Hurricane Milton, unfortunately, not only showed incredible acts of heroism but also some villainy and cowardliness. That's the case of Giovanny Aldama Garcia, a Florida former dog owner who left his bull terrier tied to a wire fence right next to an interstate. Garcia was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty.
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Before the hurricane made landfall, Garcia was racing to safety in Georgia. According to him, he didn't have anyone who would pick up his dog. He, instead, decided to do the heinous act. Florida Highway Patrol caught wind of the dog after a driver told them about seeing him on the side of the road.
Eventually, Orlando Morales, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, found the dog after using a portable speaker to call for the dog. The dog was trembling with his legs submerged in floodwater. Morales took the dog to Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center. They confirmed that the dog was not returned to Garcia, but to Morales instead to get him to foster care. The dog will not be reunited with Garcia.
The dog was then renamed Trooper in honor of Morales, his rescuer. Later, Garcia was arrested on Monday, October 14, and charged with aggravated animal cruelty. He can end up with a five-year prison sentence.
State-Wide Outrage
After admitting to leaving the dog, Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez made some remarks about Garcia. "In Hillsborough County, we take animal cruelty very seriously. This defendant is charged with a felony and could face up to five years in prison for his actions," Lopez said, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
"Quite frankly, I don't think that is enough. Hopefully, lawmakers take a look at this case and discuss changing the law to allow for harsher penalties for people who abandon their animals during a state of emergency," she added.
Such was the public outcry given Garcia's actions and calls for justice for Trooper that Governor Ron DeSantis weighed in. "When this poor dog was left out there we said," DeSantis said, "We're going to nail you when we find out who did it. And that's exactly what they're doing here in Hillsborough County with State Attorney Lopez."
Lopez herself has two dogs and, understandably, is outraged by what Garcia did. "You don't get away with doing what this man did in Hillsborough County," said Lopez, "Not under my watch."
DeSantis stated that Garcia's actions are "totally unacceptable," and that they will hold him accountable.
