An adorable puppy left abandoned in a cage on the side of a highway has been rehomed – and his new owners have named him after the Ohio State Trooper that found him. 

John Kronander, a State Highway Patrol trooper, found the puppy during a regular check of a rest area parking lot along the I-71 in Medina County on August 23. 

Kronander’s body cam footage captured the moment he spotted the furry animal in a cage in the parking lot with a piece of cardboard on top. He reported that the puppy was found without food or water.

The puppy appeared to be energetic after being rescued and happily played with the trooper before being placed in the squad car. 

After giving the canine water, Kronander took him to the Medina County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), a non-profit animal shelter and adoption center. 

Ohio State Highway Patrol officials stated that ‘thanks to his quick action and compassion’ the puppy made a full recovery. 

Medina County SPCA Officials shared details about the abandoned animal on their social media, calling the situation ‘heartbreaking’ and ‘completely unacceptable.’

‘Someone made the conscious decision to leave this puppy behind in a crate along a busy interstate, putting this little life at tremendous risk. This puppy was completely dependent on someone to provide for their safety and wellbeing. Instead, they were simply left there,’ Medina County SPCA wrote in a statement. 

John Kronander, Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper, found the puppy during a regular check of a rest area parking lot along the I-71 on August 23. Trooper Kronander’s body cam footage captured the moment he spotted the furry animal in a cage in a rest area parking lot with a piece of cardboard overtop 

Trooper Kronander reported that the puppy was found without food or water

The puppy appeared to be energetic after being rescued and happily played with the trooper before being placed in the squad car

The shelter originally named him Miles, before a Medina County Sheriff’s Office Deputy adopted him this past weekend.

Deputy Matthew Denton happened to be a close friend of Trooper Kronander and had a special connection to the hero.

‘I ended up meeting the dog several days later. I went back and discussed it with my family and then we ended up adopting him,’ Denton told ABC 5 News. 

Since the rescue, Deputy Denton named the puppy Trooper in honor of Trooper Kronander who saved him according to a Medina County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post.  

‘Thank you to Sgt. Denton and his family for opening their home and hearts to Trooper and giving him his forever home!’ the post wrote. 

‘We had thrown out about five different names, and I had read some of the news articles and everyone said name it Trooper,’ Denton told reporters.   

The video footage of Trooper’s rescue has since gained traction as commenters shared their support on Facebook. There has been over 82,000 reactions, close to 2 million views and almost 4,000 comments.

One user said: ‘He was supposed to find that dog it was meant to be! looks like somebody has a new best friend!’

Medina County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Matthew Denton (right) adopted the puppy and named him Trooper in honor of the Trooper Kronander who saved him. Denton told the ABC outlet that Trooper has settled into his new home and has already got along with the family’s other dogs

Medina County SPCA Officials shared details about the abandoned animal on their social media, calling the situation ‘heartbreaking’ and ‘completely unacceptable.’ On their social media post, they noted that in the state of Ohio, abandonment is considered a crime

Another said: ‘Welp the puppy universe distribution system has chosen that trooper, I don’t make the rules.’

Denton told the ABC outlet that Trooper has settled into his new home and has already got along with the family’s other dogs. 

‘We are so happy for this little guy getting his happy ending and finding his forever family!’ Medina County SPCA wrote in another social media post. 

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, authorities are still investigating who left Trooper at the rest stop parking lot. Despite the surveillance footage captured from the area, there is still no guarantee they may find who abandoned him. 

The Medina County SPCA organization often sees animal cases from situations of abuse, neglect and abandonment.  

On their social media post, officials noted that in the state of Ohio, abandonment is considered a crime. Depending on the circumstances, those arrested can be charged with a first- or second-degree misdemeanor if convicted of the crime.