HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Trooper the dog was rescued by a Hollywood police officer after he was used as a bait dog to get fighting dogs ready to attack.
He was in rough shape, but now he's one step closer to getting into a loving home.
He smiles and limps along, with two bandages on his legs. Trooper is adjusting to his new life with a foster family -- a family he's familiar with. He was placed with the father of the police officer who saved him.
"He's great," Phil Hinton said. "(He's) nice and healthy now."
Hollywood police Officer Freya Hinton found Trooper on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the bushes of a quiet Hollywood neighborhood, clinging to life. The Staffordshire terrier mix was suffering from kidney failure and was surrounded by the stench of his own rotting flesh from multiple open wounds.
Police said they believe he had been used as a bait dog to make fighting dogs bloodthirsty.
It was a long road to recovery for the pup. At one point, vets thought he might lose his paw, but Trooper is a trooper. He pulled through and is now doing much better than anyone expected.
"He's so incredibly docile," Phil Hinton said.
Trooper still has a broken ankle. The vets are hoping it may heal itself, but it may require an additional surgery.
The Hinton family said they have gotten quite attached, so it appears Trooper may have already found his forever home when his fostering period is over.