'trooper's Law' Clears Another Hurdle In Florida Legislature

Trooper's Law, inspired by the Florida dog abandoned during Hurricane Milton evacuations and rescued by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, took another giant step.

SB 150 , passed unanimously in the Florida House 109 to 0, on Tuesday. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz , cleared the Rules Committee, Agriculture Committee and Criminal Justice Committee.

The bill would make abandoning a restrained animal during a natural disaster a third-degree felony. If convicted, the penalty would be up to five years in prison and up to a 10,000 fine.

HB 205 , filed by Rep. Philip Wayne "Griff" Griffitts, Jr. R-Panama City is also making its way in the Florida House.

FHP troopers found Trooper, a Bull Terrier, in belly-high water, abandoned along Interstate 75, near Pebble Creek, north of Tampa during evacuations for Hurricane Milton last year.