How many times have we witnessed that hardship always prepares you for something extraordinary? Well, the story of Rockland, a senior dog from New York City, NY, is exactly that way!
This shelter boy was waiting for too long to meet his pawfect family. For almost a decade, he knew nothing but the hallways of an apartment building. And, he had no one to take care of him.
All he knew was a few nice people feeding him occasionally, and that was about everything. But then, something extraordinary indeed happened!
Rockland Was “No One’s Dog” For Too Long
Rockland, the sturdy New York boy, was a street dog for almost a decade! He was living in a hallway of one of the NYC buildings for many years. According to the tenants, he was left by his previous family who couldn’t take care of him any longer.
A man who lived in the building took care of Rockland for some time, but eventually, he had to move out, and that was about it for this dog.
However, prior to his moving, he made sure to call Animal Haven – the NY animal shelter that takes care of abandoned dogs like Rockland.
“He lived in the hallway of a NYC building for years, left behind by his previous family. A very nice man in the building took Rockland in, but was forced to give him up when the building sold and he had to move out,” wrote AH on their Facebook.
Battling With Cancer In A Shelter
Rockland was a 12-year-old boy when he first entered the AH shelter. After a careful vet checkup, he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma – a cancer of the plasma cell. Unfortunately, the cancer meant only one thing for Rockland – that his days in this world are limited.
Tedi Sarah, a volunteer from AH, couldn’t stand the idea of Rockland passing away in his shelter kennel. He was such a sweet and loving boy who deserved better, which is why she decided to do everything in her power to help him feel love outside the shelter walls.
“Spending time with Rockland melted my heart. He is truly so sweet. He will make a great companion to whoever chooses to love him and adopt him,” she wrote.
Tedi’s Christmas Video Was The Miracle He Needed
Tedi was inclined to find Rockland a home before Christmas, as she didn’t want this sweet pup to spend one more holiday alone in the shelter. She posted a video on her social media, urging people to help her find Rockland a furever family.
Even though he was battling with cancer, Rockland never lost his sparkle! He was a playful, happy boy who just enjoyed being around his shelter family.
“Despite living almost his entire life with no people to call his own, he is happy, playful, and so full of love. He lights up when people come to say hi to him,” says Tedi.
He used every opportunity to play with them, but all of that just wasn’t enough. He needed a permanent home!
Finding The Pawfect Home
Tedi’s December video was the Christmas miracle Rockland was waiting for! After it went viral, many people made inquiries about this boy until the AH finally set him up with the perfect family!
A woman named Bessy Gatto adopted Rockland and made him one of her family sweethearts! She was the perfect fit for him, as she rescued many special-needs puppies before and knew how to deal with Rockland’s condition.
The good news is that Rockland now had a whole bunch of new siblings to hang out with. From that Christmas on, he never, ever has to worry about being alone anymore.