WATCH: Today I attended the Hurricane Isaias preparedness press conference in Pensacola, Florida where the hurricane is expected to make landfall this weekend as a category 3 storm. This is the first hurricane in Florida since Trooper’s Law took effect — and I asked Senator Rick Scott @SenRickScott about it today in Escambia County. Trooper’s Law (SB 150), signed by Governor DeSantis @RonDeSantis in May 2025 and effective October 1, 2025, makes it a third-degree FELONY to restrain and abandon a dog outdoors during a declared natural disaster or while a mandatory or voluntary evacuation order is in effect. Penalties can include up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. It is named for Trooper, the bull terrier a Florida Highway Patrol trooper rescued after he was left chained to a fence in rising floodwater along I-75 during Hurricane Milton in 2024. Hurricane Isaias is the first storm where that law is actually on the books. Escambia County has already ordered evacuations for Zones A and B, plus mobile homes and low-lying areas, and local shelters are pet-friendly as long as you can prove your dog is up to date on its vaccines. At today’s press conference I asked Senator Scott how state authorities in Florida and Escambia County will enforce Trooper’s Law and hold people accountable so pets are not left tied up and abandoned as this storm comes in. Protecting people and protecting pets are not separate jobs in a hurricane. If you evacuate, take your animals with you. Do not leave them chained outside. If you see a dog restrained and abandoned during this storm, report it to local law enforcement or animal control immediately and document it on your phone. If possible, rescue the dog yourself if you think it’s going to drown. Trooper’s Law exists so that what happened to Trooper does not happen to any pet in Florida ever again. If you abandon your dog during the storm, you will be charged with a felony and I will make you famous for all the wrong reasons. Thank you, Senator Scott for thinking of our furry friends. I hope everyone stays safe! @michellesalzman @JimmyPatronis @myescambia @SenRickScott @ECSONews @mattgaetz @megweinberger

🇺🇸 DeSantis is warning Florida: leave your dog in the path of a hurricane, and you get CHARGED. "You better treat them properly. If you leave them in the path of a hurricane, you will be held accountable. We protect dogs in Florida." This is the first hurricane since Trooper's Law took effect. A bull terrier was found tied to a fence on I-75 in Tampa as Milton closed in, when water was rising, and a highway patrol trooper pulled him out. The law makes it a felony to tie a dog up and abandon it during a disaster. Up to 5 years and a $10,000 fine. They don't deserve to be abandoned, and it's fair that if you do it, you'll face consequences. Writer: Lucas