The last few days have been pretty sad here at our house. Writing is often theraputic for me, so I thought I’d blog about it.
We always said Rocky was our first born furry child.
We always said Rocky was our first born furry child.
It was over 6 years ago that he chose us. As we watched an entire litter of adorable tiny golden fur balls, we wondered how we would be able to pick one. I looked down and saw this sweet little boy curled up right on my shoes while the other pups played in the yard. That was it. We instantly loved Rocky and he has been such a special part of our family ever since.
About a month ago I noticed him limping and holding up his rear left leg. Kirk took him to the vet, and we were hit hard with bad news. He tore his ACL, and would need a very expensive surgery. Something that we are just not in a place to be able to afford. As much as we wanted to find a way to make it work, we instantly knew that the situation was out of our hands. Our vet referred us to one of the local golden retriever rescue groups.
We were completely devastated and heartbroken. But at the same time, we knew in the back of our minds that this was all happening for a reason and that there might be a better place for Rocky. He was recently showing us that he did not really appreciate a loud, energetic, and sometimes antagonizing two year old. He mostly avoided Dylan, but a few times gave a warning growl, which concerned us. We actually started working with a wonderful trainer, and saw immediate improvement of his overall behavior and response to Dylan. But we truly believe that this whole situation was God’s way of showing us that Rocky might be happier, and safer, in a home without young children. And, of course, we had to be responsible and do what was best for our children.
I am so grateful for the golden retriever rescue. They immediately showed their concern, sympathy, and desire to help us out. When they came to meet him a few weeks ago, they instantly fell in love with him and had a good foster home in mind. Last night Rocky went to his new home. He is with a man that has had goldens in the past and has been looking to adopt one about his age. The rescue is going to take care of the surgery that he needs, and the foster will take care of him through his rehabilitation. There are no other pets or kids, so Rocky will be able to get the attention that he needs. And this foster is hoping to be the one to officially adopt him.
There is a strange emptiness in our house right now. Rocky was incredibly smart, and incredibly goofy. He had moments of laziness, along with moments of exuberance. He was bossy and mischevious. But he was amazingly loving and lovable. He loved people and soaked up every bit of attention that he could. He gave us so much in the past 6 years and we will miss him dearly. But we are happy for him, that he gets a chance to be healthy and happy with his new family.
5 comments:
So bittersweet. I am so thankful that you had this sweet boy in your life, and then also that there is such a thing as the rescue, and that they were able to help Rocky and you. Then there is a person ready to include him in his home. I hope you are able to rest, knowing that you did what is best for everyone, even though it is hard. Love to you!
Oh how sad Melissa, but I totally understand. I was in your shoes back when Ashley was 9 months old. We had to give our dog away. He became aggressive when she started crawling. We missed him so much and we still do, but we know we did the right thing. Hang in there!
I am so sorry, I hope you guys are doing ok.
You totally made me cry! Things won't be quite the same without Rocky trying to eat food off the counter or even your plate! :-) He will be missed, but I'm thankful there's someone who will love and care for him in his time of need.
Oh Melis, I am so sorry. I will never forget meeting Rocky for the first time. He will always have such a special place in your heart. You guys gave him so much love in the time you had him and I am sure he will have much love in his new home.
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