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It is now a serious crime to abandon a dog in Florida during a disaster. Last year, Florida Highway Patrol troopers rescued a dog abandoned during Hurricane Milton.
FHP Troopers rescued a dog left tied to a pole on I-75 near Bruce B Downs Blvd this morning. Do NOT do this to your pets please… pic.twitter.com/8cZJOfkJL2
— FHP Tampa (@FHPTampa) October 9, 2024
On Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Trooper’s Law, making it a third-degree felony to abandon a dog during a natural disaster.
Penalties for violating Trooper’s Law include a fine of up to $10,000 and up to five years in prison.
“Florida will not tolerate cruelty to animals, especially in times of crisis,” DeSantis said. “What happened to Trooper is unfortunately not an isolated incident. Across Florida we’ve seen horrifying instances of animal cruelty that demand a stronger response from our justice system.”
🚨 BREAKING: Remember that dog left tied to a POLE before major Hurricane Milton in Florida? Governor Ron DeSantis just signed a new law making it a FELONY to commit this act.
It’s called TROOPER’S LAW, named after that very dog.
Perpetrators will now face up to 5 years in… pic.twitter.com/Jl6bNX4UMN
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 28, 2025
Here’s DeSantis’ official social media post regarding the new law.
I was proud to sign Trooper’s Law and Dexter’s Law today. Florida stands by man’s best friend. pic.twitter.com/lxHTXQ6Y0P
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 28, 2025