TAMPA, Fla.—A man has been arrested for animal cruelty after authorities say he abandoned his dog in floodwaters near a highway as residents evacuated Florida’s Gulf Coast last week shortly before Hurricane Milton made landfall.
The 23-year-old man from Ruskin, Florida, was charged Tuesday with felony aggravated animal cruelty.
A case docket hadn’t yet been posted online so it was unknown if he had an attorney.
The dog, nicknamed Trooper by the Florida Highway Patrol, was found alive last Wednesday in floodwaters up to his chest along Interstate 75 in the Tampa area as residents evacuated Florida’s Gulf Coast hours before the Category 3 hurricane made landfall.
“We take this crime very seriously and this defendant will face the consequences of his actions,” said State Attorney Suzy Lopez, whose jurisdiction covers the Tampa area.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the investigation was ongoing and no additional information would be released for the time being.