Florida Highway Patrol rescue dog tied to pole on I-75 ahead of Milton

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. (WJHG/Gray News) - Florida Highway Patrol troopers rescued a dog left tied to a pole as Hurricane Milton approached the state.

The dog was found on the side of Interstate 75 Wednesday morning, standing in water up to its chest.

Video posted on the social media platform X by Florida Highway Patrol Tampa shows a trooper approaching the dog as it growls and barks at him.

“I don’t blame you. It’s OK buddy, it’s OK,” the trooper can be heard saying.

The Florida Highway Patrol urged pet owners to not abandon their pets like this.

“Do NOT do this to your pets please...” they said in the caption of the video.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis responded to the video, thanking the Florida Highway Patrol and condemning the owner.

“It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm,” the governor said in a post on X. “FL will hold anyone who mistreats pets accountable.”

On Wednesday afternoon, the Florida Highway Patrol said troopers brought the rescued dog to the veterinarian where he was examined and received a clean bill of health.

Officials in the Tampa Bay region have urged residents to evacuate as Hurricane Milton approaches the west coast of Florida. Milton was a strong Category 4 hurricane at midday Wednesday and is expected to remain a hurricane after hitting land.

Although the National Hurricane Center is not certain where the hurricane’s center will hit, they say the entire Tampa Bay region and south are at risk.