Rescue Stories: Meet Rocky
Rocky's Rescue Profile
Rescued: May 2020 in Miami, FL
Breed: Terrier Mix
Approximate age: 3
Personality: Happy, adventurous, energetic, cuddle bug
Loves to: Play in the water, car rides to Abuela's house, destroy his toys, steal his brother's bed and learn new tricks
His mom Giselle tells us his story:
My dog Rocky was confiscated from his previous owner for suspicion of animal cruelty and neglect. It turned out, he was the evidence used to settle an animal cruelty case in court. He arrived to the shelter with his four babies. When we had a meet and greet with him at the shelter, we could tell he was nervous and confused. But I knew, from his big bright hazel eyes that there was a happy dog inside of him.
Unfortunately, we were told we couldn’t adopt him right away due to his case still being an open investigation. However, we insisted on going to the shelter as soon as it opened and asked about him constantly. We even wrote three emails asking for new information. Three days later, Rocky was officially ours!!!
He came home with a big scar on his head, scars all over legs, and two very severe ear infections. However, he never stopped having faith in humans even when he was shy around us in the early days. He adjusted to his new home extremely well. The scar on his head healed, but the ones on his legs didn’t. I love his scars and I’m proud of them because his scars show the adversity he overcame.
The greatest lesson:
The greatest lesson I learned is that love comes in all sizes. I was in a period in my life where I didn’t feel truly happy for a number of reasons but primarily because of how scary the world was because of COVID. Then, Rocky came along and my whole world flipped upside down (in the best of ways). 🐾
A piece of advice:
My main piece of advice is to be patient with the dog. Many dogs in shelters are confused, scared which can lead them to seem a bit aggressive. They may even be scared of humans or all of the above. With patience and love, those dogs will learn to trust humans again and be their happy selves but it just takes time. Imagine being dropped off at an unfamiliar place and not being able to go “home” to the family that once loved you or imagine having been abused your whole life and suddenly, you’re in a small cage in an unfamiliar place. Many dogs who are adopted from shelters are surrendered within a week of their adoption due to the dog not having adjusted to its new home when the new owners want. So, please, be patient and make sure you’re going to be able to give it your full attention for the first couple of months.
This is how you can help raise awareness about dog rescue:
1) SUPPORT LOCAL RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS
We'll be raising money to help dog rescue organizations all year long! Go to your Fit and Go Pets account to make a donation by selecting "Fundraising 🐾National Rescue dog Day 🐾" and choosing from different options: Dog Lover ($25), Dog Rescuer ($50), All in for Dogs ($75) and All in for the Cause ($100). The more we raise, the more we can help!
The local rescue organizations will be announced soon!
2) SPREAD MORE RESCUE STORIES
We know you have an inspiring dog rescue story. Let's tell more stories and spread more of the goodness of dog rescue. Tell us your story so we can post it on our blog and share it with all the people we know. It will take 5 minutes of your time and perhaps through your story, we can help save furry lives.
Love always,
The Fit and Go Pets Team
