Trooper’s Law: Protecting pets during natural disasters

Reporter: Jillian Haggerty
Published: Updated:
Trooper's Law

Seeing a dog with a wagging tail will make just about anybody smile, but this pup named Trooper wasn’t always so carefree.

Right before Hurricane Milton, Florida Highway Patrol found the bull terrier abandoned on the side of Interstate 75 in Hillsborough County.

Trooper was found by the FHP, tied to a fence, half his body underwater, left for dead.

The video posted online made a lot of people feel something, and it could lead to change.

A Florida representative wants to make sure what happened to Trooper will never happen again.

Trooper’s Law could protect animals during natural disasters.

Griff Griffitts, the Florida legislator who put forward the bill for Trooper’s Law, said, “How sad is it that if you have to evacuate your own home that you are so desperate that you have to tie your animal on the side of the road. I mean, that is just so heartless.”

We spoke with Griffitts, who told us this act left him heartbroken.

“We saw the video of that poor dog tied to the side of the road during the hurricane, and then with everyone evacuating and the water rising on that poor animal, so that brought it to our attention, and I think it’s just another piece we need to put into legislation to make sure that doesn’t happen again,” he said.

Trooper’s Law would impose stricter penalties, jail time and fines up to $5,000. That’s minimal charges, and this is the timeline for when this could get passed.

“It actually got referred to its first committee, so it’s been filed, and it will run through two committees, it will run through the criminal justice sub-committee and judiciary committee,” Griffitts said.

Allison Linnfelter, who works at Suncoast Humane Society in Englewood, said she is aware of Trooper’s Law.”

“This is a bill that I really support. I think that there are tons of places. We’re just one of the many places you can go to bring an animal,” Linnfelter said.

Linnfelter wants people to know there are always options for those in need.

“We are very understanding and compassionate because we know it’s very difficult for people to leave their animals behind even in the case of an emergency,” Linnfelter said.

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