HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — The Hillsborough County man who was accused of animal cruelty for tying his dog to a fence and abandoning him just hours before Hurricane Milton made landfall has been cleared of all charges, according to a report.
Giovanny Aldama Garcia of Ruskin was charged with animal cruelty last October after the Florida Highway Patrol found his dog abandoned and tied to a fence on the side of Interstate 75 near Bruce B Downs Boulevard.
In a video shared by authorities, the dog is seen already chest-deep in standing water as troopers approached him.
Following his arrest, Garcia told police that he was driving to Georgia to escape the hurricane when he left his dog, Jumbo, on the side of the road because he couldn’t find anyone to pick the dog up.
State Trooper Orlando Morales searched for the dog after receiving a tip from another driver.
RELATED:
The dog was rescued, renamed Trooper and was not returned to Garcia.
This week, the State Attorney’s Office in Hillsborough County said they don’t have enough evidence to prove that Garcia intentionally tied up Trooper in rising flood waters or that he used a rope to do it, according to a WCTV report.
“While this case stirs many emotions and even ethical questions, we do not have a good-faith basis to continue this prosecution,” a statement from the State Attorney’s Office read.
Trooper was eventually adopted by a family after he ended up in the care of the Leon County Humane Society.
“From the moment he was introduced to his new Mom and Dad, you could see that it was a perfect match,” the organization wrote following the adoption. “In other meetings, Trooper would normally be visibly on edge and uncomfortable, but with Frank and Carla, Trooper seemed immediately at ease.”
The pup’s story also prompted Florida lawmakers to pass Trooper’s Law, which establishes criminal penalties for restraining a dog outside during a natural disaster.