A bull terrier whose heart was stolen after being tied to a fence and abandoned before Hurricane Milton hit Florida is now recovering in a foster care home.
This update was released Thursday by the Leon County Humane Society. The terrier, named Trooper after the law enforcement officer who rescued him, is now in foster care.
“We've been worried about him since we saw his story and wanted to let everyone who has been watching this story know he's safe,” the group said in a Facebook post. ” he said.
“We also want those who follow to know that we take animal abandonment seriously and will be monitoring his case closely and using his experience to educate. ”
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The bull terrier was rescued by law enforcement on Wednesday. (Florida Highway Patrol/Leon County Humane Society, via Facebook)
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) on Wednesday shared harrowing footage of a trooper being rescued by officers on the side of a freeway as Milton began to push through the area, before a Category 3 storm with winds of 190 mph hit the area. It made landfall as a rainstorm. night.
Body camera footage shows the officer's point of view walking towards the trooper and speaking gently to him before pulling him off the fence.
“It's okay, buddy. It's okay,” the officer said as the frightened bull terrier growled at him. When the trooper was rescued, the water was up to his feet.
The Leon County Humane Society said Trooper arrived at the shelter in an unstable condition and his caregivers are still learning about and caring for the dog.
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Florida Highway Patrol troopers on Wednesday rescued a trooper who was stuck near a highway and tied to a pole. (Leon County Humane Society, via Facebook)
“He is extremely stressed and remains in decompression,” the animal shelter said. “If you abandon your dog in this way, it's usually not possible to get them back to a happy state right away.”
“Most dogs take a few days to feel safe after being rescued, a few weeks to come out of their shell, and a few months to get comfortable and settle into a routine.”
The video caught the attention of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who slammed the dog owners in a social media post.
“Leaving a dog tied to a post in the middle of the road is cruel to anyone. the approaching storm. “Florida will hold those who abuse pets accountable,” DeSantis wrote.
The Leon County Humane Society plans to put Trooper's dog up for adoption “when he is ready,” the group said. We are not currently accepting applications.
The trooper was found in a large pool of water in Florida on Wednesday. (Florida Highway Patrol)
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“We have no idea what his life was like before he was abandoned,” the humanitarian organization explained. “We want to know exactly what he needs before we consider adoption, so we want to know exactly what he needs before we consider adopting him. He will be placed in foster care until we are sure that his future will be kind to him.”
Louis Casiano of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
