No matter how well-composed and prepared you are, there are some stories that shatter your heart into a million pieces – like this one!

In the sea of dog stories I have come across over the years, the one about Rocky will always have a special place in my heart.

He was just one of the many shelter seniors who was about to say his last goodbye to the world, but then Beth and Michael Clark showed up at the shelter doorstep and offered him a lifetime experience, right in the autumn of his life.

Making Rocky’s Christmas 2015 Memorable

This couple from Maryland has always had a special place in their hearts for shelter dogs. During the winter, they would voluntarily come to a local shelter and leave blankets for these four-legged furballs to make the season more bearable.

In the winter of 2015, right before Christmas, they visited Anne Arundel County Animal Control, from Millersville, Maryland, to do the same, but then they spotted him – Rocky!

At that point, he was already 17 years old, gray-faced, and skinny, but Beth couldn’t stand the idea of leaving Rocky to die in a cage. She told her husband that she wanted to get him home, and he agreed. And, just like that – Rocky got a brand-new home!

Enjoying The Sun And Cozy Naps

Despite his age, Rocky blossomed in the new home. He was a brand-new dog and not a shadow of his old self – the one Beth and Michael saw back in the shelter.

He was a giant lovebug, always ready to cuddle with his pawrents or to simply be near them.

Still, as time went by, he was getting weaker, and his legs could not bear him as much anymore. His pawrents assisted him with climbing stairs, and instead of walks 

– he settled for enjoying the sun in the back yard, keeping his owners company! 

You May Not Remember Me, Hazel, But I Loved You First

In 2016, Beth learned that she was expecting a baby and she was over the moon! At first, Rocky didn’t notice anything, but then, as the pregnancy went on, he started getting gentler, and he adjusted amazingly with all the baby stuff coming in!

However, when she was in her seventh month of pregnancy, Rocky’s condition got bad. He started exhibiting seizure-like symptoms and felt really bad. Soon, the Clarks learned that he was suffering from a tumor and that he didn’t have much time left.

The vet wanted to hospitalize him, but the Clarks refused to get him in a cage once again. They decided to leave Rocky with them, hoping that he would live long enough to meet his baby sister.

And, to their surprise – he did!

When they returned from the hospital, Rocky gently sniffed his sister, whom they called Hazel, and he placed his head near her.

Unfortunately, his condition got so much worse later that night, and Beth and MIchael knew that they had to put him down. It was as if Rocky was doing his best to make it long enough to meet his baby sister, and now he could finally cross the rainbow bridge in peace.

After Rocky’s departure, Friends of Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control wrote an emotional Facebook post, leaving thousands of people in tears:

Rest in peace, Rocky. You will always be remembered as Hazel’s first big brother!