Rocky

Rocky arrived at Old Dog Heaven on January 18th, 2021 from a shelter in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Rocky is a 10-year-old beauty that was picked up by animal welfare in October 2020 as a stray. No one claimed her, so she was placed up for adoption. It was clear when she came home that she had been an outdoor dog who was not in any way integrated into the rhythms of human life. She was not housebroken, she was filled with anxiety in the car and in the house, and she was skittish of all the goings-on like bikes and cars in the neighborhood.  

Rocky was in tough shape physically. She was plagued for months in the shelter with nasty and persistent ear infections, along with untreated skin allergies that kept her incessantly scratching. The poor girl was miserable, banging her ears on the floor to try to get relief. After some conversations with the vet, it is likely Rocky has had these ear infections her entire life. She has even greatly damaged both of her ears from slamming them on the ground. They have both healed quite awkwardly with a large amount of scar tissue, which doesn't help the situation. After good medical care, Rocky's ear infections have finally been resolved. She needs expensive monthly medication to keep them from recurring. She also has hip dysplasia and arthritis in both knees. Also, from the look of her pronounced nipples, it is clear that at some point Rocky had at least one litter of pups.

Rocky is smart and sweet, and after a few challenging days she started to get the hang of living with a human. It was as if she had an epiphany: "Oh, I am in a house with someone who loves me!" Once she realized this, she transformed rapidly. She learned to go to the bathroom on leash, she now enjoys riding in the car, and she loves to go on walks. She bonded very deeply with me and is always right at my side. For the first time in her life, she has a person. We completely adore each other. 

Now that Rocky sees me as her person, she has become insecure around other dogs and has developed some behavior issues. We are working on her becoming more confident. Hopefully, in time she will recognize that she has found her forever home!