Before being discovered, Rocky spent countless days exploring a desolate construction site. The 1-year-old border collie mix was terrified of people and stared warily as animal rescue worker Barth worked to gain his trust.
Rocky and Barth are back together now, proving their strong bond.
“Barth had been putting food out for him at the [construction] job site for a week or so before his capture but was never able to touch him,” Shirley Zindler said, founder of Dogwood Animal Rescue. “He drove hours to pick up a trap from us, drove back to the job site, and was able to get him in the trap quickly.”
So that Rocky may be saved and taken off the streets, the man then took the long drive back to the rescue.
“[Barth] spent about an hour with Rocky, who was still pretty scared and shut down at that time,” Zindler said. “[But] he actually settled in pretty quickly once he made friends with the resident dogs and felt safe.”
Weeks later, as Rocky awaited adoption, the rescue pleasantly surprised him with Barth.
Here is where you can see Rocky and Barth reunite:
“It was just the sweetest thing,” Zindler said. “Rocky had really come out of his shell by then and was approaching people, but it was obvious that he remembered the friend who had fed him. He wagged his tail, gave kisses, and snuggled as close as possible.”
However, after a while, Barth needed to leave. Fortunately, the resilient dog quickly recovered.
“He watched him go, but was comfortable and happy and bonded with his foster family by then,” Zindler said. “So he had a wonderful visit with his friend, but was also happy and content in his foster home.”
Although Barth was unable to adopt Rocky, a caring couple did.
The former stray eventually got his forever home in August. Rocky is eager for his new chapter in life and will undoubtedly never forget Barth’s kindness.
“He was very comfortable with them and greeted them with wags and kisses,” Zindler said. “We’re already getting updates, and he has a new best dog friend next door to play with.”