After Florida Highway Patrol rescued an abandoned dog tied to a fence from the floodwaters of Hurricane Milton, his suspected owner is now facing a felony charge.
Florida law enforcement officials located and arrested the suspected owner, Giovanny Aldama Garcia.
Garcia, a 23-year-old from Florida, allegedly tied the animal to a pole along Interstate 75, a designated evacuation route, on Oct. 9, the same day the storm made landfall. A police affidavit obtained by TODAY.com accuses Garcia of leaving the dog behind as the hurricane approached. He now faces a felony charge of animal abandonment.
Police body camera footage of the abandoned dog sparked outrage and concern on social media after Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers shared footage of the distressed dog tied to a pole, chest-deep in flood water.
Soon after being rescued, the dog was brought to Leon County Humane Society, a shelter located in Tallahassee, Florida.
Three days later, on Oct. 11, a separate shelter, Hillsborough County Animal Shelter, reported that Garcia visited its facility to retrieve the dog but it was being held at a different shelter.
Later, the owner filed paperwork to surrender ownership of the dog to the facility under the condition that the current foster would “take good care and love the dog.”
“Due to the circumstances, and the extreme danger and risk of death caused by the Defendant to the dog, the defendant’s actions caused excessive unnecessary infliction of pain and suffering to the dog,” the affidavit states.
The Leon County Humane Society has been keeping its followers updated on Facebook about the dog’s recovery, which they’ve named Trooper.
“His name is Trooper because of how much he’s been through and to honor those who saved him,” the shelter explained in a post on Facebook.
In an Oct. 11 update, the shelter had received dozens of inquiries about adopting Trooper but emphasized their desire to help him heal as a priority.
“He needs time to decompress in foster so that we can match him with the best fit possible so that he has the best transition into his forever home,” the shelter explained.
The criminal investigation is active and ongoing.
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