FLORIDA, USA — It was a happy, tail-wagging end for a dog who was left tied to a fence along the side of Interstate 75 ahead of Hurricane Milton.
It's been nearly two months since Trooper was rescued from belly-deep water and the fence he was tied to by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper. Now, just in time for the holidays, he's got his forever home.
The Leon County Humane Society, who took Trooper in after his rescue, made the announcement Monday morning after the pup's story was shared on CBS Mornings.
According to the humane society, as soon as he met his new mom and dad, Frank and Carla, it was a "perfect match." During their first meeting, Trooper was reportedly immediately at ease.
"He happily accepted the toy gift them offered, tore it to shreds, and then trotted over to the couple to lean in for pets and cuddles," the Facebook post said in part.
Because that first meeting went so well, the humane society thought it was a good idea to introduce Trooper to Frank and Carla's dog, Dallas, a miniature rescue Bull Terrier. The 7-year-old dog reportedly had been grieving the loss of her friend Diesel — also a Bull Terrier rescue — who passed away in April at the age of 15.
"Carla and Frank were hoping that Trooper would help fill the hole in their household, and believe that in some way, Diesel was sending Trooper to join their family."
They may be right because it was "love at first sight" as soon as Trooper and Dallas met, the humane society said.
"We thought he'd liked Frank and Carla, but when Dallas walked through the gate, we were worried Trooper's tail wagging would helicopter him out of the backyard," the humane society said.
The shelter said both dogs ran up to each other and "pressed foreheads, tails wagging furiously." It was the same about of love when they met again the following week as the humane society took Trooper to his forever home.
"Trooper’s parents had everything ready to spoil him with everything he deserves," the post said. "Within an hour of getting back on the road to return to Tallahassee, we got a photo of him relaxing on the couch."
According to the humane society, a lot of dog lovers across the country applied to adopt Trooper. Workers said they chose Frank and Carla because of their experience with rescuing dogs of the same breed and with working with a trainer to help Trooper acclimate to his new home.
"Trooper is a very lucky dog," the humane society said. "We hope that his story has inspired others to look into and start following animal welfare through their own local shelters and rescues, and to remember that there are 3.3 million dogs entering shelters in the US each year. Some of them have stories even more heartbreaking than Trooper’s, all of them deserve a loving home, and all of them deserve to have humans telling their stories."
