2 months ago
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A man who allegedly left his dog tied to a post in floodwaters ahead of Hurricane Milton has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty, officials say.
The animal was rescued by Highway Patrol near a Florida highway on 9 October.
Bodycam footage posted online, which has been viewed more than 12 million times, showed the dog standing beside a wire fence in water up to its chest.
His former owner, Giovanny Aldama Garcia, was arrested on Monday, according to the state government's highway safety body.
He reportedly told investigators that he had abandoned the animal, originally called Jumbo, because he was leaving Florida due to the storm and could not find anyone to look after him.
According to ABC News, Mr Aldama Garcia later agreed to surrender ownership after turning up at the animal shelter where the dog was being looked after to try and claim him.
The 23 year old could face up to five years in jail if found guilty of animal cruelty.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that Jumbo, now renamed Trooper in honour of the Highway Patrol officer who rescued him, would be adopted.
"You don't just tie up a dog and have them out there for a storm, totally unacceptable," DeSantis told a news briefing on Tuesday.
State Attorney Suzy Lopez said Trooper had "touched the hearts of a lot of people". The dog would have faced a "sure death" if he had not been rescued, she added.
The Leon County Humane Society, which had been caring for the dog before it was put in foster care, said that it had received hundreds of inquiries about Trooper.
Hurricane Milton tore through Florida last week after making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane. Thousands of people had to be rescued from flooded areas.
At least 24 people died as a result of the storm, according to official counts.
