‘Trooper’s Law’: Dog abandoned on I-75 during Hurricane Milton evacuations inspires Florida bill

Abandoned dog inspires new Florida law

FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports on a new bill in the Florida State Senate that would make it a third-degree felony to abandon a restrained animal outside during a natural disaster after a dog was found abandoned on the side of the highway before Hurricane Milton.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A dog that was rescued in Tampa during Hurricane Milton evacuations is inspiring a new bill.

Senate Bill 150, which would be known as "Trooper’s Law," is currently in the Florida Senate.

Trooper the dog on the side of 1-75 in Tampa before Hurricane Milton.

The bill would make it a third-degree felony to abandon a restrained animal outside during a natural disaster, like a hurricane.

The backstory:

Trooper was found tied to a fence along I-75 in Tampa before Hurricane Milton hit.

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He was rescued by the Florida Highway Patrol, which is how he got the name "Trooper."

Trooper the dog with his new family.

"He would’ve stood there and as the water rose up and rose up and then hit over his head, he would’ve drowned," said Sherry Silk, the Human Society of Tampa Bay’s executive director.

Trooper has since been adopted by a family in Parkland.

Dig deeper:

His story inspired the new bill, which stiffens the penalty for similar crimes.

"If Trooper hadn’t been tied or tethered to that fence, he could’ve run down the street and maybe someone would’ve seen him, driven by, because he was a really friendly dog, gotten him in the car and taken him to safety somewhere," Silk said.

Trooper the dog playing with a toy.

Silk said you should never leave your animals under any circumstances, especially if they’re not trapped.

Why you should care:

The bill focuses on animals that are restrained.

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"It’s going to give guidance for law enforcement and my office to enforce the law as far as if people are leaving their animals," Roger Mills, the division director of Hillsborough County Animal Control, said.

Mills says they’ll handle calls on a case-by-case basis, but he hopes this bill sends a more significant message to the owner.

"We’ll have to determine: Did they leave it restrained?" Mills said. "Did they leave something to help it survive? That’s not what we’re looking for. We’re looking for you to make an escape plan."

Silk urges people to take their pets with them during a natural disaster or go to a pet-friendly evacuation shelter. She says local humane societies and shelters don’t have space for more animals under these circumstances.

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"Tethered or not, you should never, ever leave your animals," Silk said. "You just shouldn’t."

What's next:

SB 150 is moving through the state Senate.

The Source: FOX 13's Kylie Jones collected the information in this story.

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