, the dog was transferred to the care of the Leon County Humane Society, which named him Trooper.
“Trooper is in foster care with a wonderful family who has breed experience. In this home he will continue to decompress and enjoy all the good things in life,” the Leon County Humane Society wrote in an update posted on Facebook. “His foster parents will learn more about him and have his best interests at heart.”
Video of the rescue had been viewed more than 3.4 million times as of midday Wednesday, and prompted calls for the trooper to be commended. His name has not been released.
“Perhaps we find the owner and the troopers can tie them to the pole and leave them?” one commenter posted on X.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also acknowledged the rescue in a social media post and thanked the Florida Highway Patrol. “It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm,“ DeSantis wrote.
Hurricane Milton had sustained winds of 130 mph as of 2 p.m. ET Wednesday and was predicted to bring wind gusts up to 100 mph, 6 to 12 inches of rain and storm surge of 10 to 15 feet to parts of the Tampa area, according to the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service.
This story was originally published October 9, 2024 at 2:47 PM with the headline "Owner arrested after dog found tied in rising waters as Hurricane Milton neared Florida."