Dog rescued after being found tied to pole amid Hurricane Milton, owner arrested

A man has been arrested and his dog, who troopers say was tied to a pole on I-75 in belly-deep water ahead of Hurricane Milton, is safe in Tallahassee.

State Attorney Suzy Lopez announced that Giovanny Aldama Garcia has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony, after investigators say he admitted to leaving his dog on Interstate 75 as he evacuated to safety during Hurricane Milton.

"Criminals face harsher penalties, as a matter of fact, during a state of emergency, which we were in last week, and we are in now," Lopez said. "They will face the music."

Subscribe to FOX 10 Phoenix!

#fox10phoenix #hurricanemilton #florida #crime

FOX 10 Phoenix delivers breaking news, live events, politics, entertainment, business news and local stories from Phoenix, Arizona and across the nation.

Watch more FOX 10 Phoenix on YouTube:

[nancybatch]

So he did it in order to kill the dog. What an evil man.

[dcutuut]

"Aggravated Animal Cruelty" - YES! DeSantis said he'd throw the book at him! Aggravated animal cruelty is defined as intentionally causing an animal to suffer or die in a cruel way, or failing to act when an animal suffers or dies in a cruel way. In Florida, aggravated animal cruelty is a third-degree felony.

[dianepamula]

Could have taken the Dog to a Shelter He’s Heartless

[KarenKennedy-lqnt]

Extremely cruelty. Tied up and no means of escape.

[froggynzack]

That man deserves to rot in jail for what he did. He didnt have to tie the dog up so it could drown, he could have left it at a shelter or a pet store even to where that poor baby would have been safe. No excuse.

[Tara-vsvs]

Thank you for showing his picture. May he never live this down. This is the face of evil.

[DesireeCoulter-bfyd]

I think people who treat animals like this should have to spend time in the conditions they inflicted on the animal.

[Stonecutter]

How about a long jail sentence. Five years should do.

[mikeg]

He's gonna be popular in jail. Criminals look past a lot of things, by necessity, "he who walk without sin..." and so on, and I totally get that. But cruelty to the defenseless is a bridge too far for many of them.

[Dan-qvv]

Kudos to the Trooper that found him. If you look at the video you will see that Trooper has very good eyesight!! A very discerning eye! This officer needs to be praised for being such an alert officer. That dog was so far away from the road it is a miracle he was found! God bless this Officer! I wish i could shake his hand!! Give him the keys to the city or something! He also approached the dog with lots of compassion. It was clear the poor dog was not socialized. I am surprised he was able to calm the dog and get him into his vehicle!! The man is a Hero in my eyes!! HONOR HIM!!

[Chryssye]

The court also needs to tell the man he is never allowed to own any animal for life, not even a mouse!!

[monicawestrn]

I sincerely hope this man is prosecuted to the fullest extent.

[Gina-dnxm]

That is so sad to see the pup tied up...

[Mphscat]

That POS must be charged with a felony for animal cruelty! Dog couldn't even save itself. Hope the same will be said for when Dude lands in prison. Pure evil with zero respect for life. Vile

[Venture_Fanatic]

He's a liar to the bone. The dude is a Scumbag.

[IdahoRanchGirl]

Some ppl don't deserve the loyalty and devotion of a dog! Poor thing couldn't even lay down! Omg this infuriates and saddens me. Pets depend on you for their safety dude! He should never be allowed to own a dog again, he doesn't deserve a dog. I know what he does deserve. That poor dog was terrified.

[beatrizdaniels]

WHAT‼️❓️NO ANIMAL
CRUELTY ❓️THIS MONSTER SHOULD BE IN PRISON PERIOD.

[clydewatkins]

He is disgusting, he should never be allowed to have a pet, and a stiff jail sentence.

[alexadoleva]

Thank you Wonderful Trooper Officer 🌹🙏💞

[Findpepperbridge]

There are shelters and rescues his excuse doesn’t make sense. He literally could of dropped him off on his way to fleeing the storm