Trooper, the bull terrier left tied to a fence ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall, has found his forever home. The adoption took place while his former owner, Giovanny Aldama Garcia, awaits his court date after being charged with aggravated animal cruelty.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers found the dog stranded in stomach-high waters near Interstate 75 in Tampa.
Highlights
- Trooper the bull terrier, found in flood waters ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall, has found a permanent home.
- Former owner Giovanny Aldama Garcia has been charged with animal cruelty for abandoning the dog.
- Frank and Carla Spina adopted Trooper after watching a video of his rescue; shelter says it's "a match made in heaven."
A video of the rescue was shared on social media with the caption, “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…”
Image credits: Leon County Humane Society
The abandoned pet was subsequently taken to a veterinarian and later brought to Leon County Humane Society, a shelter located in Tallahassee, Florida, Bored Panda reported on October 10.
"His name is Trooper because of how much he’s been through and to honor those who saved him," the shelter wrote in a Facebook post.
“We know that many people are going to be interested in adopting him, because he’s an amazing dog and deserves the world.”
Image credits: FHPTampa
The pup’s new owners are Frank and Carla Spina, who immediately expressed interest in adopting him after watching the viral video of his rescue.
The couple wrote a heartwarming two-page letter in which they described their love for the bull terrier breed and explained why Trooper would be a perfect fit for their family.
“We both looked at the video, and being bull terrier owners for 30 years, this is our 34th year of only raising that breed,” Frank told Fox 13 Tampa on Tuesday (December 2).
“I said to Carla that, ‘We need to go get him.’ She said, ‘I’ll try.’ I don’t know how we would get him.”
After watching the video of the dog's rescue, Frank and Carla Spina wrote a two-page letter to Trooper's shelter expressing interest in adopting him
Image credits: Leon County Humane Society
The shelter initially hesitated at the request. They preferred Trooper to be placed with a female owner, as the pup’s abuser was male and he hadn’t been responding well around men since his rescue, according to Fox 13.
However, Frank was certain he and Trooper would get along perfectly fine.
“I said, ‘Listen, we’re not going to have any trouble me and him. We’re going to be best buddies,’” he told the outlet.
“I said, ‘If we come get them on Friday, on Sunday, we’ll be sitting on the couch watching television.’ And they were like, ‘No way.’”
Image credits: Leon County Humane Society
Ultimately, Trooper’s new owner was right, the Leon County Humane Society confirmed.
“From the moment he was introduced to his new Mom and Dad, you could see that it was a perfect match.
“In other meetings, Trooper would normally be visibly on edge and uncomfortable, but with Frank and Carla, Trooper seemed immediately at ease.”
According to Frank, one of the shelter workers told him it was “a match made in heaven” and it was like he had “cast a spell over him.”
“From the moment he was introduced to his new Mom and Dad, you could see that it was a perfect match," the Leon County Humane Society said
Image credits: Leon County Humane Society
But it’s not just Frank and Carla who are thrilled about the new addition to the family—Dallas, the couple’s other bull terrier, seems just as excited, wagging her tail enthusiastically at the news.
“Dallas, her eyes lit up. It was like she saw Prince Charming, so those two got along,” Frank shared.
Trooper’s former owner, 23-year-old Giovanny Aldama Garcia, was arrested on October 15 and has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, a third-degree felony.
Trooper's former owner, Giovanny Aldama Garcia, has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and faces up to five years in prison
Image credits: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
The dog was facing a “sure death” when troopers found him, Thirteenth Circuit State Attorney Suzy Lopez said during a news conference with Gov. Ron DeSantis.
In October, DeSantis thanked the Highway Patrol on his X page, writing, “It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm" and promising to "hold anyone who mistreats pets accountable.”
Garcia reportedly admitted abandoning the dog, previously named Jumbo, as he evacuated to Georgia on the same day that the hurricane that killed 35 people made landfall.
Image credits: CBS Mornings
The Ruskin, Florida, resident left Trooper on the highway because he “couldn’t find anyone to pick the dog up.”
According to Lopez, the 23-year-old faces up to five years in prison for the felony. He will be arraigned on December 18, a spokesperson for Lopez told Tallahassee.com on Monday (December 2).
"So glad he has a forever home with humans that love him," a reader shared
