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Cops Nab Florida Man Accused of Leaving Dog to Die in Hurricane Milton

The man’s dog, Jumbo, was abandoned in knee-deep water on the side of interstate just ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall last week.

Florida cops say they’ve identified the owner of a viral puppy who was abandoned and tied to a fence in knee-deep water ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall last week and charged him with animal cruelty. Deputies in Tampa say that Giovanny Aldama Garcia told detectives he tied his dog, Jumbo, to a fence off Interstate 75 because he couldn’t find someone to watch the canine while he evacuated to Georgia. The 23-year-old is now staring down a prison sentence of up to five years behind bars. Jumbo went viral when a clip of him being rescued by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper was shared online mere hours before Milton slammed into Florida’s west coast with winds in excess of 100 mph. State Attorney Suzy Lopez indicated Tuesday she’d show Garcia no mercy if he’s convicted. “Quite frankly, I don’t think that is enough,” she said of his charge’s max prison sentence. “Hopefully, lawmakers take a look at this case and discuss changing the law to allow for harsher penalties for people who abandon their animals during a state of emergency.”