Meet Rocky, our accidental foster.
And I mean that literally.
Rocky originally landed at the shelter after repeatedly escaping his owner’s yard. His owner had been warned that eventually he could be picked up and held until they paid a bond to reclaim him. Well, eventually that happened...and no one came to pay Rocky’s bond.
Around the same time, we were helping with another dog on a bond hold who was supposed to go to a local police department. There was some confusion, we asked for Rocky, and off Rocky went to meet the officers.
Except Rocky was NOT the dog they were waiting for. Totally our mistake.
Our board member had already driven him over there, though, and said he was the sweetest, happiest little guy. He rode the whole way perched on the center console like he had just won the lottery getting out of the shelter.
The next day, we got the police department the correct dog. But by then our board member had one request: “Please don’t make Rocky go back to the shelter.”
There was just one little problem.
We were full.
All three of our dog kennels at Jefferson Feed were occupied, which meant there was exactly one place for Rocky to go.
My house.
And 212 months later, I can confidently tell you that Rocky is a Stage 5 Clinger.
Actually, that may be underselling it.
Rocky is approximately 2–3 years old and our best guess is some kind of Schnoodle. He is ridiculously cute, playful, funny and, once he decides you are HIS person, absolutely obsessed with you.
When I get dressed in the morning, he rests his head on my foot. He starts the night sleeping next to me. By morning, he is usually on my pillow wrapped around my head.
Personal space is not a concept Rocky recognizes.
He also has some very real separation anxiety. If he knows I’m outside taking out the trash or cutting the grass, he will bark because HOW DARE I EXIST SOMEWHERE HE CANNOT REACH ME. If I put him behind a baby gate, he jumps it. If I leave him in another room while I’m somewhere else in the house, he is deeply offended by this arrangement.
Interestingly, he does allow me to leave for work without falling apart. He has double-digit foster siblings at home, though, so he is never truly alone.
And that brings us to one of Rocky’s requirements: he needs another fun, playful dog in his new home.
He currently plays nonstop with his approximately 35-pound hound/Lab mix foster brother, and having another dog gives him an outlet besides making one human being the center of his entire universe. We would prefer a confident, playful dog who isn't going to compete with Rocky for constant attention.
And since we're guessing Schnoodle, yes, there is grooming involved. The good news is that Rocky is surprisingly easy about it once he trusts you. I literally throw him in the shower with me and then shave him myself with a 3mm guard. Is he thrilled about his spa day? Absolutely not. Does he cooperate and let me get it done? Yep. So far he has been very good for bathing and grooming at home.
There is one other important thing potential adopters need to know.
Rocky can be standoffish with unfamiliar people, and when he is uncomfortable, he has nipped. He tried to nip me his first day and nipped another person who walked him. He has never tried to nip me again since settling in and bonding with me, but he has nipped toward staff or volunteers when I've brought him back to the store, even when they walk him away from me.
So no, Rocky is not going to be a dog we hand to a stranger and say, “Congratulations! Good luck!”
Any serious applicant will need to spend time with him, and we will require a sleepover/foster-to-adopt period. Rocky needs the opportunity to learn your routine, feel safe and transfer that attachment to his new person.
Because once he does?
Congratulations. You have acquired a shadow.
I probably should have posted Rocky for adoption sooner, but this is exactly why I like keeping my foster dogs long enough to really know them. I want his adopter to know about the adorable stuff AND the quirks before deciding he’s their dog.
Could I keep him? Absolutely. He has already decided that would be perfectly acceptable.
But senior dogs are my jam, and I currently have three seniors who are really struggling. I want to be able to give them more of my time and attention, and Rocky is young, adorable and highly adoptable. He deserves his own person who actually WANTS a dog wrapped around their head every morning.
So, if you've ever said, “I want a dog who is completely obsessed with me,” I regret to inform you that your dog may have arrived.
Rocky is approximately 2–3 years old, neutered, ridiculously cute, dog-friendly, playful, clingy AF and accepting applications for his next victim...I mean, family.
Adoption fee includes vaccines, spay/neuter surgery, microchip and a heartworm test. Any dog that tests positive for heartworms can be treated through our Fix-A-Heart Program. Adopter has to buy a year supply of heartworm prevention before treatment begins.
Please note: this application is view-only in Dropbox and must be downloaded to your device to be completed. You may fill it out using a PDF editing program or print it and complete it by hand. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ahiajf6e6i0ox2hdl09jk/JSPCA-Application_2.0-Newest-Updates.pdf?rlkey=be9he1julh02etikl021k9plk&dl=0
All adoptions subject to approval.
BRUNO MARS
Domestic Short Hair
🇺🇸
Jefferson, Louisiana
male, medium, baby
Domestic Short Hair
Jefferson, Louisiana
