Rocky’s Story, by Susan Kim

Our family loves dogs. Some families have one dog and that’s enough, where we typically have two or three at a time.

Since we live right down the street from our local shelter, we visit there often. Even though we already had two dogs (Glimmer and Julius), our daughter recently decided that Glimmer needed a puppy sibling. And when she spotted Rocky, she wouldn’t let up until I went back to Pets In Need to meet him.

She can be very stubborn and sometimes won’t take no for an answer, but in this case, we love that she did that. He’s been such a great addition to our family ─ full of life and the perfect fit. His big smile and joyful nature won us over right away, and we’ve been obsessed with him ever since.

From “Rocky Start” to Forever Home

Rocky was just a puppy and still in training when we first met him. He had struggled to get “meets and greets” with potential adopters, and he had been returned a couple of times. But you could see that he had the sweetest way about him.

Glimmer went to the shelter with us and the two got along right away. For us, it was love at first sight. Without a second thought, we filled out the paperwork, put on his leash, and walked home with him. We had come with one dog and we left with two ─ both trotting happily along the sidewalk side-by-side as if they had been mates forever.

Rocky, Glimmer, and Julius

Rocky has worshipped Glimmer from day one, and he’s very good with our senior dog Julius as well. Glimmer is a young dog too (about 3 years old) and she can be insecure sometimes, but Rocky has given her a lot more confidence and she loves the attention. In some ways, she’s his big sister, and in others, she’s happy to follow his lead. As long as she’s with him, she’s up for new adventures, like going to the dog park and trying other things that used to push her out of her comfort zone.

When we were traveling recently, we boarded our dogs at Taylor Mountain Canine Retreat, a cage-free social boarding facility on a ranch. Rocky was put into the high-energy group, and Glimmer went into the mellow group. Right away, the staff noticed that Glimmer was sad and anxious and nothing they tried worked until they reunited her with Rocky. Even after just a few weeks together, he had that kind of effect on her.

And of course, they love to wrestle and run in the backyard, getting all that puppy energy out of their systems before collapsing together in their doggie beds.

Big Paws and a Big Heart

For a big goofy guy who’s still a puppy, Rocky also seems to have social skills that are off the chart. When we take him to the dog park and a dog runs up to play, he'll gladly play with them. If a small dog wants to play with him, he’s super gentle because he seems to intuitively understand that he’s much bigger and stronger than they are. And for the ones who seem to be saying, “Please leave me alone,” he respectfully walks away.

He can be very sweet as well. He loves to make new friends, and he gets along with every type of dog. One special dog friend lives on our street and Rocky visits him often. One day he grabbed a toy when he was there and brought it back to our house. Of course we sent a new toy back to the neighbor's house. Now a regular occurrence, it’s a game they love to play together, and it makes us smile every time.

The Joys of Adoption

I wanted to share Rocky’s story because it seems like the perfect success story for people who are thinking about a local shelter adoption. And we can highly recommend Pets In Need, where every animal gets the training and guidance it needs to transition smoothly into a loving home.

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Read Glimmers Christmas 2025 adoption story here.

To learn more about Pets In Need and see their mission in action, visit PetsInNeed.org or follow them on social media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petsinneed1965/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petsinneed1965/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/petsinneed1965/

You can also visit their shelters in person at 871 5th Avenue in Redwood City or 3281 E. Bayshore Road in Palo Alto. Come meet their adoptable pets and give a loving animal a place to call home.