Abandoned dog left tied to fence before Hurricane Milton now 'safe and sound' with new name
The bull terrier that stole hearts after it was tied to a fence and abandoned before Hurricane Milton ravaged Florida is now recovering in foster care.
The update was announced by the Leon County Humane Society on Thursday. The terrier, now named Trooper after the law enforcement officers who rescued him, is currently being cared for.
"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," the organization said in a Facebook post.
"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."
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The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) shared heart-wrenching video of Trooper being rescued by an officer on the side of a freeway on Wednesday as Milton began to bear down on the area before making landfall as a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds later that night.
The bodycam footage shows the perspective of the officer, who walks towards Trooper and gently talks to him before removing him from the fence.
"It's OK, buddy. It's OK," the officer said as the scared bull terrier growled at him. Trooper was leg-deep in floodwater when he was saved.
The Leon County Humane Society said that Trooper's caretakers are still getting to know the dog and tending to him, as he arrived at the shelter in an anxious state.
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"He's incredibly stressed and still decompressing," the animal shelter said. "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."
The video attracted the attention of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who called out the dog's owners in a social media post.
"It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm. FL will hold anyone who mistreats pets accountable," DeSantis wrote.
The Leon County Humane Society will put Trooper up for adoption once the dog "is ready," the organization said. It is not currently accepting applications.
"We have absolutely no idea what his life looked like before he was abandoned," the humane society explained. "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."
Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.