Rockee “Rockefeller” “Feller” “Sweet Boy” “Big Boy” “Black” came into our lives in April 2015. We were looking for a mate for Mercedez so she wasn’t so lonely. Josh responded to an ad on Craigslist of someone looking to rehome a pug. He contacted the poster and did not hear back for a few weeks. We had given up hope, thinking he had already gone to another home, when she called back! She said they had been out of town and asked if he was still interested.

Of course we were! Josh went to go pick him up from a home in Milliken. He was tied to a tree 😥 From the time Josh laid eyes on Rockee, it was an instant bond. He had found his new four legged best friend. We told Rockee he would never again be tied to a tree. We kept that promise until his last day.

When Rockee first came to live with us, he was rambunctious! His favorite thing to do? ESCAPE. This crazy guy could get out of anywhere! He got out of the yard I don’t know how many times. One time, he even spent some time in doggy jail and we had to bail him out of the Weld County Humane Society. Someone had picked him up in a church parking lot! He spent some time with a neighbor’s dogs and came home soaking wet, covered in slobber from their Boxers! It got to the point where we purchased a GPS tracker for him that we attached to his harness and he wore that whenever he was outside. It took about two years to break him of his wandering bone.

He used to jump up on the kitchen table bench and sit at the dinner table with us like he was a human. He was so afraid of Mercedez, he would walk clear around the kitchen when he had to pass her 😂. We have so many funny stories and great memories of Rockee, we could write a book on him.

Rocke was the best road dog. He was always up for a road trip. He would just curl up in his little bed and sleep as if he were sleeping on the floor at home. When we drove to Texas to look at houses, he was right there with us. We tried to never leave him home alone for very long. We so regretted not taking him to Texas with us when we came for Josh’s surgery and ended up trapped in Baylor Dallas for a month. We both missed him so much. When we got home from Dallas, Rockee did not leave Josh’s side for even one minute. Rockee was so instrumental in Josh’s healing. The science behind dogs and post-surgical healing is very strong, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

Starting about six months ago, Rockee’s health started to decline. His back legs started getting weaker, and he was having a very hard time walking on our concrete floors. We set up a series of carpet runners throughout the living room and kitchen so he could still get around, but he struggled. Josh set up a pulley and line system on the back patio to help support his rear legs while he went potty outside. We ordered him a dog wheelchair, but by that time his front legs were just as weak, and he couldn’t pull himself around with it. Just like with Mercedez, towards the end, he could not walk at all and we carried him around everywhere.

For the last week of Rockee’s life, Josh or I were with him 24 hours a day. We slept in shifts so he would never be alone if he needed or wanted something. Some people might think that is crazy, but for us, it was our way to say goodbye while we cherished every last minute with him.

Making the decision to put him down was the most heart-wrenching decision we’ve ever made. Everyone says “you know when it’s time, ” which could not be more true. You know, when you look in their eyes, they tell you. They are ready to go, it’s us that are not ready to say goodbye. On the morning of November 22, 2022, Rockee crossed the rainbow bridge in the comfort of his own home, in his favorite bed, with Josh and I by his side.

I am going to include some of our favorite photos of Rockee in a slideshow below. I apologize for the delay in this post, as you can imagine, this loss was a massive blow to our family. It took some time to get my thoughts in order to write this post…

We know Rockee lives on in Lucee, Penelopee and Howdee. We see little bits of him in each of them. The way Lucee sits, the way Penelopee climbs up on Josh’s chest to “give hugs”, all three of their love for Pupperonis and gummy bears… 😊 We will never forget our sweet boy, Rockefeller ❤