On June 15, Kaye Fiorello of Tennessee was driving down Interstate 75 when she spotted two things that stood out to her.
The first was a state trooper in a turnout — but after checking her speed, she gave a sigh of relief and continued on. The second, a little further down the highway, was a dog in a ditch by an exit sign, looking like she was on death’s doorstep.
Wanting to help but not wanting to risk a ticket, Fiorello decided to circle back and alert the trooper to the situation.
“He rolled down his window and said ‘yep! I’m here’ to which i told him about the dog and I didn’t want a ticket, but if I could help that dog, it was fine by me,” Fiorello posted on Facebook. “He just asked where the dog was and was on his way! I followed and we found her. Still there, panting like she was fixing to die.”
From then on, the trooper was invested. He used his own jug to give the terrified dog a drink and sat with her until she trusted him enough to let him lead her to safety.
“The dog was scared of him, but frozen in weakness,” Fiorello wrote. “She sniffed the water, then realized this kindness was for her! She drank that water down in minutes! And the trooper went and got her some more, plus a little debby. She watched him warily the whole time. She sniffed his hand, but was still wary.
“Next thing, he goes to his vehicle and gets a chair and an umbrella. Telling me he will stay here until she trusts him, so he can get her to a shelter, or take her home.”
“I believe his being there at the right time, was one of those little messages reminding us of the good in our world.
“Meet Trooper Tudors, of the TN State Highway Patrol. One of the good guys for sure.”
The Tennessee Highway Patrol also shared the heartwarming story of the rescue by Trooper Pumpy Tudors.
“Today was #Ruff for #MansBestFriend,” it wrote. “Thanks to a #GoodSamaritan, a Trooper was alerted to a dog in need on this hot summer day. The dog was on the side of #Interstate75 parched and desperately needing water and shelter from the heat.
“Now, this sweet pup is being TREATed well at Cleveland TN Animal Control. The pup was glad Trooper Tudors had water and @thereallittledebbie snacks. Pet owners, please make sure your pets are safe from the heat and have plenty of water.”
But that wasn’t the end of the good Samaritan’s or Tudors’ kindness.
Fiorello started an “angel fund” for the dog, which allowed those interested to donate directly to the vet hospital where the dog was being kept.
According to another post from Fiorello, the pup was found to be suffering from a broken pelvis and internal issues and would need surgery and weeks of treatment. She was named Princess, and Tudors and his family made it clear that she would be staying with them as soon as she was all healed up.
“[G]uess who got adopted!” Fiorello posted in an update on June 23. “And Guess who adopted her!!!
“‘Princess’ will join the Tudors family when she gets out of the vet hospital! YES! trooper Tudors and his family have adopted her!”
And with the tenderness the poor dog has been shown so far, there’s no doubt that her new family will treat her like the Princess she is.
