A video shared by the Florida Highway Patrol shows a dog abandoned along Interstate 75 north of Tampa Wednesday morning, as Hurricane Milton moves closer to the Sunshine State.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed several bills into law aimed at cracking down on animal cruelty, including one inspired by a dog left abandoned during Hurricane Milton in 2024.
The measures, named “Trooper’s Law” and “Dexter’s Law,” were signed during a ceremony on Wednesday at a dog rescue facility in South Florida.
Trooper’s Law makes it a third-degree felony to restrain and abandon a dog outside during a natural disaster or the preparedness stage of an emergency.
The law is named after a dog who was found chained to a fence along Interstate 75 outside of Tampa during the evacuations ahead of Hurricane Milton.
The bull terrier was rescued by a Florida Highway Patrol member and later given the appropriate name of “Trooper.”
The new law makes similar actions punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The dog, tied to a fence post as rainwater from Milton is ponding around it.
(@FHPTampa / X / FOX Weather)
FLORIDA TROOPERS RESCUE DOG TIED TO POLE AMID HURRICANE MILTON FLOODWATERS
The other major bill, known as “Dexter’s Law,” increases criminal penalties for aggravated animal cruelty.
Dexter’s Law is named after a dog in St. Petersburg, who was killed just days after being adopted.
The measure also permits the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to compile a database of people convicted of animal-cruelty offenses.
Once operational, the database will be public, allowing users to search for convicted animal cruelty violators.
Dexter’s Law will go into effect on July 1 and Trooper’s Law is expected to go into effect later this year in October.
“Across Florida, we have seen horrifying instances of animal cruelty that demand a stronger response,” said DeSantis. “I was proud to sign Trooper’s Law and Dexter’s Law today. Florida stands by man’s best friend.”
A massive construction crane was no match for Hurricane Milton’s 100-mph winds in St. Petersburg. Mayor Ken Welch warned there were four construction sites in downtown St. Pete with large cranes at risk of failing during the storm.
CONSTRUCTION CRANE CRASHES INTO ST. PETERSBURG BUILDING DURING HURRICANE MILTON
Other hurricane-related measures in limbo
Despite the flurry of signings Wednesday, several hurricane-related measures remain in limbo with the tropical weather season beginning in just a matter of days.
After the destruction caused by a falling crane in a building in downtown St. Petersburg during Hurricane Milton’s 100-mph winds, legislators passed a measure requiring construction job sites to secure cranes and other equipment before the arrival of damaging winds.
The governor has yet to sign the bill and has given no indication that he intends to do so.
Additionally, the legislature has not yet passed the state’s annual budget, meaning that tax relief that some shoppers depend on for hurricane supplies is on hold.
Florida’s Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday allows supplies such as flashlights, batteries, tarps and other needed materials to be sold tax-free during a limited timeframe.
Hurricane season in the Atlantic basin begins on June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, but Florida is most impacted during September and October.
The official hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin (the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico) is from June 1 to Nov. 30. As seen in the graph above, the peak of the season is Sept. 10. However, deadly hurricanes can occur anytime in the hurricane season.
(FOX Weather)
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
