Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that the owner of the abandoned dog now known as “Trooper,” who captured the hearts of Floridians during Hurricane Milton, has been identified and will face prosecution for cruelty to animals worsened.
The dog was found by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper tied to a fence and up to his belly in standing water along Interstate 75.
At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Hillsborough County Prosecutor Suzy Lopez appeared with DeSantis to say she would file charges. How the owner was found was not explained.
“Totally unacceptable, and we are going to hold you accountable,” DeSantis said. Trooper’s former owner could face up to five years in prison for the third-degree felony charge.
Last Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of people fled Milton, which also brought a series of devastating tornadoes across the state. It appears Trooper was not included in his former owner’s escape plans, and his discovery – recorded on video and then posted online – sparked grief and outrage on social media.
Lopez supported DeSantis, saying those who commit certain crimes during a state of emergency would be punished to the fullest extent of the law. She hopes animal cruelty will soon be added to the list of applicable crimes because of the dog’s heartbreaking case and the social outcry it caused.
“We take animal cruelty very, very seriously in Hillsborough County. We protect our most vulnerable citizens: seniors, children and our four-legged friends,” she said. “You cannot do what this man did in Hillsborough County, not on my watch.”
Trooper, who appears to be a Bull Terrier, was released into the care of the Leon County Humane Society.
More: Hurricane Milton: State trooper rescues dog abandoned on side of Florida highway
Also: What a Trooper: Dog Rescued from Hurricane Milton on I-75 Side Now in Tallahassee
This article contains previously reported information. Kyla A. Sanford can be contacted at ksanford@tallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Owner of ‘Trooper,’ a dog rescued amid Hurricane Milton, faces felony charges.
