The young bull terrier named “Trooper,” who was abandoned by his former owner as Hurricane Milton took Florida by storm, has found his forever family.
His new owners, Frank and Carla Spina, who live at Parkland, have been bull terrier owners for 30 years. The couple told Fox News that they knew that they “had found the dog a home” the moment they laid eyes on him at the shelter.
Trooper made headlines in October when he was found by a Florida highway patrol trooper tied to a fence along the I-75 at Tampa, chest-deep in water, while locals were fleeing the storm-ridden state. A video of the officer rescuing the terrified pup quickly went viral.
“We both looked at the video, and being bull terrier owners for 30 years, this is our 34th year of only raising that breed,” Mr. Spina told Fox. “I said to Carla that ‘we need to go get him.’ She said, ‘I’ll try.’”
The pooch was sent to a foster home at Tallahassee soon after. The Spinas took care to track their beloved pooch, and when applications opened for his adoption, they jumped at the chance to give him a forever home.
However, the shelter operators expressed concern that Trooper hadn’t been responding well to men, given that his former, abusive owner was male. Mr. Spina, who is an experienced bull terrier owner, was able to convince the shelter to hand over the furry friend.
“I said, ‘Listen, we’re not going to have any trouble me and him. We’re going to be best buddies,’” Mr. Spina told Fox. “He’s now been with us, this Friday will be a month. He’s been with us that long. He’s doing great,” he added.
It was also clear to the Leon County Humane Society, which helped coordinate Trooper’s rescue, that it was a match made in heaven. “From the moment he was introduced to his new mom and dad, you could see that it was a perfect match,” they stated.
Meanwhile, Trooper’s former owner, 23-year-old Giovanny Aldama Garcia, faces charges for animal cruelty, a third-degree felony, which could land him in prison for up to five years. He told officials that he left Trooper, formerly named “Jumbo,” on the interstate because he “couldn’t find anyone to pick the dog up.”
Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, called his actions “totally unacceptable,” and pledged, in October, to “find out who did it.”
“You don’t just tie up a dog and have them out there for a storm. Totally unacceptable, and we’re going to hold you accountable,” Mr. DeSantis said during a news conference.