The cruel Florida dog owner who left his pooch tied to a fence in flood waters on the side of a highway as Hurricane Milton barrelled down on the Sunshine State last week has been caught.
Giovanny Aldama Garcia was arrested Monday and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony.
Garcia admitted to leaving the canine, a white Bull Terrier on Interstate 75 as he raced towards Georgia ahead of the storm.
The 23-year-old told officials he left his dog “Jumbo” because he “couldn’t find anyone to pick the dog up,” according to Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez.
Lopez blasted Garcia’s actions and asked for politicians to help change the current laws in place.
“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. “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.”
A driver flagged down Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Orlando Morales who “diligently searched” for the dog.
Morales, drove a quarter-mile south and used a portable speaker calling for the dog.
When the canine was eventually found, the trembling dog growled and barked at Morales.
“I don’t blame you,” the trooper according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Morales parked his patrol vehicle and trudged across a soggy field next to Interstate 75, rescuing the terrified animal as the water had risen past the dog’s legs.
The pooch was brought to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health.
The Leon County Humane Society stepped in to get the Bull Terrier to a foster home in Tallahassee and named him Trooper due to “how much he’s been through and to honor those who saved him” from the catastrophic storm.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called out the “unacceptable” actions by Garcia as he evacuated the storm’s eye.
“When this poor dog was left out there,” DeSantis said, “We 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.”
“You don’t just tie up a dog and have them out there for a storm. Totally unacceptable, and we’re going to hold you accountable,” DeSantis said at a news conference Tuesday.
Garcia faces up to five years in prison for the felony and will not get the dog returned to him, Lopez said.
He was released from jail Tuesday on a $2,500 cash bond.