TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The dog that was found tied to a fence on a Florida highway during evacuations ahead of Hurricane Milton is rehabilitating at an animal rescue facility in Tallahassee — and it has a new name.
The dog was initially spotted by a trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) on Wednesday, along a section of Interstate 75 near Tampa.
Video taken by the trooper showed the dog, unable to move from the fence, standing in a pool of water that had already risen up to its belly.
The trooper approached the dog, who began barking in his direction.
“I don’t blame you,” the trooper responded. “I don’t blame you. It’s OK, buddy, it’s OK.”
After the dog was rescued, the FHP urged Floridians not to abandon their pets during evacuations.
“Do NOT do this to your pets please,” the FHP wrote.
The story made national headlines, sparking concern among pet-lovers over the well-being of the animal. In response, a representative from the Leon County Humane Society has since confirmed the dog is safe at its facility.
“We know that without the help with Florida Highway Patrol Troopers with Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that this dog would not have made it through,” reads a message posted to the Leon County Humane Society’s Facebook page. “We’re grateful the Troopers understood he was a scared and abandoned dog and treated him so patiently and kind during the rescue.”
The facility also revealed the dog’s new name.
“His name is Trooper, because of how much he’s been through and to honor those who saved him.”
In the post, the Humane Society confirmed the dog was “stressed and still decompressing” as of Thursday, and will likely not be completely comfortable for months.
The organization, too, said it’s “completely unacceptable” for a pet owner to abandon their animals.
“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,” reads the Facebook post.
The facility has seen lots of interest from folks asking to adopt Trooper, but workers won’t be taking any applications until the dog is rehabilitated.
“We have absolutely no idea what his life looked like before he was abandoned,” the Humane Society wrote. “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.”