A dog that was found tied to a pole along an evacuation route in Florida as Hurricane Milton headed for the state has a new lease on life.
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers rescued the dog, now named Trooper, on Wednesday morning.
“His name is Trooper, because of how much he’s been through and to honor those who saved him,” the Leon County Humane Society wrote on Facebook the following day. The post included a photo of the dog, along with information addressing rumors circulating online.
Video of the dog went viral after FHP Tampa posted footage showing the animal tied to the pole near a wooded area off Interstate 75.
“Do NOT do this to your pets please,” FHP wrote on social media.
Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to the post, saying Florida will hold anyone accountable for mistreating pets.
“It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm,” the governor said.
The circumstances leading to the dog’s apparent abandonment, however, weren’t immediately known. Residents evacuated the area ahead of the storm, but the dog was somehow left behind.
“We can’t imagine the situation that ended with him tied to this pole and left without any hope,” the Leon County Humane Society wrote. “It’s hard even to think about how scared he must have been as cars raced by, the water rose to his belly, and the storm clouds darkened.”
In the post, the Leon County Humane Society also addressed comments made on social media about the shelter that initially helped the dog, as well as a volunteer pet group that reported the dog as returned to its owner.
The organization said the trooper who brought the dog to the shelter “to be looked over” later returned to pick the dog up for transfer. Since the dog was released to the same person who brought him in, he was mistakenly listed as returned to the owner and later updated as transferred to law enforcement.
This confusion led the public to believe the dog’s owner had picked him up, prompting negative comments online.
“Shelters across the U.S. are working hard to provide relief after two major hurricanes hit the South. There’s no reason to be unkind,” the Leon County Humane Society wrote. “Errors happen, especially in stressful, hectic, and emotional circumstances. Trooper is safe. Trooper is also one dog — there are hundreds of animals right now in need of care and attention, and they deserve to focus on that. Let them do their lifesaving work helping animals.”
The Leon County Humane Society said the good news is that Trooper is safe. They picked him up from the Department of Emergency Services, and he is now recovering.
According to the post, the Leon County Humane Society is not currently accepting adoption inquiries for Trooper.
“We have already received dozens of inquiries, and we understand he is a special and famous dog, but he needs time to decompress in foster care so we can match him with the best fit possible to ensure a smooth transition into his forever home,” the post noted.
“If his abandonment was a misunderstanding, that’s another reason not to accept applications,” the post continued.
The Leon County Humane Society added that it will provide an update on Trooper in the future. Until then, the dog will remain in foster care.
“We know that more animals from this storm will need assistance, and even though we already have a busy program serving our immediate community, we’re here to help our neighbors and beyond. Animals don’t know zip codes, they just need help.”
Have a news tip? Contact Jessica Botelho at jabotelho@sbgtv.com or at x.com/J_Botelho_TND.
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