'It’s OK, buddy': Dog rescued from floodwaters in Florida during Hurricane Milton

A dog found tied to a fence on a Florida highway during

evacuations

ahead of Hurricane Milton is now recovering at a rescue facility in Tallahassee, the

Leon County Humane Society

has confirmed.
The dog was spotted by a

Florida Highway Patrol

trooper on Wednesday along

Interstate 75

near Tampa, standing in rising floodwater that had already reached its belly. Video footage showed the distressed dog barking as the trooper approached.

"I don’t blame you,” the trooper said. “It’s OK, buddy, it’s OK", as quoted by Fox59 News.
After rescuing the animal, the Florida Highway Patrol issued a plea to residents, urging them not to abandon pets during evacuations. “Do NOT do this to your pets, please,” the agency wrote in a post.
The incident gained national attention. A representative from the Leon County Humane Society later confirmed the dog was safely under their care. “We know that without the help of Florida Highway Patrol Troopers, this dog would not have made it through,” the Humane Society said in a message posted on its Facebook page. “We’re grateful the Troopers understood he was a scared and

abandoned dog

and treated him so patiently and kind during the rescue.”

The dog has since been named “Trooper” to honour those who saved him. Although Trooper is safe, the Humane Society said he remains stressed and is “still decompressing.” Full recovery could take months.
The organisation strongly condemned the act of abandoning animals during emergencies. “It was cruel and thoughtless, not only toward him, but toward the people trying their best to handle the incoming storm,” read the Facebook post.

The Humane Society has received numerous adoption inquiries but will not be accepting applications until Trooper is fully rehabilitated. “We want to be sure we know exactly what he needs before even considering adoption,” they wrote, confirming the dog will remain in

foster care

until fully ready for a new home.