Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Tuesday said the owner of an abandoned dog now known as “Trooper,” who captured hearts during Hurricane Milton, was identified and will face prosecution for aggravated animal cruelty.
The pooch was found by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper tied to a fence and up to his belly in standing water along the side of Interstate 75.
At a Tuesday press conference, Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez appeared with DeSantis to say she would be pursuing charges. How the owner was found wasn’t explained.
“Totally unacceptable, and we’re going to hold you accountable,” DeSantis said. Trooper’s previous owner could face up to five years in prison for the third-degree felony.
Hundreds of thousands of Floridians fled their homes last week to escape Milton, which spawned a series of devastating tornadoes around the state. Trooper was not included in his owner’s evacuation plans, and his discovery – recorded on video and later posted online – caused heartbreak and outrage on social media.
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Lopez backed DeSantis, saying those who commit certain crimes during a state of emergency would be punished to the “fullest extent of the law.”
“We take animal cruelty very, very seriously in Hillsborough County. We protect our most vulnerable citizens: elderly, children and our four-legged friends,” she said. “You don’t get away with doing what this man did in Hillsborough County, not under my watch.”
Trooper, which appears to be a Bull terrier, has been in the care of the Leon County Humane Society.
Kyla A. Sanford can be reached at ksanford@tallahassee.com.
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