Duncan and Joey. Photo: Rocket Dog Rescue
Meet Duncan (in beige) and Joey (in white), two young brothers in arms who stuck by each other through abusive experiences and have landed safely at Rocket Dog Rescue, where they're now looking for a forever home that keeps them together.
While they're waiting, these two bright fellows (Joey's a border collie, Duncan border collie/Lab) are coming out of their fearful shells, learning that people can be really, really nice, and reveling in the discovery. Their new family should be patient with them, help them blossom, and provide plenty of exercise and mental stimulation to keep them healthy and happy.
Now in its 12th year, Rocket Dog has saved over 6,300 dogs from death in crowded shelters. An all-volunteer group, it's done this through the support of many donors and a stellar network of foster homes — and, until now, no physical location, because they didn't want to spend money on overhead that could be spent on caring for dogs. But thanks to donor support and a generous landlord, a new opportunity arose, and Rocket Dog's now at work preparing its new Urban Sanctuary in East Oakland. Besides providing a place to shelter dogs waiting for foster or adoption, the facility will provide animal-care resources for the surrounding community, from vaccinations and spay-neuter services to training options. Meanwhile, Rocket Dog's already collaborating with the City of Oakland's Animal Services to help local dogs — including those confiscated recently in the bust of a dogfighting ring. As Rocket Dog founder Pali Boucher said in a series of Facebook posts, they weren't sure what they'd find when they met these canine crime victims, and whether they'd be damaged beyond repair. Instead, old and young, they displayed great sweetness and resilience, and are now recuperating from their experiences and getting the support they need in foster homes.
