LEON COUNTY, Fla. — The dog that Florida Highway Patrol troopers found abandoned and tied to a fence along I-75 ahead of Hurricane Milton is now in foster care in Tallahassee.
Troopers discovered the dog on Wednesday morning near Bruce B Downs Boulevard. Now, thanks to help from the Leon County Humane Society, "Trooper" is safe and receiving foster care.
"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," shelter staff said in a Facebook post.
Staff added that they named the dog Trooper for "how much he's been through" and "to honor those who saved him." They will reportedly use his experience to educate people on animal cruelty and abandonment.
"We can't imagine the situation that ended with him tied to this pole and left him without any hope," staff said. "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."
The shelter mentioned that they currently aren't taking any inquiries for adopting Trooper but will provide an update "when he's ready."
"He's incredibly stressed and still decompressing," staff said. "Abandoning a dog like this doesn't typically allow for an immediate bounce back to their happy selves."
Shelter staff said Trooper was officially welcomed into foster care around 9 p.m. Wednesday night.
"Welcome to Tallahassee Trooper!" staff celebrated on Facebook.
Anyone interested in donating to Leon County Humane Society can visit the shelter's website.
