Gov. Ron DeSantis Tuesday said the owner of the abandoned dog now known as “Trooper,” who captured the hearts of Floridians during Hurricane Milton, was identified and will face prosecution for aggravated animal cruelty.
The pooch was found by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, having been tied to a fence and up to his belly in standing water along the side of Interstate 75.
At a Tuesday afternoon 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 last Wednesday fled to escape Milton, which also spawned a series of devastating tornadoes around the state. Trooper, it seems, was not included in his previous owner’s evacuation plans, and his discovery – recorded on video and later posted online – caused heartbreak and outrage on social media.
Lopez backed DeSantis, saying those who commit certain crimes during a state of emergency would be punished to the “fullest extent of the law.” She hoped 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: 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.
More: Hurricane Milton: State trooper rescues abandoned dog on side of Florida interstate
Also: What a ‘Trooper’: Dog rescued from Hurricane Milton from side of I-75 now in Tallahassee
This article contains previously reported information. Kyla A. Sanford can be reached at ksanford@tallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Owner of ‘Trooper,’ dog rescued amid Hurricane Milton, faces felony