Even before Hurricane Milton could make landfall in Florida on Wednesday, October 09, an incident is already breaking the hearts of many after Florida Highway Patrol’s post on X (previously Twitter).
“Do NOT do this to your pets please…” FHP Tampa wrote in their post on Wednesday morning, along with a video of an abandoned dog tied to a pole on I-75 in a pool of floodwater.
FHP Tampa reveals, “FHP Troopers rescued a dog left tied to a pole on I-75 near Bruce B Downs Blvd this morning.”
The video shows an unidentified Florida Highway Trooper walking towards a grassy area where the dog is seen tied to a pole.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” the Trooper kept telling the dog. However, the dog, visibly scared and confused, kept on growling and barking at the Trooper.
The Trooper kept on consoling the dog saying, “I don’t blame you. It’s okay, buddy. Its okay.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis thanked FHP Tampa for rescuing the dog and responded to the incident saying, “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.”
Thankfully, after a few hours of the video being posted, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) provided an update on the dog saying, “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,” FLHSMV added.
People online were outraged and heartbroken for the poor dog. A lot of the users are hoping that the owners will be found, and rightfully arrested.
One user wrote, “I hope that dog is chipped, and they find the owner and charge them with Animal abuse. That is horrible, we are literally getting hit by a hurricane in hours.”
“I hope that owner never owns another pet. What a sh**ty human being to tie up an animal during a hurricane. At least let it run loose to find safety,” another wrote.
Another user also wrote, “People who harm children and pets are the lowest in society and need to be dealt with accordingly.”
FHP Tampa tells Fox News that while they are not aware of other animals abandoned in the storm, they are conducting patrols and looking for any vulnerable people and animals that may have been left.