It looks like the worst is over for a bull terrier who made headlines when he was found abandoned and tied to a fence on Interstate 75 in the Tampa area, in water up to his chest, to wait out oncoming Hurricane Milton.
The dog, named “Trooper” after both his rescuers and ordeal, had been waiting for his forever home since he was saved on Oct. 9 and taken to the Leon County Humane Society in Tallahassee.
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Almost two months later, he is now in the care of Frank and Carla, a couple with plenty of experience with bull terriers and who were the perfect fit for Trooper.
“In other meetings, Trooper would normally be visibly on edge and uncomfortable, but with Frank and Carla, Trooper seemed immediately at ease,” the Leon County Humane Society shared on Facebook.
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With his comfort with the couple evident, the organization decided he was ready to meet Frank and Carla’s 7-year-old mini bull terrier rescue, Dallas.
Dallas had been grieving the loss of her friend Diesel, the couple’s other bull terrier rescue who died in April at 15.
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The meeting between Dallas and Trooper can only be described as “love at first sight,” the Leon County 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. They ran up to each other and pressed foreheads, tails wagging furiously,” the organization shared on Facebook.
Their post went on to say: “There were no shortages of applications for Trooper. 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.
“Frank and Carla are incredibly kind, thoughtful, and compassionate people. They have a dog trainer they’ve worked with for their current dog and past dogs who came out to meet and start helping Trooper with acclimating to his new environment right away, and they have plenty of patience and breed experience. Their hearts are wide open and ready to love this dog how he deserves to be loved.”
Happy tails, Trooper!
