It's not every day a Florida politician shares the microphone with a dog.
But Tuesday was that day.
Representative Janet Cruz of Tampa was joined by a pound puppy named "wing-nut" who whined in the background as she talked about what happens to pets during evacuations.
"When families are bracing for a hurricane, preparing their property and stocking up on supplies, the last thing they want to do is worry about the prospect of losing a little pet like Wing-nut," she said.
Cruz is one of the sponsors of a bill that requires animal shelters to adopt procedures that help return lost dogs or cats to their owners after a natural disaster.
The measure also extends the deadline for euthanizing animals so people have more time to track down missing pets.