A state lawmaker is seeking tougher penalties for Floridians who abandon their pets during hurricanes. Why it matters: Senate Bill 150 aims to make it a third-degree felony to restrain an animal and leave it outside during a natural disaster.

Trooper, the dog who was abandoned during Hurricane Milton in October, was adopted and then faced two major shocking health issues once he was embraced by his new owners, Frank and Karla Spina.

A resilient dog who was cruelly tied to a fence during Hurricane Milton has defeated cancer just months after he was rescued and found his forever home. Trooper, a white bull terrier, was found left to die and surrounded by rising flood water just off Interstate 75 near Tampa,