A bull terrier found tied to a fence as Hurricane Milton approached Florida last fall has inspired a new state law against pet abandonment. Photo courtesy of Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
The dog who was left to drown during a hurricane is now the face of a new Florida law.
On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed "Trooper's Law," making it a felony to restrain and abandon a dog during a declared natural disaster or when an evacuation order is in effect. The law was named after a bull terrier found tied to a fence as Hurricane Milton approached Florida last fall.
The dog was discovered on Oct. 9 along Interstate 75 near Tampa, as evacuees fled the path of the Category 4 storm. Body camera footage shows Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Orlando Morales crossing a flooded field in the pouring rain to reach the frightened dog, who stood chest-deep in water and barked in fear.
"I don't blame you," Morales said gently, trying to calm the animal. "It's OK."
