You wouldn’t see it in his face, but Rocko has been through many sad episodes in his life. Given up by his owner because they had to move somewhere else, Rocko stayed at the Maricopa County Animal Care & Control (MCACC) until a family adopted him. Then after a couple of weeks, he was returned. Another family adopted him, and like the first one, he was returned to the shelter again.
That time though, there was a grim underlying reason. Rocko’s last owner decided to surrender him because the dog had been going through many health issues. He had a skin condition that resulted in his coat being flaky and constantly dry. He also developed lesions. The worst part is, when veterinarians did an extensive examination, they discovered that Rocko has lymphosarcoma.
The bucket list
Lymphosarcoma is a type of cancer that dogs commonly get. Rocko underwent medication and treatment for his disease, but after several months, his body stopped responding well. His cancer has also started to become very aggressive. The shelter staff knew that his days were numbered, so they decided to make his short life a happy one.
Rocko has always been very popular with the people at the shelter. Even to the foster homes that he has stayed with. He was a sweet and gentle dog that loved to play. He was always full of life, and not it seems, it’s starting to seep away. So they created a bucket list for him, based on what they thought Rocko would love.
One of the first things on the list was to give Rocko a ride in a fire truck. The Mesa Fire Department was more than happy to oblige. Rocko, along with his foster dad, was given a special ride with the MFD. And Rocko absolutely loved it.
He also spent a day with the kids at a local elementary school, join a weather team in a news broadcast, and was even invited by the Chicago Cubs to play at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. All of these activities were shared on Facebook, and thousands of supporters cheered him on. Rocko may not have found a family to love in his final days, but he had a whole community loving him.
Rocko checks the first item off his bucket list!
Posted by Maricopa County Animal Care & Control on Friday, 13 January 2017
Source: Maricopa County Animal Care & Control via Facebook
