We adopted Rocko from the SPCA in 2007, at three months old. He was a rescue dog from Bella Bella on Vancouver Island, who was separated from his mother at birth. He was neutered and tatooed at nine weeks old by The SPCA. After Rocko’s two siblings were adopted, the skinny, barkless puppy sat alone in his cage. When we visited the pound, he was behind a chainlink fence, and when we spoke to him, his head turned to the side as if he was trying to understand us, but he could barely hear our voices with the racket of the six huge barking rottweilers in adjacent cages.
When we brought him home, we promised him that no matter what happened in his past, he was going to have a great life in a loving home, and be part of our family. He had a severe case of separation anxiety, worms, and had puncture wounds on his leg and nose probably from the bigger dogs competing for food, and dominating him at play. He had never climbed a set of stairs before, and his ears and tail hung down. Within a few months, his long tail curled up high in a “happy” circle shape and his proud ears stood tall and upright. Eventually we were able to pet him on the head with our hands without him jumping back a foot in fear.