Dog rescued by Florida Highway Patrol, now named Trooper, is ‘decompressing’ at humane society

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Gray News) - The dog found tied to a pole and rescued is now “decompressing” at the Leon County Humane Society.

The humane society said the dog, now named “Trooper,” is safe and in the shelter’s care.

“His name is Trooper, because of how much he’s been through and to honor those who saved him," the humane society said in a Facebook post.

A Florida Highway Patrol trooper rescued the dog, who the agency said was found tied to a pole on Interstate 75 ahead of Hurricane Milton.

Florida Highway Patrol Tampa posted a video of Trooper’s rescue Wednesday on the social media platform X. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles later posted an update that Trooper was taken to a vet where he received a “clean bill of health.”

“We can’t imagine the situation that ended with him tied to this pole and left him without any hope,“ the humane society 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.”

Florida Highway Patrol Tampa has not released any further information that would contradict their original statement about the conditions they found Trooper in.

The Leon County Humane Society said they were contacted last Wednesday night by the Governor’s Office regarding Trooper. According to the humane society, their coordinator picked him up from the Department of Emergency Services at a location coordinated by them and the animal shelter he was briefly staying at.

In their Facebook post, the humane society also dispelled rumors that Trooper had been reunited with his owner.

According to the humane society, the shelter that initially took Trooper in and handled his transfer mistakenly listed his transfer as “returned to owner.” The confusion occurred because the trooper who rescued Trooper was also the same one to pick him up for the transfer.

The shelter later updated it to “transferred to law enforcement” and the humane society was able to confirm that Trooper’s original owner did not come forward.

“Errors happen, especially in stressful, hectic, and emotional circumstances. Trooper is safe,” the humane society said.

The humane society said they are not taking adoption inquiries about Trooper at this time. They said he needs more time to decompress before he can find his forever home.

“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 humane society said.

The humane society thanked everyone supportive of their efforts and of other shelters in the area working to rescue and care for animals in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

They also thanked the Florida Highway Patrol and their troopers for rescuing Trooper.

“We’re grateful the Troopers understood he was a scared and abandoned dog and treated him so patiently and kind during the rescue," they said. “They immediately wanted to make his life better and ensure his safety, and we’re so thankful that animal abandonment is being taken seriously.

While the humane society is not accepting adoption inquiries about Trooper yet, people who want to support him can donate to the organization on their website.

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