10/14/2026
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned pet owners that abandoning a dog tied outside during a hurricane can carry serious consequences, including up to five years in prison.
The warning came as Hurricane Isaias approached Florida’s Panhandle on Oct. 9, 2026, and residents were urged to evacuate dangerous areas.
But behind the warning was a dog who had already been left in the path of another storm.
Two years earlier, as Hurricane Milton approached Florida, a dog was found tied to a fence beside Interstate 75 near Tampa.
Floodwater had reached his chest.
People were evacuating. The dog remained tethered beside the highway, unable to leave as the water rose around him.
On Oct. 9, 2024, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper reached him and brought him to safety.
He became known as Trooper.
His rescue video spread across social media, drawing attention to what could happen when an animal was left behind during an evacuation.
An investigation followed. Trooper’s former owner was arrested on an aggravated animal cruelty charge days after the rescue.
The case also helped inspire a change in Florida law.
DeSantis approved Trooper’s Law on May 28, 2025. It took effect that October, making it a third-degree felony to restrain a dog outside during a qualifying natural disaster and then abandon it.
The offense carries up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
As another hurricane approached, DeSantis reminded residents that animals needed to be taken to safety, too.
Officials said every Florida county had at least one pet-friendly shelter. The state also encouraged lodging businesses to relax pet restrictions and waive pet fees for evacuating families.
Trooper, meanwhile, had already found a different life.
After his rescue, Leon County Humane Society cared for him and helped him find a home with a couple named Frank and Carla.
They had another rescued bull terrier named Dallas.
When the two dogs met, they approached each other and pressed their foreheads together, their tails wagging.
The rescue announced Trooper’s adoption in December 2024. Shortly after he arrived at his new home, his family sent back a photograph of him resting on the couch.
He had once stood in rising water with nowhere to go.
Now he had a family, a canine companion and a safe place to sleep.
And the name given to him after his rescue became the name of a law meant to protect other dogs from being left the same way.
