For nearly ten years, a dog named Rockland lived in the hallways of an apartment building — a loyal presence with no family of his own. He wasn’t “anyone’s dog,” but the residents cared for him as best they could, offering food and kindness whenever possible. Still, Rockland spent most of his life fending for himself.
When the tenants realized they could no longer keep up with his care, they reached out to Animal Haven. For the first time in almost a decade, Rockland had a safe place to rest. But even with shelter, he was no closer to finding the one thing he’d always been missing: a family.
Volunteer Tedi Sarah worried that Rockland’s age would make it hard for him to be noticed. Then came even more difficult news — Rockland had cancer. His time was limited, and Sarah refused to let him spend whatever time he had left alone in a kennel.
“As soon as I met him and heard his story, I knew I had to help him,” Sarah told The Dodo. “He cannot die in the shelter. He cannot die without ever knowing the love and comfort of a family of his own.”
Determined to change his fate, Sarah shared Rockland’s story in a heartfelt video on social media. It was Christmas, and Rockland was spending yet another holiday alone. She wasn’t willing to let that happen again.
“We all adore him at the shelter and would love nothing more than to see him find a forever family of his own while he still can,” she wrote.
The world listened. Applications poured in from people moved by Rockland’s story and eager to give him the happy ending he deserved.
“Rockland was one of my favorite success stories because it worked so quickly!” Sarah said.
Among all the applicants, one stood out instantly — Bessy Gatto. She had a long history of rescuing special-needs dogs and had followed Rockland’s updates for a while. When she saw Sarah’s Christmas post, she reached out right away.
Now Rockland has the family he waited nearly a decade for. He has a loving mom, a group of dog siblings and two gentle human siblings who adore him. The dog who spent years wandering hallways now spends his days surrounded by warmth, affection and the comfort he always deserved.
“He’s a big brother now,” Sarah said. “They all adore him.”
To support more dogs like Rockland, consider donating to Animal Haven — and you can follow Sarah’s animal advocacy journey on Instagram.
