Florida Highway Patrol Rescues Dog Tied to Pole Before Hurricane Milton Makes Landfall

The Florida Highway Patrol rescued a dog abandoned by its owners hours before Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

Florida Highway Patrol—Tampa posted a video to X (formerly known as Twitter) on Wednesday around 11:23 a.m. ET, stating that the agency found a dog tied to a pole on I-75 near Bruce B Downs Blvd. “Do NOT do this to your pets, please…” the FHP captioned the post.

In the video, an officer walked toward a dog, who was tied to a fence and standing in a deep puddle that reached the animal’s stomach. As the officer approached, the dog backed away and growled. “It’s okay, bud. It’s okay. It’s okay," the officer said.

The visibly stressed dog began barking as the officer said, “I don’t blame you. It’s okay, buddy. It’s okay.”

About 15 minutes later, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) confirmed in a post that the dog had been rescued and was in their care. The dog stayed in the backseat of a car on top of multiple blankets, its disposition seemingly changed by then.

“The dog rescued by @FHPTampa is safe and receiving care. Troopers brought him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health,” read the second post.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reshared the initial post of the dog with his own message.

“Thank you, @FHPTampa. It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm.  FL will hold anyone who mistreats pets accountable,” DeSantis wrote.

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Pet owners facing hurricanes should not forget to bring their animals with them when evacuating. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Tampa Bay issued tips on how to keep their pets safe amid natural disasters. 

Pet owners should ensure that their pets have identification, have an emergency kit and that the home is prepared for the animal. The kit should include food and water for at least a week, any necessary medications, medical and vaccine records, a sturdy carrier or crate, bedding, litter, cleaning supplies, and a current photo of the animal.

Since FHP found the dog, Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida. The Category 3 storm came ashore around Siesta Key, Fla., at around 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

It is the fifth hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. this year and brought maximum sustained wind speeds of 120 mph.