Dog found tied to fence as Hurricane Milton approached undergoes surgery to remove metal, plastic and rubber from belly

    FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (WSVN) -- A dog that survived after being abandoned and tied to a fence during Hurricane Milton last fall underwent emergency surgery in Fort Lauderdale, as he and his owner deal with a second scare.

Sitting next his owner, Frank Spina, Thursday night, Trooper the bull terrier looks like he’s never lived anywhere other than in a warm house and on a comfy couch.

“Yeah, he’s great, he’s the best,” said Spina.

But the canine made headlines across the country after he was found tied to a fence along Interstate 75 in Tampa back in October, as Hurricane Milton approached.

The dog was stuck in water almost to his chest.

“His skin has been dyed from laying and sleeping and standing in dirt and muddy water, and his nails, when we got him, were bleeding,” said Spina.

But Trooper settled in with Frank and Carla Spina in Parkland — gaining a sister, Dallas.

This road to a happy ending, however, had a few speed bumps.

“He had two dime-sized bumps on his left flank,” said Spina.

Those bumps turned out to be cancerous and were successfully removed, but the vet noticed something odd in his belly.

“He said, ‘You have to come and look at this X-ray. I’ve never seen anything like this,'” said Spina.

Dr. Randy Dominguez, a surgeon, and Trooper’s regular veterinarian, Dr. Javier Gonzalez, rushed the dog into surgery on a Saturday.

Inside the dog’s stomach were pieces of rubber, plastic and metal.

“[The surgeon] spent four and a half hours removing it piece by piece,” said Spina.

Spina then held up a clear bag filled with the objects removed from his pet.

“This is a freezer bag of garbage that came out of his body,” he said. “It’s 2.1 pounds.”

Spina believes Trooper had been so starved, he was eating anything he could find.

“I’m just fed up now. It’s one thing to tie him on the side of the road. It’s actually horrible, horrendous; I’m just fed up now,” he said.

But Trooper, now free of cancer and foreign objects, appears to remain in good spirits, living the life every dog deserves.

“He’s great. He needed to go somewhere where he knew people loved him and knew they were going to take care of him, and he’s going to be safe, and it’s going to be right here,” said Spina.

Trooper’s former owner is facing a charge of aggravated animal abuse. He is scheduled to appear in court in March.

Also in March, the Spinas are planning to go to Tallahassee to advocate for a bill, named in honor of Trooper, that would make it a crime to leave behind a restrained dog when a natural disaster is approaching.