
‘Please don’t do this to your pets,’ police said after finding the dog
Florida police found an abandoned dog tied to a fence on the side of a major interstate as Hurricane Milton races toward the state.
The Florida Highway Patrol in Tampa found what appears to be a bull terrier tied to a chicken-wire fence near Interstate 75 on Wednesday. The dog was already knee-deep in water when officers arrived, according to video shared by the Florida Highway Patrol.
“FHP Troopers rescued a dog left tied to a pole on I-75 near Bruce B Downs Blvd this morning,” the agency wrote on X. “Do NOT do this to your pets please.”
The animal is now safe with police.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis said anyone abandoning their pets in the face of the hurricane would pay the price. He tweeted: “It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm. FL will hold anyone who mistreats pets accountable.”
Pictures released Monday showed a mother and baby orangutan huddling together, as well as workers lifting a porcupine named “Chompers” into a crate. The zoo’s flamingos were also put into the back of a truck and moved as a herd.
“The zoo has a comprehensive severe weather plan in place to ensure the safety of our animals and team members and will take all precautions as conditions warrant,” it said in a social media post on Monday.
Larger animals such as elephants, giraffes, panthers and bears have barns or night housing that are hurricane-proof, but birds and smaller animals are being moved to kennels, Sandra Torres, vice president of marketing and communications for the zoo, previously told The Independent.
Hurricane Milton is just hours away from making landfall in Florida. The storm’s intensity has fluctuated in recent days, weakening to a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday afternoon.
However, the National Hurricane Center predicts it will be “one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.”
High winds and storm surge are predicted to devastate the state. Many residents are under evacuation orders as the state braces for 18 inches of rainfall and up to 15 feet of storm surge.
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Someone Kept Leaving Threatening Notes in My Apartment Where I Lived Alone — When I Found Out Who, I Was Shaken to My Core

This is a brilliant suspense story! The tension builds perfectly as Melanie’s paranoia escalates, leading her — and us — down a path of questions about her own mind and safety. The reveal about carbon dioxide poisoning is unexpected yet plausible, adding an eerie layer that’s grounded in reality. Ron’s concern and eventual support provide a warm, stabilizing influence, which rounds out the story beautifully.
Your use of sensory details, like the smell of burning toast or the creak of an old apartment, really pulls readers into Melanie’s deteriorating world. The way you weave in her fascination with true crime as a potential factor in her confusion is a clever touch, and the notes turning out to be her own under the effects of CO2 deprivation is the perfect twist.
The additional story teaser at the end for Trent’s story is intriguing too! It would draw readers into another layer of mystery. This story really nails the suspense while maintaining a sympathetic, relatable protagonist.
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