A dog was discovered gasping for air, with his mouth bound tight. We must turn this act of cruelty into a clear-cut felony.
In Auburndale, Florida, a dog named Cooper was discovered hiding beneath a wheelchair ramp, his muzzle tightly bound with duct tape. A concerned woman found him in distress, hyperventilating, and rushed to remove the tape, allowing him to breathe again.
Authorities quickly identified Cooper’s owner. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported that she confessed to taping Cooper’s muzzle the night before and showed no signs of remorse.
Cooper’s Harrowing Situation
Veterinarians assessed Cooper and found signs of trauma, including scars from the tape and evidence of malnourishment. Marks on his neck suggested he had been restrained for a long time.
Upon investigating the owner’s RV, deputies discovered multiple other animals in peril, including seven cats, three fish, and various birds. The deplorable conditions included garbage, roaches, and an overwhelming stench, with ammonia levels dangerously high, posing severe health risks.
The owner now faces serious charges, including aggravated animal cruelty and multiple counts of neglect. Fortunately, Cooper and the other animals are on a path to recovery, but this case needs further action.
Support Cooperative’s Law
No creature should endure having its airway restricted with tape or any binding material. Such actions can suffocate, panic, injure, and incapacitate animals, leaving them vulnerable.
Florida needs to elevate this cruelty to a felony and implement a lifetime ban on animal ownership for anyone convicted. This measure will empower law enforcement to intervene, deter future abuse, and affirm that acts of cruelty are unacceptable.
Please sign the petition urging Florida’s Governor and Legislature to enact Cooper’s Law, protecting animals from the pain of muzzle-binding abuse.
Join the Movement
Dear Florida Governor and Members of the Florida Legislature,
I am writing to urge you to pass Cooper’s Law, a clear animal protection measure that would make it an explicit felony to use tape, wire, rope, zip ties, or any binding material to restrain an animal’s muzzle, jaw, or airway.
This law should also require a permanent ban on animal ownership or residence with animals for anyone convicted of this offense.
Cooper’s case in Auburndale shows why this action is needed. He was found beneath a wheelchair ramp with duct tape wrapped around his muzzle. He appeared to be hyperventilating before a stranger and her son cut the tape away. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Cooper’s owner admitted she taped his muzzle shut the previous night.
Veterinarians later found scarring from the duct tape, malnourishment, and marks on his neck that indicated he had been tied up for an extended period. When deputies entered the owner’s RV, they found more animals trapped in unsafe conditions, including cats, birds, fish, and a duck. Authorities reported garbage, roaches, urine and feces odors, leaking sewage, and ammonia levels so high that Polk County Fire Rescue measured the air.
Cooper survived, and the other animals are expected to recover. But survival should not be the standard Florida sets for animals after cruelty. The law must clearly recognize that sealing or binding an animal’s mouth or airway is a severe act of abuse. It can restrict breathing, prevent an animal from eating or drinking, cause panic and injury, and leave the animal unable to defend itself or call for help.
Florida already has animal cruelty laws, but Cooper’s case calls for a more specific safeguard. A clear felony statute would help law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and the public treat muzzle-binding abuse with the seriousness it deserves.
It is also essential that people convicted of this offense never again have access to animals. Permanent ownership and residence bans are a practical, humane way to prevent repeat harm.
Please pass Cooper’s Law and make clear that Florida will not tolerate this cruelty. These actions will ensure a better future for all.
Sincerely,
Amr Mohsen is a software engineer who traded his keyboard for a leash — at least on weekends. His love for dogs inspired him to share what he learns as a dog owner and enthusiast, bringing a detail-oriented, research-driven perspective to every article he writes. If it’s about dogs, he’s probably already looked it up twice.
