Trooper Mo was an elderly, gentle pit bull who spent his final days in unthinkable pain. He was found abandoned in Southington Memorial Park—alone, suffering, and riddled with cancer. A large abdominal tumor and intestinal nodules made it clear that he had been sick for some time. Instead of receiving the comfort and care he deserved, Trooper Mo was left to die in the woods.

By the time Southington Animal Control found him, it was too late. The kindest option was to humanely euthanize him, ending his suffering. But the trauma he endured before that moment cannot be erased. And unless Connecticut takes action, it could happen again.

Current penalties for animal abandonment and cruelty in Connecticut are simply not enough. In cases like Trooper Mo’s—where an animal is not just neglected, but left to die slowly and in pain—the consequences must match the severity of the harm caused. This was not a moment of forgetfulness. It was a deliberate choice to abandon a sick, dying animal in his most vulnerable state.

We are calling on the Connecticut State Legislature to strengthen animal cruelty laws so that abandonment of elderly or terminally ill animals is treated with the seriousness it deserves. This includes increasing penalties for aggravated cruelty, ensuring mandatory investigation of abandonment cases, and closing any legal loopholes that allow people to walk away with a slap on the wrist.

Trooper Mo’s story broke hearts across Connecticut. Let’s make sure his suffering leads to something better—for future animals, for accountability, and for compassion. Laws change when people speak up. Let’s speak up for the ones who can’t.

Sign this petition to demand justice for Trooper Mo—and to help ensure no animal in Connecticut is ever abandoned in their final days again.