Save Rocky

It's been quite some time since my last post.  Don't take that to mean that Rocky has been out of commission.  Au contraire!  Since our last posting, Rocky has finished his class, max'd out at 85lbs, stood in front of 70 darkly uniformed police officers, attended the Dogfest Film Festival and met with Rosewood Elementary School's first grade class.  So, why has it been so long since we've posted about Rocky?  Simple, really.  I've put it off because this may very well be our last post about him.  He's ready to move on to a different home now.

The Humane Society, and more specifically Heather Hart, has taken him as far as he can go over the past few months.  Though he will be sorely missed, for his own benefit, it's time to place him with a loving home that can care for him and help him grow even more.  Rocky is a great dog.  Ever since his first assessment, we knew that he was strong… a diamond in the rough.  He's fought through a tremendous hardship to come to this point.  And while many of us will be saddened to see him go, we are heartened to know that Rocky will continue to grow and to be strong and will make a wonderful friend for somebody outside of the Humane Society. 

Rocky is a great dog.  He's a testament to the fact that we can make a difference and that we can persevere over animal cruelty.  Rocky is a survivor.  He's survived through which something most would succumb and he's maintained an indomitable spirit and a great deal of enthusiasm through it all.  Finally, Rocky is a great friend.  Having personally worked with him for nearly seven months, I can attest to his nature and his attitude.  Needless to say, the thought of keeping him has run across my mind on more than one occasion!

It's not how hard you hit.  It's how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.
                     ~ Rocky Balboa

I am both very happy and sad to say that Rocky is officially available for adoption.  Inquiries into adoption requirements can be directed to Josh Gowans (email or phone: 803.783.1267).  The Humane Society was very lucky to come across Rocky.  Of course, he was lucky too!  I'm confident that a very good home with a very lucky friend awaits him.

Josh Gowans
Executive Director
Humane Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

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It's been nearly a month since our last post and a great deal has changed with Rocky.  Most notably is the fact that he is nearing his full weight at close to 80lbs.  There's some debate as to where exactly he will cap out, although consensus is that he will weight around 85lbs.  With the added weight has come added attitude and energy… that's to say that he's turned out to be a very playful dog with a puppy-like mindset. 

Over the past month, Rocky has worked with and been evaluated by Teoti Anderson on several occasions.  He continues to display positive signs of a stable, social dog… enough so that he will begin his first official training class with Teoti on March 15th.  Who's training him now?  Well, at first his foster mom was… but now he's got two new training partners showing him the ropes… Caia and Isa, both experienced handlers (yeah, they've seen a lot of foster dogs come through).  So, how are they doing with Rocky?  Let's just say that he is all play.  Sure, they've rolled him around in the dirt a few times, but he seems to enjoy it.  How's he sharing his toys?  Like a champ… he doesn't exhibit any dog to dog aggression and has a very clear understanding of the pecking order.

What's next for the Rock?  Well, he's been vaccinated, neutered, added 40+ lbs of body weight, has two playmates, is signed up for formal training in March, will make an appearance at the Humane Society's River Dog Festival… what are we missing?  Oh yeah, the heartworms.  While Rocky's veterinarian did not see a substantial surgical risk (for the neutering), he is still heartworm positive.  That means that he has several weeks of treatment to go through before he has an official, complete bill of health and can be adopted.

When the Humane Society started with Rocky, and for many weeks thereafter, he was not out of the woods as far as surviving.  Though he still has one major hurdle to overcome with the heartworms, he has demonstrated a remarkable tenacity to not just survive, but to thrive and become a truly magnificent dog.  Along the way, he's taught many people lessons.  Carl Jung once said,  

We discover ourselves through others.

Many people have seen Rocky at his worst and have contributed to him and to his cause.  Through Rocky, individuals have discovered an intolerance for animal cruelty and a compassion for a life in need.  And while Rocky is just one dog, saving his life is no small consequence… it is a statement that we can work together to improve the lives of the animals in our care.  Rocky is a success because of his will to live and because of those who've come together to support him.

We’re nearly 30 lbs into recovery for Rocky, and he continues to show great promise. At the same time that his condition improves, so does our ability to discuss his previous situation. Much has changed for the Humane Society and for Rocky since he came to us.

To be perfectly clear, however, Rocky did not ‘come to us’. That would imply that he came in on his own volition or on that of his owner’s. Such was not the case. In fact, Rocky was taken under the authority of the law from his owner, and he was not taken alone. Several German Shepherd Dogs were brought to the Humane Society along with Rocky.

Now that he and his companions are showing great improvement, we can reflect on their situation, on why it came to be and how we may be more effective at preventing it. I look at Rocky now and see a large, bounding dog. The bigger he gets, the more I am saddened at the condition he was in when he was taken. I tried to put a time frame on just how long he suffered by asking his lead veterinarian the time it would take for a healthy Rocky to become the emaciated Rocky that we knew. Her response did not help me as much as I had hoped. In fact, it just plain hurt…

“Who knows how long Rocky was in that condition? Could he have been deprived of food and water for several weeks, winding up in that condition? Sure. We could probably look at metabolic charts and figure out the time it would take to get to there. But it still wouldn’t answer the question of whether or not he’s spent his whole life in that horrible state… we could never tell that. We could never tell just how long he’s suffered.”

I look at Rocky now and I see a great dog. His companions that were also seized I know they’re in very good hands. I’ve posted one of the original pictures of Rocky as a reminder of where he’s come from. Though he’s in much better condition, it behooves us to remember exactly how he was. We celebrate his health everyday, and, as he meets the public more, many will celebrate his condition as well. But we cannot forget that pets like Rocky are out there and in need of help.

It's been just over a month since the Humane Society came across Rocky, and he's bouncin' back.  As of January 12th, 2007, Rocky has put on 18 pounds, putting him up to a solid though still skinny 53 pounds.  For those interested, Rocky's foster mom is hand feeding him three meals a day… how do you hand feed a starving dog?  Very carefully.  And that's what makes Rocky great.  Even in his starving condition, he's turned out to be quite the gentleman.

So how is his training coming?  Well, with the extra 18 pounds comes about 100% more attitude, but if he has a fault it's that he's too excitable around people.  Not at all what you would expect, but again, that's what makes him great.  Teoti Anderson has Rocky's foster mom focused on trading food for toys… it seems that Rocky is a sucker for a good squeaky toy.  Yeah, he has ball drive, too. 

Where's Rocky headed?  Hopefully he'll take some formal training classes, meet the public a few times, and make his formal debut at the Humane Society's River Dog Film Festival on April 21st.  Before all that, let's keep putting some weight on him…

And he's off to a good start.  Rocky's put on nearly 11 pounds since he was rescued… that puts him at a hefty 46 lbs. He's also received a great response from the public and the media (check him out on WIS), and we're starting to see those decals floating around (pick one up here).  Looks like he's living up to his name…

Just how did Rocky spend his last day in '06?
While most of us were probably relaxing and making new year's resolutions, Rocky was put to the test.  The Humane Society and Rocky have been very fortunate in that we've enlisted the support of Teoti Anderson, a world-class trainer, author and former President of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.  Our goal in recruiting Teoti and her team of trainers was to obtain an outside perspective on Rocky's temperament and to tailor a training regime around it and his physical condition.

The verdict?
After several hours of assessment and one on one training, Teoti and her assistant Phyllis Beasley left the Humane Society with a structured training plan and a great deal of confidence in his temperament.  While we felt very good about Rocky's personality when we discovered him, the positive work provided by Teoti and her team reinforces our belief that Rocky will do more than just survive; he'll demonstrate that ending animal cruelty and neglect is worth fighting for.

Rocky is one of many pets left behind, neglected and uncared for.  And though his fate has changed and he now has his own web site, our intent here is not only showcase him and his progress, but to highlight a very stark reality: animal cruelty exists here in the Midlands.  That's not the first time we've said it and, unfortunately, it probably won't be the last. 

Save Rocky is here to both help a skinny dog in need and to bring awareness to the general public of animal cruelty and neglect in our area.  The Humane Society is committed to ending animal cruelty and to fostering a community in which it is recognized as unacceptable.  Rocky may be one of many pets left behind and neglected, but it doesn't have to be that way.  Together we can fight to end animal cruelty.   

There a lots of ways that individuals can help the Humane Society help Rocky and other pets just like him.  For starters, consider a small donation in exchange for a 'Save Rocky' decal (white lettering with clear background).  All monetary donations will go directly into the Timmons Fund and will be used exclusively to combat animal cruelty.  Second, please proudly display the decal somewhere… nothing will help save Rocky and others like him more than an educated public.

Individuals interested in purchasing a decal ($5 minimum, please) can send donations payable to the Humane Society located at:

             Humane Society
             121 Humane Lane
             Columbia, SC 29209

Please include your name and return address.  Anonymous donations are welcome as well and can be phoned in, mailed in or facilitated via the Paypal Donation button on the right side of the site.

Save Rocky also needs help pushing his story out to as many listening ears as possible.  If you're interested in helping the public hear about Rocky and wish to help contact the media or organize events, please contact:

             Josh Gowans
             Excecutive Director
             Humane Society for the
             Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
             803.783.1267 | phone
             jgowans@humanesocietysc.org

The Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals relies solely on the private donations of time and money from caring individuals. And for that, the Humane Society extends its thanks and gratitude to its supporters. And while Rocky cannot himself thank his caregivers, the Humane Society would like to both recognize and thank the following individuals:

• Dr. Grimmett
• Dr. Carlson
• Dr. Nyugen
• Dr. Davis
• Dr. Gies
• Dr. Huang
• Dr. Keller
• Steve Stephenson
• Denise Kaney
• John Mcgee
• Elizabeth Anne Andrews
• Page Burnette
• Caroline Rowland
• Teoti Anderson & Pawsitive Results
• Jeff Taillon
• Heather Hart
• Blair Salmon
• Trisha Priester
• Karl Phillips & 3Plumes
• Noble Shepherd Rescue
• Marli Drum & the City of Columbia Animal Services
• PetSmart
• Pedigree

Rocky has benefited from your support. Thank you.