Charges dropped against man accused of leaving dog during Milton evacuations

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The Hillsborough County State Attorney dropped charges against the man accused of leaving a dog on the side of the road during Hurricane Milton evacuations, according to our sister station WFTS.

The Florida Highway Patrol posted a video of the dog tied to a fence on Oct. 9, 2024. The trooper was able to save the dog, luckily.

In May, Governor DeSantis signed Trooper's Law inspired by the dog. It made it a third-degree felony to restrain or abandon a dog outside during an emergency or evacuation order. Violators of the law may be imprisoned for up to five years and face a fine of up to $10,000.

Court records show the State Attorney dropped charges on Oct. 15. Our Fox affiliate reports that that reason is essentially that there was not enough evidence to prove the suspect tied the dog to the fence in the rising floodwaters.

The dog, Trooper, was renamed in honor of the law enforcement officer who saved him. He now has a loving family, according to FHP.