LEON COUNTY, Fla. – As “Trooper” the dog found by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper during Hurricane Milton evacuations earlier this month adjusts to his foster home, fundraising efforts to help him and dogs like him are in the works.
The Leon County Humane Society launched the fundraising effort over the weekend. So far, the group has raised more than $1,000.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Trooper’s owner was identified and arrested in mid-October and will face aggravated animal cruelty charges, which is a third-degree felony.
“It’s totally unacceptable, and we are going to hold you accountable,” said DeSantis.
Giovanny Aldama Garcia, 23, of Ruskin, Florida was arrested on Oct. 14.
Garcia could face up to five years in prison.
The Leon County Humane Society took Trooper in and later received a call from the governor’s office and was picked up, according to a post on social media.
Trooper was found in belly-high water, abandoned along Interstate 75, near Pebble Creek, north of Tampa, during evacuations for Hurricane Milton.
Trooper is not up for adoption yet. For more information about helping dogs like Trooper, visit www.leoncountyhumane.org/donate.
For more information about Trooper’s fundraiser, click on this link.