CRUEL & DEPRAVED

Troopers Rescue Dog Tied To Fence In Chest-Deep Water Ahead Of Hurricane Milton

Hilary Hanson
Wed 9 October 2024

A Florida dog is safe and dry after being rescued from a harrowing situation in the face of Hurricane Milton on Wednesday morning.

“Do NOT do this to your pets please,” wrote the Florida Highway Patrol on X, formerly Twitter, alongside footage that showed a “dog left tied to a pole” on the interstate north of Tampa. The region was already seeing the effects of the oncoming hurricane.

Body camera video shows a trooper approaching a dog stuck in chest-deep water next to a fence off the side of the interstate.

As rain falls, the trooper walks through puddle-filled grass to approach the dog, repeatedly saying, “It’s OK.” When the dog growls and barks, the trooper responds, “I don’t blame you.”

The Highway Patrol shared a follow-up post from the Florida Deepartment of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that showed the dog, which appears to be an English bull terrier, in the back of a vehicle with a blanket. The dog is “safe and receiving care,” the post said, adding that the canine had seen a vet and “received a clean bill of health.”

Highway Patrol officials told McClatchy News that the same trooper who had managed to get the dog to safety also volunteered to care for the animal.

On Wednesday evening, Hurricane Milton continued to barrel toward Florida’s Gulf Coast as rain, tropical storm force winds and tornadoes slammed the coastal area.


Florida Highway Patrol Rescues Dog Tied to Pole Before Hurricane Milton Makes Landfall

Charna Flam
Wed 9 October 2024 at 9:08 pm GMT-6·3-min read

The abandoned dog was successfully rescued 15 minutes after the Florida Highway Patrol discovered the animal on the side of the I-75

Florida Highway Patrol Tampa/XFlorida Highway Patrol Rescues Dog

The Florida Highway Patrol rescued a dog abandoned by its owners hours before Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

Florida Highway Patrol—Tampa posted a video to X (formerly known as Twitter) on Wednesday around 11:23 a.m. ET, stating that the agency found a dog tied to a pole on I-75 near Bruce B Downs Blvd. “Do NOT do this to your pets, please…” the FHP captioned the post.

In the video, an officer walked toward a dog, who was tied to a fence and standing in a deep puddle that reached the animal’s stomach. As the officer approached, the dog backed away and growled. “It’s okay, bud. It’s okay. It’s okay," the officer said.

The visibly stressed dog began barking as the officer said, “I don’t blame you. It’s okay, buddy. It’s okay.”



Florida Highway Patrol Tampa/XFlorida Highway Patrol Rescues Dog

About 15 minutes later, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) confirmed in a post that the dog had been rescued and was in their care. The dog stayed in the backseat of a car on top of multiple blankets, its disposition seemingly changed by then.

“The dog rescued by @FHPTampa is safe and receiving care. Troopers brought him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health,” read the second post.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reshared the initial post of the dog with his own message.

“Thank you, @FHPTampa. It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm. FL will hold anyone who mistreats pets accountable,” DeSantis wrote.

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Pet owners facing hurricanes should not forget to bring their animals with them when evacuating. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Tampa Bay issued tips on how to keep their pets safe amid natural disasters.

Pet owners should ensure that their pets have identification, have an emergency kit and that the home is prepared for the animal. The kit should include food and water for at least a week, any necessary medications, medical and vaccine records, a sturdy carrier or crate, bedding, litter, cleaning supplies, and a current photo of the animal.



Florida Highway Patrol Tampa/XFlorida Highway Patrol Rescues Dog

Since FHP found the dog, Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida. The Category 3 storm came ashore around Siesta Key, Fla., at around 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

It is the fifth hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. this year and brought maximum sustained wind speeds of 120 mph.

 People.