Success Stories

Rocky, January, 2001

Rocky is available for adoption, check the LABMED Adoption Page for contact information.

Rocky did not have an easy start in life. When the black boy was just a puppy, he was given to a recovering alcoholic in a halfway house who just neglected him and left him in a basement. Animal Rescue of Columbia, MD stepped in and legally removed Rocky from this bad situation when he was 4 months old.

A volunteer with Mid-Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue saw the young Lab in the Animal Rescue kennel and decided to foster him; she just could not bear the thought of a puppy being in a cage for an extended period. She knew that she could not foster Rocky for a long time but wanted to provide him with much needed socialization.

But Rocky had medical problems as well. When he was checked by the rescuer's vet they found out that Rocky had severe hip dysplasia; arthritis had already set in and Rocky was only 8 months old! The vet suggested that Rocky have bilateral femoral head osteotomies (FHO). Rocky's rescuer needed help paying for the two surgeries, and contacted several organizations for assistance. LABMED discussed Rocky's case and contacted the vet who would do the surgery. The vet told LABMED that Rocky's quality of life after surgery would be good as "playful backyard pet". He described Rocky as good tempered and non-aggressive but felt that Rocky was overly "mouthy". In his opinion, Rocky was either an "only pup" or removed from the litter too early.

LABMED decided to fund part of Rocky's surgery and the vet went ahead and fixed Rocky's hips. He is recuperating nicely. Rocky's rescuer told LABMED that his training is progressing nicely. Rocky is learning quickly and wants to be a good boy. The rescuer believes that Rocky should do quite well in a home with knowledgeable owners and maybe an older dog to help teach him not to bite so hard during play. She will keep him through his recovery and is trying to find a forever home for him.