TAMPA, Fla. — Criminal charges were dropped against the man accused of leaving his dog tied up to a fence along I-75 during Hurricane Milton, court records show.

The Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office filed a document Wednesday, also requesting the withdrawal of any outstanding warrant in the case.

The dog, later named "Trooper," was found abandoned in belly-high flood waters just hours before Milton was expected to make landfall in October 2024. At the time, troopers near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

The incident drew widespread outrage, eventually prompting lawmakers to pass "Trooper's Law," making it a third-degree felony to restrain or abandon a dog outside during a natural disaster. Anyone who violates the law could face a five-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000

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