Rocky

I was happily adjusting to a new chapter in life in a different city, until one tearful phone call. 

It was early September of 2022, I had just begun my freshman year of college. My childhood dog, Rocky, had recently become sick with a tumor in his hind leg that couldn’t be removed for a few months. The vet gave us a timetable that he could comfortably live on for another year or maybe more with the tumor. 

Always an energetic dog, Rocky would run around the house and jump on all the furniture no matter what, even after initially being diagnosed. However, as the tumor grew, so did his limp, slowing him down to the point where he could not jump on the furniture anymore. Even with the limp and loss of strength, Rocky  remained the happiest dog in the world. He was always barking and playing with others, trying his best to move around. Even with his energetic and cheerful attitude, we could tell when the tumor had begun to get worse. 

As the limp in his leg gradually got worse, the summer came to an end, and I was getting ready to leave for college. Having to leave Rocky even though he was sick. However, we thought he had a few more months in him. 

I left for college in mid-August for football camp, still thinking that Rocky had more time. However, three weeks later, I got a call that he would need to be put down that weekend. 

That call caught me off guard. Both my parents were on the phone and told me that Rocky’s limo has continued to get worse. They explained to me that it had gotten to the point where he could barely lift that leg anymore. So when they brought him back to the vet, they recommended putting him down.

After all these years of growing up with Rocky, I would only be able to see him one more time. I couldn’t help but get teary-eyed. I almost began crying right there, but held it back until I could get back to my room.

That Friday I took the train home to spend one last night with Rocky. On the way home, I thought about all the good times we had together. Like when first got him and he knocked over all of our Christmas decorations. Or when he would do a lap around the whole house whenever someone came home. All the walks on the beach and car rides with the windows down. Trying to play catch with him even though he would never actually bring the ball back. So many memories made throughout the years. 

Even though he was in pain, that last night he was still the same dog. While he couldn’t really walk much at this point, he would still bark whenever a car or person passed, smiling and lying on the couch with the rest of our family. 

When the time finally came the next morning, saying that last goodbye was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. He looked at me with an innocent and confused face and my family kissed him goodbye one last time before my mom took him to the vet. 

While that last goodbye was hard, I felt oddly relieved afterward knowing that he won’t be in pain anymore. I still miss him all the time, but I’m happy that he is at peace. When I look back, I’m mainly just grateful for all the memories he gave me and the life we gave him as a family. 

March 2025