The owner of a dog who was abandoned as Hurricane Milton hit Florida will face prosecution for aggravated animal cruelty, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday.
The pooch, a white bull terrier who has since been renamed “Trooper” by a temporary new family, was found tied to a fence with water up to his stomach on the side of I-75 in Tampa last week.
The dog’s plight garnered widespread attention — and outrage. By Tuesday, state authorities said they figured out who his owner was and said they will bring charges. The owner was not immediately identified.
“You don’t just tie up a dog and have them out there for a storm. Totally unacceptable, and we’re going to hold you accountable,” DeSantis said at a news conference Tuesday.
The dog’s owner could face up to five years in prison for the third-degree felony.
The charges will be brought by Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez, who DeSantis appointed in July.
“We take animal cruelty very, very seriously in Hillsborough County. We protect our most vulnerable citizens: elderly, children and our four-legged friends,” Lopez said.
“You don’t get away with doing what this man did in Hillsborough County, not under my watch.”
Trooper was taken in by the Leon County Humane Society and remains at its foster home in Tallahassee as the non-profit parses through his adoption applications.
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