A dog found tied to a pole on an evacuation route as Hurricane Milton moves toward Florida has been given a new lease of life.
Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) rescued the dog, now named Trooper, on Wednesday morning.
The next day, the Leon County Humane Society wrote on Facebook: “His name is Trooper because of how much he has been through and to honor the people who saved him.” The post included a photo of the dog, and Messages in response to rumors circulating on the Internet.
Video posted by FHP Tampa showing the dog tied to a pole near a wooded area off Interstate 75 has gone viral.
“Please don't do this to your pets,” the FHP wrote on social media.
Governor Ron DeSantis responded to the post, saying Florida will hold anyone who abuses their pets accountable.
“It would be cruel to anyone to tie a dog to a post during an upcoming storm,” the governor said.
However, the circumstances that led to the dog's apparent abandonment are unclear. Residents evacuated the area ahead of the storm, but the dog was somehow left behind.
“We can't imagine him being tied to this pole and walking away without any hope,” the Leon County Humane Society wrote. “It's even hard to imagine what it would have been like to be there when cars were speeding by, water rose to his belly, and dark clouds How scared he was when it was dense.”
In the post, the Leon County Humane Society also responded to comments on social media about the shelter that initially helped the dog, as well as comments from a volunteer pet group that reported the dog had been returned to its owner.
The group said the police officer who took the dog to the shelter “for inspection” later returned to pick up the dog for transfer. Because the dog was released to the same person who brought it in, it was incorrectly listed as being returned to the owner and later updated to being turned over to law enforcement.
The confusion led the public to believe the dog's owner had picked it up and sparked negative comments online.
“Shelters across the United States are working hard to provide relief after two major hurricanes hit the South. There is no reason not to be kind,” the Leon County Humane Society wrote. “Mistakes happen, especially in stressful, busy and emotional situations. The trooper is safe. The soldier is a dog too – there are hundreds of animals now in need of care and attention, and they should focus on that. Let them Go do life-saving work helping animals.
The Leon County Humane Society said the good news is the trooper is safe. They picked him up from emergency services and he is now recovering.
According to the post, the Leon County Humane Society is not currently accepting adoption inquiries from Soldiers.
“We have received dozens of inquiries and we know he is a special and famous dog, but he needs time to decompress in foster care so we can match him with the most suitable dog to ensure a smooth transition into his forever. home,” the post states.
“If his abandonment was a misunderstanding, it's another reason not to accept the application,” the post continued.
The Leon County Humane Society added that it will provide updates on Trooper in the future. Until then, the dog will remain in foster care.
“We know more animals are in need of assistance during this storm, and although we already have a busy program serving our immediate community, we are still 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 x.com/J_Botelho_TND.
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