Pass Cooper's Law: Make It a Felony to Tape, Wire, or Bind an Animal's Muzzle in Florida
The Issue
Someone taped a dog's mouth shut and left him to suffocate.
Cooper, a dog in Auburndale, Florida, was found hyperventilating under a wheelchair ramp with his muzzle sealed shut with duct tape. A stranger noticed, cut the tape, and posted a photo online. Deputies saw it. Within 24 hours, they made an arrest.
Cooper survived. He is recovering. But he shouldn't have been in that position in the first place, and Florida law should make certain it never happens again.
When deputies found Cooper's owner, Tammy Roosa, they also found 13 other animals, cats, birds, and a duck, all trapped inside an RV with ammonia levels so high that fire rescue crews had to measure the air. The animals were starving. Cooper bore scarring from the tape and marks on his neck from being tied up for an extended period. Roosa showed no remorse.
She has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty. That's the right call. But Florida law does not explicitly criminalize one of the most dangerous forms of animal abuse: using tape, wire, zip ties, or any other ligature to restrain or seal an animal's mouth or airways. That gap needs to close.
We are calling on Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature to pass Cooper's Law, making it an explicit felony to use tape, wire, rope, zip ties, or any binding material to restrain an animal's muzzle, jaw, or airway. The law should also mandate that anyone convicted of this offense be permanently banned from owning or residing with animals.
Cooper made it out. Not every animal does.
Sign this petition to make sure Florida closes this loophole, before the next Cooper doesn't get found in time.
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The Issue
Someone taped a dog's mouth shut and left him to suffocate.
Cooper, a dog in Auburndale, Florida, was found hyperventilating under a wheelchair ramp with his muzzle sealed shut with duct tape. A stranger noticed, cut the tape, and posted a photo online. Deputies saw it. Within 24 hours, they made an arrest.
Cooper survived. He is recovering. But he shouldn't have been in that position in the first place, and Florida law should make certain it never happens again.
When deputies found Cooper's owner, Tammy Roosa, they also found 13 other animals, cats, birds, and a duck, all trapped inside an RV with ammonia levels so high that fire rescue crews had to measure the air. The animals were starving. Cooper bore scarring from the tape and marks on his neck from being tied up for an extended period. Roosa showed no remorse.
She has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty. That's the right call. But Florida law does not explicitly criminalize one of the most dangerous forms of animal abuse: using tape, wire, zip ties, or any other ligature to restrain or seal an animal's mouth or airways. That gap needs to close.
We are calling on Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature to pass Cooper's Law, making it an explicit felony to use tape, wire, rope, zip ties, or any binding material to restrain an animal's muzzle, jaw, or airway. The law should also mandate that anyone convicted of this offense be permanently banned from owning or residing with animals.
Cooper made it out. Not every animal does.
Sign this petition to make sure Florida closes this loophole, before the next Cooper doesn't get found in time.
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Petition created on June 23, 2026