FLORIDA — The story of Trooper the dog, who was left chained to a fence and standing in chest-high flood waters on I-75 during Hurricane Milton, has inspired a new legislative push to stiffen penalties on animal abusers.
Trooper’s story captured the attention of the nation last October.
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Ultimately, he was adopted by a new family, and his former owner, Giovanny Aldama Garcia, was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty.
It’s a third-degree felony reserved for the most extreme cases of animal abuse and carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
But generally, animal cruelty cases don’t carry felony charges.
“Apparently in most cases that would have been a misdemeanor,” said State Representative Joel Rudman (R-Navarre).
In response to Trooper’s story, Rudman said he wants to ensure anyone who leaves a pet behind or in a dangerous situation during a major storm faces severe consequences.
His newly filed legislation would make any animal cruelty charge committed in an area under a state of emergency a third-degree felony.
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“Unfortunately, these things happen way too commonly, not just in Florida, but in other states. With Trooper’s Bill, we’re taking a stand. We’re saying that if you have a four-legged family member, treat them like a family member.”
Kate MacFall with the Humane Society of Florida argued thanks to a state law passed in recent years, there should be no excuse for leaving a pet behind.
Any county that offers a shelter for people is also required to offer a shelter for pets.
“We always say prepare and plan. Get your plan ready. If you have six dogs, well you need to plan. If you have one dog, you still need a plan,” said MacFall.
MacFall noted as far back as 2020, there have been efforts to increase penalties on those who leave behind pets during storms.
Those efforts were unsuccessful, but MacFall said the spotlight on Trooper’s story brings new optimism for 2025.
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“Hopefully, this issue does bring it to the front of everyone’s mind to get passed and signed into law, increased penalties for someone who does that,” said MacFall.
The legislative session officially gets underway on Mar. 4.
Trooper’s former owner will be back in court before then, with a hearing set for Feb. 6.
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