TAMPA, Fla. — A man has been detained on charges of animal cruelty after he allegedly left his dog behind in rising floodwaters near a highway as residents were evacuating from Florida’s Gulf Coast prior to Hurricane Milton’s landfall.
The 23-year-old individual from Ruskin, Florida, was formally charged with felony aggravated animal cruelty on Tuesday. As of now, there has been no case docket made available online, leaving it unclear whether he has secured legal representation.
The canine, who has been affectionately named Trooper by the Florida Highway Patrol, was rescued last Wednesday while standing in floodwaters that reached up to its chest along Interstate 75 in the Tampa region. This discovery occurred just hours before the Category 3 hurricane struck the coast.
“We take these acts of cruelty very seriously, and this individual will be held accountable for his actions,” commented State Attorney Suzy Lopez, who oversees the Tampa jurisdiction.
The Florida Highway Patrol has indicated that the investigation is still active and that further details will not be disclosed at this time.