Florida Highway Patrol troopers rescued a dog tied to a pole in Tampa on Tuesday in the hours leading up to Hurricane Milton making landfall on the region as a “catastrophic” storm.
In a heartbreaking video posted to social media, an FHP trooper gets out of his patrol car and walks over to the black and white dog standing in a flooded area with water up to its chest.
The scared pup growls and barks at the trooper as he reassures him, “It’s okay, buddy. I don’t blame you.”
Florida Highway Patrol troopers rescued a dog tied to a pole in Tampa ahead of Hurricane Milton.
X/@FHPTampa
The agency captioned the post, “FHP Troopers rescued a dog left tied to a pole on I-75 near Bruce B Downs Blvd this morning. Do NOT do this to your pets please…”
On Sunday, in a statement on the Florida Division of Emergency Management website, the agency warned residents to have a disaster plan that includes steps to consider for pet owners.
“If you evacuate your home, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS OR ANIMALS BEHIND. It is unlikely for pets or larger animals to survive on their own. If by some chance they do, you may not be able to find them when you return. Prepare now and protect your family and pets before the next disaster strikes.”
The agency suggests having a safe place to take your pets and assembling a portable pet disaster kit including leashes and any medication needed.
The advice comes as pets have often been left behind as residents evacuate during high-impact storms, leaving organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States to coordinate their relocation and rescue amid wider recovery efforts.
Wednesday’s sad scene, which took place off the interstate just north of Tampa Bay, comes as Milton, now a Category 4 hurricane was expected to make a direct hit near Sarasota in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The National Hurricane Center described the hurricane as “catastrophic” in an advisory early on Wednesday.
The Tampa area is still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 on September 26.
Meanwhile, ZooTampa announced it will be closed through Thursday due to the hurricane. Tiffany Burns, the senior director of animal programs at the zoo, told Newsweek that staff planned to ride out the storm along with more than 1,000 animals.
“With Helene, we knew we were going to see effects, but nothing on the direct coast,” Burns said. “With this one, we definitely prepared a lot more because we will see the effects of this one for sure. With every department, every animal, we have to see what’s best for that animal.”
“We prepare as best we can and we try to make it as minimal stress for the animals as possible,” Burns said. “We don’t know exactly what they’re going through, but we definitely monitor their behavior throughout and keep a close eye on everyone.”
The zoo animals are also trained for situations like this and learn emergency plans, similar to how children practice fire drills.
“A lot of animals have been through a storm, so they’re usually OK,” Sheldon Davis, associate keeper animal ambassador, told Newsweek.
“We teach them if you do this, everything’s going to be OK,” Davis said. “Some animals obviously take a little bit longer, but they practice and we practice.”
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