Rocko

Calvin and Rocko

The story of my dog and I is quite different than most. As an only child, I was quite the loner. I never had a dog nor was I ever allowed to have one. My mom would always tell me that they were dirty, unpredictable, or plain and simply bad. The closest I came to owning animals was a turtle and a mouse which I had to return the day after I got it. As you would expect from an only child, I was pretty spoiled most of my life. I always got what I wanted and had people do things for me which I took for granted. While I was in college, I decided one summer to adopt an animal. It was the economical thing to do as breeders were way too expensive for having no job. Before I tried the Sacramento SPCA, I visited two other places. At Yolo, I found a basenji that I absolutely loved but was denied adoption because I was considered an inexperienced handler. The next day, I visited the Sac county animal control services where I found an adorable pitbull mix which was white all over with a pink spot on its eye. The only hoop I had to go through with this one was getting along with the other pitbull that my roommate owned at my residence but no dice. I was heartbroken. I soon stumbled upon the SSPCA. After visiting the first day, I didn't see a dog that caught my eye. I called the next day to see if there were any new arrivals and I was in luck. I rushed down immediately after my call. After looking through all the cages, It was was in an indoor playing pen that I found my gem. There rocko was, along in the corner and being bullied by three other dogs that looked similar to him. They had all come in from a southern CA SPCA that was overcrowded. When I first had a meet and greet, he kept to himself and didn't really respond. I decided to adopted him anyway. It was the best decision I have ever made. From potty training, to basic and intermediate classes, I have loved my wonderdog. He is the most intelligent of all his play buddies. He is alert, adept to people's feelings, sensitive, obedient, brave, and best of all, playful. After meeting my mom, she is in love with him and has helped her drastically with her high blood pressure. I never in a million years would've believed that she would welcome him into her home. After adopting Rocko, my girlfriend adopted a mini pinscher named Joey from the same spca. I now have a little family of my own! What I have learned from having animals is to be a more responsible adult which I have not regretted. The moral of the story is: Adopt a pet today!