Rocky 23/08/12 to 23/02/24

Rocky was a big, beautiful, cuddly, bear of a boy who was loved by us and all who met him. We miss him every day.

Our beautiful Rocky passed away on 23rd February 2024, peacefully in his bed, surrounded by family, after a short illness (thought to be a brain tumour.) We adopted Rocky from Battersea, London, in 2013 when he was about 6 months old. He was being looked after by a lovely lady, named Ronnie (Veronique.) He would accompany her in the office, plant his paws on the stable door and watch people pass by. During his time at Battersea, he was briefly famous. He was in an advert for 'Paul O'Grady's For the Love Of Dogs' (video linked below - Rocky appears 8 seconds in, peering over the door.) When we first brought Rocky home, he ran around the garden in excitement - not only had he found his forever home, he'd also discovered snow! It was a fun time but he still needed a little tender loving care. Everything was new for him and he would pull on the lead like a freight train whenever we went for a walk. We spent the first few months teaching him how to walk slowly on the lead and bathing him every week to cure his Demodex Mite skin condition that left him with bald patches on his face, neck and tail. After that, he was calm, happy, healthy and had a glossy fur coat. Years later he even won rosettes at a local dog show for 'Best Rescue' and 'Most Handsome.' We were so proud of him. He was such a gorgeous boy that people would often ask us what breed Rocky was. The staff at Battersea believed him to be a Mastiff-Cross but we were curious to find out for sure, so we sent off a saliva swab to test his DNA. Well, he turned out to be 50% American Bulldog, 25% Staffordshire Bull Terrier and 25% Rottweiler. What an unusual mix! He was such a sweet, friendly character. He was never overly fond of playing with other dogs but he loved people. (Well, apart from the postman. Sorry, Postie.) Whenever someone came to the door he would rush to find a suitable toy, from his toy box, to greet them with. He was so excited to meet new people and his tail would wag so hard that it would almost whip your shins. Rocky was a big, cuddly, bear of a boy who was loved by us and all who met him. We are so grateful to the staff at Battersea Cats and Dogs Home for rescuing Rocky and for giving us the opportunity to adopt and share our lives with him. Rocky filled our lives with so much joy and so many wonderful memories that we will cherish forever. Rest in peace, Rocky. We love you and miss you so much. xxxx