07/13/2025
Long ago I knew today would come. My grief is immeasurable. With unconditional love and deep gratitude, I said goodbye to Rocket on June 28th. A month short of 13yo, he developed a large, high grade, mast cell tumor on his belly. The vet and I elected palliative care to make him comfortable (get this: surgery, radiation, and chemo would have cost around $20K, a form of cruelty I’d never, ever consider). That morning he was clearly in pain, so we gently and painlessly helped him leave the planet.
I adopted Rocket from the Louisville KY shelter when he was 10 months old. He was the dog I took to school to become a “certified” dog trainer. Together we saved many lives bringing harmony to dogs and their owners through training—he helped me rehabilitate several aggressive/reactive dogs.
I will miss his smart, fast, curious, pushy, boisterous, confident, vocal, sweet personality—all super!—and his insistent hound dog bark. ❤️
