Yesterday, Patrick & I said goodbye to our first dog, Rocky. He was our best friend & loving family member. He transitioned peacefully in our backyard, snoring cutely at 11.5yrs old. He brought smiles to so many. I’m grateful we got to experience many of them as we walked around with Rocky. No matter where we traveled with him — SF, St. Helena, Canada or roadtrips around the western US, Rocky would earn fans. Pat & I used to say that we were living in Rocky’s world as his entourage. More people know him by name (and us by association). He had so many strangers take photos of him, admire his paws, compliment his haircut, utter baby noises as they walked by, obsess over his soft fur, think he’s a puppy or ask us questions about him.
Friends, Family and strangers bestowed many nicknames upon Rocky — FuzzyBear, Rockstar, Rocco, Sir Rocksalot, Floofball, Rock, Rockster, Bud, Hollywood. He was even once dubbed, “The Sexiest Dog in SF” by a regular at Neighbor’s Corner. He was a sweet boy with lots of silly habits. He loved his walks and maybe even more than walks, he loved food. Rocky memorized all the store owners who gave him treats no matter if in SF or St. Helena and insisted on stopping by daily. When he was younger and we were less experienced dog parents, Rocky stole people’s sandwiches or interrupted picnics (to our embarrassment), and thankfully when they saw Rocky, forgave him. He knew how to win people over.
He had a short haircut because it cut down on the shedding and he loved to swim. Our walker told us that in all her years of experience, Rocky is the only dog that she’s had to swim out into the SF Bay for because she couldn’t get him to come back. He was also a strong doggo. He survived one round of cancer which first showed up 1.5 yrs ago, and was declared cancer-free last August. It surprised us all that an intermittent, hairball cough that happened over a couple of days turned out to be an aggressive form of lung cancer. Up until yesterday morning, he was still in love with food and became a foodie. Pat turned into his personal chef, spoiling him with two carcasses worth of chicken bone broth, chicken & rice, steak, puppy ice cream, pumpkin and Mishka dog cakes. As he got weaker, we hand-fed him all the things. We sang & celebrated his birthday many days over the last week (Rocky loved celebrating birthdays because it meant he got to eat dog cake too).
He was loved by so many people including Jennifer, Wendy, Ron, Enoch, Nicole, Steve, Julie, David, Deb, Peter, Jennifer, Fred, Vu, Jeany, and many others. We’re grateful that we learned of his terminal lung cancer while at home in order to provide the best care for him until the end. We’re grateful that he had so many people care for him and us. He got multiple visitors from all parts of his life sharing their stories with him this past week (former sitters, walkers, friends, family, even our dry cleaner that he visited frequently). It was so touching to experience, and we’re so glad Rocky happily recognized each person too. He got lots of pets, hugs & kisses. The house feels so quiet without his presence. Even though he wasn’t a loud dog (never barked), I loved hearing his footsteps coming up the stairs to my side of the bed to wish me good morning after his breakfast. He would put his head on the bed and stare at me until I woke up and gave him his morning head rubs. He often was by my side, sometimes my foot warmer when working at my desk or my couch buddy when I was I was reading. I’ll really miss these little moments and the way he looked at me.
For now, I hope to see him in my dreams and will love him in my heart forever.
Breathe & rest well, Rocky. I’m grateful to have had so many adventures with you.
-Cat L. & Patrick H.