Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that authorities have started criminal proceedings against the owner of the bull terrier found abandoned and tied to a pole on Interstate 75 ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall. The rescued dog is safe with a new foster family.
Newly filed court records explain how the dog – which became a celebrity on social media after his rescue during the hurricane – ended up on the roadside in Tampa.
The owner was identified in court records as Giovanny Aldama Garcia, 23, of Ruskin. Aldama Garcia, a solar company employee, is facing a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals. He did not immediately return phone messages.
Aldama Garcia was arrested Monday at his rented home in Ruskin and released early Tuesday on a $2,500 bail from the Hillsborough County Jail. Court records said Aldama Garcia showed up at the county animal shelter in Tampa to try to retrieve his dog one day after it was found along the interstate.
“We said you'd be held accountable, and you will be held accountable,” DeSantis said.
Investigators said Aldama Garcia had owned the dog, which he called Jumbo, since it was a puppy and had been trying unsuccessfully to get rid him for weeks. “He could not deal with the dog,” the arrest report said.
Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez said Tuesday that the dog – renamed Trooper in honor of the Florida Highway Patrol officer who rescued him – has touched the hearts of people and that she aimed to protect the county’s most vulnerable citizens, including “four-legged friends."
“The fact that somebody could tie a dog to a pole on the interstate as we were facing a Category 5 hurricane is absolutely impossible for me, as a dog owner and dog lover [to] imagine,” Lopez said.
Court records said Aldama Garcia’s mother, Mabel Garcia Gomez, 53, had stopped their car Wednesday on I-75 during the family’s evacuation to Georgia from heavy rain ahead of the raging hurricane, letting the dog out of the vehicle. Aldama Garcia said he last saw the dog in standing water and left it behind.
Trooper is safely living with a foster family in the Tallahassee area, according to the Leon County Humane Society, which provided a photograph of what appeared to be a happy, panting dog with a rubber toy between its paws.
Trooper’s foster family wasn’t identified, but will have the first opportunity to adopt him if they are a good fit, the Humane Society said. The family was learning about Trooper’s preferences and helping him become comfortable and confident, the society said.
Investigators said Aldama Garcia saw photos of the abandoned dog on social media and initially wanted him back, then changed his mind after learning the dog was with a foster family.
“After finding out the dog was being fostered, he surrendered the dog due to someone else giving the dog a better life,” the arrest report said.
The highway patrol said Aldama Garcia’s actions unnecessarily put the dog’s safety at risk. It described him as showing no emotion after learning the dog was still alive.
“Due to the circumstances and the extreme danger and risk of death caused by the defendant to the dog, the defendant's actions caused excessive unnecessary infliction of pain and suffering to the dog,” according to court records.
“In addition, the defendant stated he never notified anyone that the dog was left behind on (the) interstate during a hurricane evacuation. The defendant continued driving to Georgia to a safe place,” court records indicated.
The highway patrol found the dog tied to a pole in standing water. The agency posted a video on social media showing the dog tied in an area where flooding water almost covered his legs.
“Do NOT do this to your pets please,” the patrol said.
The highway patrol arranged for the dog to be examined by a veterinarian, then transported him to Leon, where the Humane Society said in his first few days there the dog was “incredibly stressed and still decompressing.”
This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporter can be reached at sandovalv@freshtakeflorida.com. You can donate to support our students here.
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