HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office has controversially dropped the felony aggravated animal cruelty case against Giovanny Aldama Garcia, the man accused of abandoning his bull terrier, renamed “Trooper,” tied to a fence along Interstate 75 amid an evacuation ahead of Hurricane Milton in 2024.
The case, which drew national outrage and attention from Governor Ron DeSantis, was dismissed on Wednesday.
State Attorney Suzy Lopez’s office defended the unexpected decision in a Friday memo, stating it lacked the witnesses and sufficient evidence needed to win a conviction.
The office, which previously described the dog as “tied up,” now asserts that trial preparation revealed a lack of evidence to prove Aldama Garcia intentionally fastened the dog to the fence in rising waters. The new account states that the highway patrol video showed the dog’s collar was merely stuck on the fence.
Aldama Garcia and his mother now claim the dog, initially named “Jumbo,” jumped from their car when they stopped to manage its increasingly aggressive behavior during the evacuation.
“The facts as depicted in the video and the statements do not support the theory that the dog was attached to the fence in an intentional manner,” the prosecutor’s memo read, adding that “A failure to locate the dog during an emergency evacuation does not equate to a criminal failure to act.”
Aldama Garcia, 24, of Ruskin, Florida, had previously told an investigator he had been trying to get rid of the dog for months and left him on the side of I-75.
The Florida Highway Patrol officer who rescued the dog, responding to a 911 call, had noted in the arrest warrant that the dog was “abandoned and tied to a post” in water up to his chest.
Aftermath: ‘Trooper’s Law’ Signed to Stiffen Penalties for Abandonment
The controversy surrounding the dropping of the case, which made national headlines, appears to have spurred significant legislative action in Florida.
In May 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis signed two major animal welfare bills into law, including Trooper’s Law (SB 150), which was directly inspired by the circumstances of the dog’s rescue during Hurricane Milton.
Trooper’s Law aims to prevent pets from being left vulnerable during emergencies by elevating the act of restraining and abandoning a dog outdoors during a declared natural disaster or a mandatory evacuation order to a third-degree felony. This offense is now punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The law also codifies existing penalties for general animal abandonment as a first-degree misdemeanor.
READ: Florida Gov. DeSantis’ Record Execution Pace Continues As Norman Grim Waives All Appeals
The Governor also signed Dexter’s Law (HB 255), which strengthens penalties for severe acts of animal cruelty by introducing a 1.25 sentencing multiplier for offenders and creating Florida’s first statewide animal abuser database to help prevent repeat offenses.
“Across Florida, we have seen horrifying instances of animal cruelty that demand a stronger response,” said Governor DeSantis during the signing ceremony. “I was proud to sign Trooper’s Law and Dexter’s Law today. Florida stands by man’s best friend.”
READ: ‘Sanctuary State’ Showdown: Florida Sues California, Washington Over CDLs After Fatal Crash
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