A cruel Florida dog owner tied their four-legged pet to a fence and abandoned them during Hurricane Milton. Months later, Frank and Karla Spina rescued the pup and he managed to beat cancer.
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Dog Beats Cancer After Abandoned During Hurricane
Trooper is a white bull terrier who survived after his owner left him for dead off of Interstate 75 near Tampa, Florida. This was when the destructive Category 3 Hurricane Milton swept through the state in October. They named him accordingly after being such a trooper for his resilient survival.
The married couple adopted the 5-year-old dog soon after the Florida Highway Patrol rescued him. Heartbreaking footage showed the dog stuck to the fence in a water bank. They now consider this dog their best friend and admitted that they would give their lives to save this dog.
Sadly, the Spina's realized just two weeks after Trooper's adoption that he had small lumps on the left side of his body. "The doctor immediately said, 'Oh no, these are mass cell tumors. These are cancer,'" said Frank per CBS News. "So we were in a complete meltdown."
The couple waited anxiously after Trooper's surgery to see if it went well. Frank recalled how amazing it felt to hear the news after the operation. "When we left the doctor's office that day after he got his stitches out, the doctor said he's done, he's cancer free. We were literally in tears, just walking to the car, happy tears."
Trooper Hangs On For His Life After Beating Cancer
Unfortunately, the dog still had to pull through some more challenges after tackling cancer. "He was out and walking and he just started putting his head down," Frank explained. "I went under him and he vomited and a piece of rubber came out of his mouth."
A veterinarian told Frank before the surgery that it looked like there was something in Trooper's stomach. With that in mind, the couple kept an eye on their pup, and a few weeks later he vomited up the object.
Shockingly, it was a freezer bag that weighed 2.1 pounds. "It's a combination of about 110 or 120 pieces of garbage," he added. This led to Trooper having another serious operation which just happened this February.
This life-saving surgery took more than four hours to complete. The vets dug through his stomach to remove pieces of metal and rubber. Poor Trooper was probably eating whatever it could find as he was starving while being left out in the cold.
Dr. Gonzales aided in treating Trooper and called this a "once in a lifetime career case" after his 25 years as a vet. He also explained that his dog breed is known for eating things they shouldn't normally eat.
Coincidentally, Frank is a criminal defense attorney who is now fighting for justice against Trooper's previous owner. They are charging the animal abuser, Giovanny Garcia, with aggravated animal cruelty.
Frank promised to see this through. "Every single hearing, a trial, a sentencing, we will be there," Frank said. "He's going to have to look at this dog and account for what he did to him."
