Rescuers Save Dog Who Was Tied to a Fence During Hurricane Milton
The pup was rescued in the nick of time.
Published Oct. 10 2024, 12:29 p.m. ET
A Florida dog undoubtably had his life spared in October 2024, thanks to some quick thinking first responders who freed the pooch from a dangerous situation.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) caught the pup's rescue on video, which included the moments when a FHP officer stumbled on the dog who had been tied to a fence located in the rising flood waters of Hurricane Milton.
Watching the daring rescue, find out how the pooch is doing after being saved, and learn what the governor has to say about the folks who left him behind by reading below.
A dog was abandoned as his family evacuated Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton's arrival.
On Oct. 9, 2024, FHP officials used their official X account to share bodycam footage from an officer who came upon a dog who had been tied to a fence located along one of Florida's busy interstate routes.
"FHP Troopers rescued a dog left tied to a pole on I-75 near Bruce B Downs Blvd this morning," the caption read. "Do NOT do this to your pets please…"
The visibly shaken dog could be seen tethered tightly to a wire fence using his collar, limiting his ability to move his head.
Not only was he shaken up after being abandoned, but the low lying area where he had been left was quickly filling water floodwaters from the preliminary bands of rain coming from Hurricane Milton's epic epicenter, which likely would've quickly submerged the dog underwater if he hadn't been spotted.
While the terrified dog initially growled at his rescuer, his snarls eventually turned to sighs of relief, according to a post from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The department shared an updated photo of the rescued dog sitting in the back of the cruiser where he seemed much more content than he'd been in the earlier video.
In the caption, the organization revealed that the dog had received a clean bill of health from a vet who had checked him out.
While commenters were quick to celebrate the good news, they had nothing but harsh words for whoever left the dog behind.
"Thanks for your work on this," one person wrote. "Now find the perpetrator and arrest them."
And, those crying out for justice may actually get their wish after a tweet from one major Florida lawmaker revealed that the dog's family could face legal repercussions. Florida's governor tweeted about the abandoned dog, reminding anyone who may be evacuating to bring their furry friends with them... or else.
"It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm," Gov. Ron DeSantis posted on X. "Florida will hold anyone who mistreats pets accountable."
Floridians are still digging out from under the rubble left behind by Hurricane Milton.
When daylight broke across Florida on Oct. 10, 2024, many people awoke to a landscape of devastation and destruction.
The storm — which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, according to ABC News — caused significant damage in the northeastern and east-central parts of the Sunshine State. While officials likely won't know the exact extent of the damage until they're able to survey the areas that are still inaccessible thanks to flooding and debris, it seems safe to say that it will be significant.
At least there's one bright spot in this story, and it's the fact that this abandoned pooch likely won't have to wait long to find a new home.
Despite the uncertainty facing many Floridian's the morning after the storm, several people have already come forward to inquire about adopting the pup, which means he'll hopefully be welcomed into a new family pretty quickly.
