As hurricane season begins in Florida, the state has passed two new laws aimed at protecting animals during natural disasters. Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed legislation making it a felony to abandon or improperly restrain pets during emergencies — an action that comes after the widely publicized rescue of a dog that was eventually named Trooper.
Trooper was found tied to a fence along I-75 near Tampa just before Hurricane Milton made landfall. Floodwaters were rising fast when a Florida Highway Patrol officer rescued him. The dog’s story quickly went viral and inspired lawmakers to act.
“He would have drowned because the waters were going up pretty quickly,” said Kris Barnes, shelter manager at Cape Coral Animal Shelter. “He got rescued by the trooper, and he was named Trooper.”
Trooper’s Law now makes it a felony to abandon or restrain pets during a declared disaster, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. A second measure, Dexter’s Law, creates a statewide registry of convicted animal abusers and imposes tougher penalties for aggravated abuse.
“It’ll help us be able to look up anyone with a past history of abusing animals so that we don’t adopt to them,” Barnes said. “It’s a huge step toward keeping animals safe.”
Bradley Ruiz, who adopted dogs that were abandoned in the Everglades, welcomed the changes.
“I’m very happy that these animals are now becoming safer,” he said.
Barnes also reminded pet owners to prepare their animals for hurricanes by packing food, printing out shot records, and having travel crates ready. The Cape Coral Animal Shelter offers crates to those in need during evacuations.
With the new laws in place, Florida is sending a clear message: leaving pets behind during a storm is no longer just irresponsible — it’s illegal.