A terrified bull terrier tied up to a fence during Hurricane Milton is safe and all smiles in his foster home. Florida Highway Patrol spotted the dog along the side of a highway in Florida standing waist deep in the rising floodwaters just before the hurricane was about to make landfall.
Tallahassee Trooper, as he is now named, was rescued by a Floria Highway Patrol Trooper who approached the dog, who was unable to free himself. As the trooper approached, the dog barked and growled at him until he realized the trooper was there to help him.
The officer successfully got Trooper into his patrol car and drove him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and given the all clear. From there, Trooper was taken to Leon County Humane Society. Leon County Humane Society said they received a late night call to come and get the dog.
Floria Highway Patrol
Their Dog Coordinator got a call from the Govenor’s office at 9pm and she left home to pick him up from Emergency Management Services. They checked him for a microchip at Hillsborough Pet Resource Center but he did not have one, nor was he returned to any owner (a misinformed rumour circulated after Trooper’s rescue that he had been returned to his heartless owner). After that, Trooper was then driven to Tallahassee to join a foster family.
Leon County Humane Society noted, “Leaving this dog in this way was completely unacceptable and endangered not only his life, but could have endangered others by causing a hazard on an already busy and stressful evacuation route. It was cruel, and it was thoughtless not only toward him, but toward the people who were trying their best to handle the incoming storm.”
They continued, “We can’t imagine the situation that ended with him tied to this pole and left him without any hope. 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.”
“We wanted to let those who have been following this story know that he is safe and sound, because we’ve been worried about him since seeing his story. We also want those following to know that we take animal abandonment seriously and will be closely watching his case and using his experience to educate.”
The group shared a beautiful photo of Trooper with a big smile on his face. Despite the chaos and misinformation that surrounded Trooper’s rescue, they noted, “In the end, the only thing that matters to us is that he’s safe, the rest can wait.”
Leon County Humane Society
They added, due to the ongoing emergency relief efforts, Trooper won’t immediately be put up for adoption and is asking people to not inquire at the moment while they are helping the hundreds of other pets needing help after the disaster. They noted that Trooper is “incredibly stressed and still decompressing. Abandoning a dog like this doesn’t typically allow for an immediate bounce back to their happy selves. Most dogs when rescued take a few days to feel safe, a few weeks to come out of their shell, and a few months to become comfortable and fall into a routine.”
“We have absolutely no idea what his life looked like before he was abandoned. We want to be sure that we know exactly what he needs before even considering adoption, so he’ll be in foster care until we feel confident he’s ready for the next phase of life, and that his future will be kind to him,” they wrote. They will make sure Trooper goes to a loving home. He deserves no less!
Please consider making a donation to Leon County Humane Society to assist them as they work to help dogs like Trooper.
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