On October 9, 2024, as Hurricane Milton barrelled down, Florida Highway Patrol-Tampa posted a video of one of their state troopers approaching a bull terrier on the side of the road.
In the brief video clip, the abandoned dog — which was chained to a fence and belly deep in water — growls and whines in fear as the trooper approaches.
“It’s okay, buddy,” the trooper says gently in the video. “I don’t blame you, it’s okay, buddy, it’s okay.”
The video, which racked up over 12 million views on social media site X, was captioned: “Do NOT do this to your pets please.”
Fortunately, the bull terrier — later named “Trooper” — slowly warmed up to the state trooper and was taken to a local veterinarian, where he received “a clean bill of health.”
From there, Leon County Humane Society took over. For two months, the rescue took care of Trooper and shared his story online. In December, they announced that Trooper had finally been adopted.
“From the moment he was introduced to his new Mom and Dad, you could see that it was a perfect match,” the rescue shared on Facebook. “In other meetings, Trooper would normally be visibly on edge and uncomfortable, but with Frank and Carla, Trooper seemed immediately at ease.”
“He happily accepted the toy gift they offered, tore it to shreds, and then trotted over to the couple to lean in for pets and cuddles. He’d take breaks to run back to Amy [a volunteer] and express his excitement over having them there, then he’d run back and get more pets, over and over.”
The Leon County Humane Society said that Trooper’s harrowing rescue had brought in potential adoptees from all over the country.
“There were no shortages of applications for Trooper,” the rescue stated. “Dog lovers nationwide were emailing to inquire about adopting this famous dog who had been through so much. It was no small task to go through these applications, but we’re confident we made a great choice for Trooper.”
Trooper’s legacy continued to circulate even after his adoption, and on May 28, the Florida Senate unanimously voted to pass Bill 150, “Trooper's Law,” which would make restraining and abandoning pets during a natural disaster a third-degree felony.
“Across Florida, we have seen horrifying instances of animal cruelty that demand a stronger response,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who also signed “Dexter’s Law” — a bill which strengthens penalties for aggravated animal cruelty.
“I was proud to sign Trooper’s Law and Dexter’s Law today,” DeSantis said in a press statement. “Florida stands by man’s best friend.”
If they succeed in the House of Representatives and beyond, the pet-friendly laws will take effect on October 1, 2025.
After the Florida Senate passed “Trooper’s Law,” Trooper himself earned a shout-out and a “14/10” star rating from WeRateDogs — a social media account that highlights heartwarming dog stories and runs the 15/10 Foundation, a nonprofit that helps shelter dogs with behavioral or medical issues get adopted.
“This is Trooper,” WeRateDogs posted to Instagram on June 2. “Last October, he was rescued from knee-deep water during Hurricane Milton in Florida. He had been tied to a fence post and abandoned by his previous owners… Fortunately, Trooper has since found a loving family to call his own, and his legacy is helping to prevent other dogs from facing the same abuse he experienced.”
Beneath the post, Instagram users flooded the comments section with well-wishes.
“Outstanding! We need laws like this in every state,” said one top commenter.
“Seeing this happen last year broke my heart,” one follower replied. “So glad to see this outcome for him — much love to him and his new family.”
Another wrote: “Shout out to the police that found him, Leon County Humane Society for caring for him and finding him a home, and to his new ‘pawrents.”
As Trooper’s rescue inspires new laws — and continues to touch new people — Leon County Humane Society reminded animal lovers that there are more than 3.3 million shelter dogs across the country with heartbreakingly similar stories.
“Your support helps us jump to the aid of animals in need and provide routine and often lifesaving care, along with allowing us to devote our time and effort toward making sure animals are set up for success and our community has necessary support for the pets and their people,” the rescue wrote on Facebook.
“Adopt. Foster. Volunteer. Donate. “Tell ‘Em Trooper Sent You.”
Header images via Leon County Humane Society Facebook / Florida Highway Patrol-Tampa - X
