A man who left his dog chained to a fence as Hurricane Milton barreled toward Florida has been apprehended by police, the state’s governor declared Tuesday.
🚨 #BREAKING: The Florida man who abandoned and chained his dog to a fence just prior to Hurricane Milton has been ARRESTED, Gov. Ron DeSantis says
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) October 15, 2024
GREAT news! 🔥
A video of the dog, now named Trooper, went viral last week, and he’s now been adopted.
The man was charged with… pic.twitter.com/eznhe6NqZb
“We had somebody decide, as Hurricane Milton approached, that it would somehow be a good thing to take his dog and chain it to a post on the interstate,” Gov. DeSantis said at a press conference Tuesday.
“Well, we had a Florida Highway Patrol with us here today that saw that dog in distress – [the] dog was very rattled from that experience – rescued the dog, the dog’s now in Tallahassee.”
“It will be adopted [and] renamed Trooper,” the Republican governor stated.
“But we said at the time, ‘You don’t just tie up a dog and have them out there for a storm.
Totally unacceptable. And we’re going to hold you accountable.'”
“Well, I’m proud to announce that the authorities have identified the dog’s former owners and state attorney Susie Lopez is now pursuing animal cruelty charges against the individual,” DeSantis said, to applause.
“So we said you’d be held accountable and you will be held accountable.”
“When this poor dog was left out there,” DeSantis said, “We said … we’re going to nail you when we find out who did it. And that’s exactly what they’re doing here in Hillsborough County with State Attorney Lopez.”
The Tampa Bay Times reports “Trooper” was found last week by Florida State Trooper Orlando Morales after a woman reported she’d seen the dog tied to the fence.
Morales’ body cam captured the moments he approached “Trooper,” who appeared scared and growled and barked as the officer approached.
Florida state trooper rescues a dog left tied outside in the face of Hurricane Milton approaching.
— Sabrina Smolders 🦋🌹 (@SabrinaSmolders) October 9, 2024
It’s bad enough to leave your pets when you evacuate, but this is next level! 😩 pic.twitter.com/bs4T9MvwZl
Suspect Giovanny Aldama Garcia, 23, posted a $2,500 cash bond and was released Tuesday following his Monday arrest on charges of aggravated cruelty to animals.
🚨🇺🇸FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED FOR ABANDONING DOG IN FLOODWATERS BEFORE HURRICANE MILTON
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 15, 2024
Giovanny Aldama Garcia, 23, was arrested for aggravated animal cruelty after leaving his dog tied to a post in rising floodwaters off I-75 during Hurricane Milton evacuations.
A state trooper… pic.twitter.com/GkRoT6rs5c