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Florida dog left before Milton, now in foster care, named ‘Trooper’: NPR
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Florida dog left before Milton, now in foster care, named ‘Trooper’: NPR

Trooper was found tied to a fence on the side of I-75 in Tampa.

Trooper was found tied to a fence on the side of I-75 in Tampa.

Leon County Humane Society


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Leon County Humane Society

A dog — rescued in Tampa by the Florida Highway Patrol after being tied to a fence and left in the rain for hours before Hurricane Milton made landfall — is now in a foster home, with a new, fitting name.

“His name is Trooper because of how much he has been through and to honor those who saved him,” the Leon County Humane Society in Tallahassee said in a statement.

Trooper was discovered on the side of I-75 in Tampa, according to video posted Wednesday morning by Florida Highway Patrol. He was less than 100 miles from where Milton had made landfall.

In the video, which has since been viewed more than 11 million times, a third of the dog’s body appeared submerged in water. There were no signs of his owner returning or how long the dog had been outside.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” an unidentified state trooper said as he approached the dog. The dog growled and barked back, to which the state trooper responded, “I don’t blame you.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reposted the video, adding that the state “will hold anyone who abuses pets accountable.”

On Thursday, the Leon County Humane Society announced that their dog coordinator received a call from the governor’s office about Trooper and picked him up. According to the rescue organization, Trooper was not chipped.

“We cannot imagine the situation that ended with him being tied to this post, leaving him without any hope,” the humane society said. “It’s hard to imagine how scared he must have been as cars sped by, the water rose to his stomach and the storm clouds darkened.”

The organization described Trooper as “incredibly stressed and still decompressing” but “smiled” a few times.

Since announcing Trooper was in their care, the rescue group said they have received dozens of inquiries about adoption. But for now, their main focus is helping the dog feel safe and comfortable in its new environment.

The Leon County Humane Society said Trooper showed signs of stress, but that's true

The Leon County Humane Society said Trooper showed signs of stress but has “smiled” a few times since being in their care.

Leon County Humane Society


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Leon County Humane Society

“We have absolutely no idea what his life was like before he was abandoned,” the humane society said. “We want to make sure we know exactly what he needs before we even consider adoption, so he will remain in foster care until we are confident he is ready for the next stage of his life and that his future is bright for him will be.”

Milton made landfall near Siesta Key as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday around 8:30 p.m. Flooding caused extensive damage throughout West Florida, while multiple tornadoes touched down at a retirement home on Florida’s east coast.

At least eleven people in Florida have died as a result of Milton. More than 2 million customers in the state are without power, according to PowerOutage.us.