Footage Shows Tampa Bay Cops Rescue Dog Tied to Pole Ahead of Hurricane Milton's Arrival: 'Do NOT Do This to Your Pets'

A dog was rescued by a Tampa Bay trooper after it was left tied to a pole off the side of the highway, just hours away from Hurricane Milton's arrival.

Video of the rescue shared to X Wednesday morning shows the Florida Highway Patrol trooper walking through the muddy grass to a scared white dog tied to a fence. As the officer gets closer, the dog is discovered to be standing in several inches of water, rising up almost to the dog's chest.

"It's OK buddy, it's OK," the trooper is heard saying on video to the dog. As the dog begins barking at the officer, they tell the dog, "I don't blame you. It's OK buddy, it's OK."

FHP said in the caption of the video that they found the dog on Interstate 75 Wednesday morning. The department went on to add, "Do NOT do this to your pets please."

Hurricane Milton, which has been fluctuating between a Category 4 and Category 5 hurricane, is scheduled to make landfall Wednesday night in Florida, as reported by the Associated Press.

Nearly all of the Tampa Bay area is said to be in the direct path of the storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. Eleven Florida counties have been given evacuation orders.