Trooper the dog’s harrowing tale continues.
You probably heard the horrible story about a dog owner that abandoned their pet while they were evacuating out of Florida with Hurricane Milton on its way. They didn’t just leave their dog behind… they left it for dead. A Bull Terrier – now known by the name of Trooper – was found tied up to a post in a couple of feet of water off the side of I-75 .
Florida Highway Patrol officers rescued the dog and posted this video and a message to other Florida residents asking them not do this to their own pets, and it quickly went viral:
FHP Troopers rescued a dog left tied to a pole on I-75 near Bruce B Downs Blvd this morning. Do NOT do this to your pets please… pic.twitter.com/8cZJOfkJL2
— FHP Tampa (@FHPTampa) October 9, 2024
Just a horrible scene right there. Don’t know how someone with a heart could do that.
Fortunately, the dog was rescued and taken to the safety of the Leon County Human Society. It received plenty of care, and was examined for injuries. After getting a clean bill of health, the focus then turned to trying to find a forever home for “Trooper.” With a face like this, there were plenty of inquires, but the Human Society in Florida wanted to make sure it did its due diligence before letting just anyone take the Bull Terrier home:
Update: The dog rescued by @FHPTampa is safe and receiving care. Troopers brought him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health. pic.twitter.com/cut1jv7cBe
— FLHSMV (@FLHSMV) October 9, 2024
While they searched for a new owner, the terrier’s old owner had the hammer brought down on them – and rightfully so. Authorities announced that animal cruelty charges had been filed against owner Giovanny Aldama Garcia. According to the state attorney’s office, Garcia reportedly told them that he left the dog (who was named Jumbo) tied up to the fence as he evacuated because he couldn’t find anybody to take him. Guess what? THAT’S NOT AN EXCUSE. Garcia’s next hearing is set to take place in March.
On the lighter side of things, hundreds upon hundreds adoption applications poured in to adopt the dog that was once left abandoned on the side of the road. As I mentioned earlier, the Leon County Humane Society was looking for a very specific person to step in as a new owner. The Bull Terrier breed is known to be high energy, strong and bull-headed, so ironically enough, it was going to take a trooper to take home Trooper.
Seven and a half hours south of Leon County, Frank and Carla Spina (who live in Parkland, Florida) were doing everything in their power to become the new dog parents of Trooper. The couple has been longtime bull terrier owners, having them as pets for just over three decades. Like many others, they saw the story and were heartbroken, and wanted to play a role in turning Trooper’s sad story into a happily ever after.
The Spina’s were eventually trusted to take in Trooper, who found a new home in Parkland, Florida, where he now has a Bull Terrier sister named Dallas. It was a heartwarming ending to the story… or so we thought. Not even a month into Trooper’s new life in Florida, Frank and Carla Spina noticed that their new Bull Terrier had a couple of lumps on his left side. They took him into the vet for a checkup, and the veterinarian diagnosed Trooper with cancer.
Fortunately, it was determined that Trooper’s cancerous masses would be able to be removed through surgery. So the dog went under for an operation that successfully removed the cancer… but revealed yet another issue that the Bull Terrier was battling. While in surgery, it was discovered that Trooper had eaten a freezer bag full of rubber and metal garbage sometimes before he was adopted. It’s presumed that the dog was so hungry that it resorted to chomping on the foreign objects, and they got stuck in his stomach.
Veterinarians rushed the dog into an emergency surgery to remove the bag, which was full of garbage and weighed over two pounds. The four-hour operation was deemed successful, and Trooper has since been recovering from both of his surgeries. And the best news of it all… he’s CANCER FREE.
Can’t think of a name for the dog more fitting than Trooper. This Bull Terrier has been through it all, and is evidently as tough as nails. Here’s to hoping that the good boy can just have a nice, relaxing life from here on out though…
The post Trooper, The Viral Dog Left Behind During Hurricane Milton, Survives Bout With Cancer & Stomach Surgery first appeared on Whiskey Riff.