Rocket
Date of Passing: 3/17/26
Message to Rocket: Rocket was one of a kind. Truly the goodest boy. Of all the dogs we've trained and loved, Rocket was far above the most intuitive, smartest, all-around best one.
Tell us about Rocket: Rocket came from rural Indiana, a litter of pups from a barn dog. The farmer told the county animal control "if you don't take em, I'm just gonna have to take em out back and shoot em all." Needless to say, animal control took them, named them all after big guns (Rocket Launcher) and we kept Rocket as his name.
We had been looking for a dog, about a year old, house trained already, when I saw Rocket's puppy picture on Petfinder. All brown puppy with white front socks. I was sold immediately. It didn't take much to convince my partner (not yet my husband, and that weekend we drove 6 hours away to pick him up.
14 years with him. He came before our marriage, before our kids, he lived in 7 homes with us, moved across the country twice with us, forever our road trip companion, keeping guard over our SUV while we slept in the way back.
He was instinctively gentle with the kids as babies, and became the neighborhood mascot when we bought our first home 3 years ago. He would take himself for a stroll if he got the chance, but always made his way back home.
We will have other dogs, we will love other dogs, but there will always be a Rocket-shaped piece missing from us.