A Florida trooper rescued a small dog who was tied to a pole off a major highway in a pool of floodwater as Hurricane Milton begins to overwhelm the state.
An unidentified Florida Highway Patrolman was seen walking through a grassy area on the side of I-75 near Bruce B Downs Boulevard near Tampa to rescue the small white pup.
‘It’s OK, buddy, it’s OK,’ the officer could be heard saying as the dog tried to back away. ‘It’s OK, it’s OK!’
As the officer approached the dog and realized it was stuck, it began to growl as the small animal stood in water up to his chest.
Despite multiple attempts to comfort the dog, it just kept growling and wolfing.
‘I don’t blame you,’ the officer said. ‘It’s OK, buddy, it’s OK.’
An unidentified Florida Highway Patrolman was seen walking through a grassy area on the side of I-75 near Bruce B Downs Boulevard near Tampa to rescue a terrified small white pup
As the officer approaches and the dog realizes it’s stuck, it begins to growl as the small animal stood in water up to his chest. It is unknown who the dog belonged to or how it got there
The video does not show the resulting rescue and it is unclear what happened to the dog afterward. It is unknown who the dog belongs to or how it got there.
‘Do NOT do this to your pets please…’ the organization wrote in an X post.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Florida Highway Patrol for comment.
‘They left it to drown OMFG! Pls find who did this!’ one X user wrote.
‘This is ridiculous. The owner needs to face legal consequences,’ another wrote.
‘Wow. People can be so heartless. Thank you for saving him,’ a third wrote.
Governor Ron DeSantis even showed support for the Highway Patrol, writing on X: ‘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.’
Tampa is expected to brave the worst of the Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday afternoon until Thursday afternoon with an estimated 10 to 15 inches of rainfall, according to CNN.
The area could see storm surges of eight to 12 feet above ground in flood prone areas, which will peak around 10pm Wednesday.
This satellite images courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Branch (RAMMB) taken on October 9, 2024, shows the formation of Hurricane Milton over the Gulf of Mexico
Milton is currently a Category 4 hurricane. Forecasters expect Milton to make landfall with winds of 130mph (pictured: Key West, Florida)
Hurricane Milton has started to impact Florida, bringing terrifying tornados to the state’s south as the historic storm set to double in size before it hits Tampa Bay later tonight.
Milton was a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 160mph, according to a 5 am National Hurricane Center update.
Its 155mph winds are becoming more wide-reaching from the center, increasing its capacity to cause widespread destruction.
Milton’s gales extended to around 80 miles on Monday and increased to just over 100 miles by Wednesday morning.
The storm was tracked around 300 miles off the coast of Tampa on Wednesday morning and is moving toward the city at around 14 miles an hour Wednesday.
Forecasters expect Milton to make landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 130mph.
The greatest danger is posed by the wall of water, known as a storm surge, that Milton will whip up. That could see up to 15 feet of water inundate Tampa Bay. Residents have been warned to evacuate, with the city’s airport closed yesterday.