| Whish! Tracy swerved, nearly having to pull her | | | | Her brother had actually taken down his dog run. |
| car over. She was laughing to hard to drive. | | | | It was ugly. Sure, he had a dog door. It was in |
| Whish! Plop! Jingle! Then, another Whish! Dog toys | | | | the box lying against the garage wall. Rocky's |
| were flying past her rearview mirror like fuzzy | | | | 'facilities?' They were a massive porch with a |
| meteors headed for earth. She was not two | | | | whopping three foot railing and almost that much |
| miles form Best Friend's Animal Sanctuary and | | | | dirt area for his bathroom requirements. Tracy |
| Rocky's antics had already rendered her | | | | hung her head in shame. Despite having ample |
| incapsitated. Again, jingles erupted out of the | | | | acreage and money brother dearest was not |
| musical walrus. | | | | prepared for his commitment. "And, he's literally a |
| Rocky has always loved his toys. Some wonder if | | | | rocket-scientist," she mumbled under her breath. |
| he had them on the streets of Beirut. His handlers | | | | Lord help genetics. |
| always picture him gathering stuffed animals from | | | | "Your enclosure will not work, she told Tim, her |
| the collapsed rubble of bombed out homes. No | | | | big brother. "You need to fence part of the actual |
| doubt he'd pile them up, keeping them close | | | | yard." Then he iced the cake. "But, I have to |
| together in pure Border Collie fashion. Soon | | | | work tomorrow." "I thought you wear retiring," |
| rescuers came, but not for his playthings. | | | | she said. He had not. Nor was he willing to add |
| Rocky is one of hundreds of animals rescued by | | | | more fencing or work a trainer. We both have |
| Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals | | | | the same Father's eyes, Tracy silently pondered. |
| (BETA) during last falls conflict with Israel. When | | | | The next morning, Flipper snarled his disapproval |
| Betas's shelter was damaged the animals were | | | | at the world. Tracy went to Denver to meet her |
| moved. When neighbors threatened to kill them all, | | | | 'normal' brother, John, and Rocky was shut inside. |
| they moved again. This time the refugee pack | | | | He was shut inside his giant new home with all |
| came to America. The kind souls at Best Friends | | | | white carpets. Happy, happy, joy, joy, Rocky |
| Animal Society evacuated the rag-tag menagerie, | | | | took his revenge. |
| bringing them all to their facility outside Kanab, | | | | As John approached the restaurant table the |
| Utah. | | | | following morning he told Tracy, "I have some |
| At two years of age, the stunning Rocky was | | | | bad news." She didn't miss a beat. "Tim just called |
| already better traveled than many American | | | | and I'm taking Rocky back to Utah with me. I'll |
| citizens. Now, he was on his way to Colorado. | | | | have a large chai with soy." "Ah, you're right," |
| Would this finally be his forever-home? A flying | | | | John stumbled. No doubt thinking, his sister should |
| tiger toy balanced off the dashboard as the Jeep | | | | have been the rocket scientist. Tracy pretended |
| Cherokee rolled up Hwy 89. From the back, | | | | to be undaunted. |
| Tracy's own Lebanon Rescue, a cantacourous | | | | Inside she dreaded ten more hours in a car with |
| terrier mix named Flipper, snarled his disapproval. | | | | Rocky and a disgruntled Flipper. She was mortified |
| Why had Rocky gotten the good seat? | | | | at the thought of telling Best Friends her own |
| As the Muttly Crew crossed Utah and wound up | | | | brother, whom she recommended, was such a |
| the Rocky Mountains, Tracy reflected on the past | | | | wanker. Overall, however, her mind was dancing |
| three weeks. It was her brother and his wife that | | | | with glee. |
| were adopting Rocky. Or, so she thought. Tracy | | | | She'd already decided Rocky could not stay with |
| had taken the dog to obedience classes, drove | | | | someone unwilling to prepare for him, work with |
| him on outings, worked with him on the Best | | | | him or provided him a secure home and continued |
| Friends agility course, etc. One of them had a | | | | training. (The mind and body of a Border Collie |
| natural talent for agility. It wasn't Tracy. She | | | | needs more.) Now she could play apologetic |
| believed she laid the foundations of a great pet | | | | instead of condescending. Now no 'Breaking and |
| for her family. There was one flaw in the plan. | | | | Entering' would be on her record. |
| Within a Colorado day the blemish appeared. It | | | | Back across the country the trio rolled. Tracy's |
| was Tracy's family that needed intensive training, | | | | heart broke when she returned Rocky to his run |
| not the dog. True, Rocky was not yet perfect. | | | | at Best Friends. She'd chosen the wrong home |
| He needed house training and paced and whined | | | | for him. Even the greatest sanctuary on earth is |
| when left alone or shut in a room. But, why not? | | | | no substitute for a loving home. His rocky road will |
| He was a Border Collie after all. While he has a | | | | continue a little longer. |
| dash of husky or ausie, Rocky's needy heart and | | | | To this day Tracy, a Best Friends volunteer, still |
| wrestles mind are Border through and through. | | | | walks Rocky, bumbles through the agility course |
| Tracy was aghast by her own family's lack of | | | | and takes him for drives. Whish! |
| preparations. | | | | |