Rocko (nee Bucket) Italian Greyhound & Rat Terrier Mix Louisville, KY

Although extremely loving and affectionate with a strong desire to please, Rocko (nee Bucket) is shy around new people and situations. And he has every reason to be. In January 2015, when he was just a pup, Rocko's first owners put him in a box on their porch and left him to die. A young woman heard about the poor pup and asked the owners if she could have him. The box was soaked with urine and feces and the pup, now christened 'Bucket,' was covered with fleas. No doubt, she saved the little guy's life the day she took him home! Bucket became incredibly attached to his rescuer and she had every intention of giving him a home for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, she had to move in with her parents in July 2015 and her father was severely allergic to dogs. When we met Bucket for his evaluation, he clung to the young lady's leg but within an hour of his being surrendered, he was kissing the ACS staff and volunteers and was quick to climb up on any available lap. He quickly made friends with several other similar-sized ACS dogs. Bucket was quickly adopted but, sadly, was returned back to us in June 2019 because his owners felt they know no longer had enough time to give Bucket now renamed Rocko the love and attention he deserved. For the second heart-breaking time, we had to watch this poor dog desperately cling to his owners' legs running back and forth between them as if begging them not to leave him. There were quite a few tears that day all around. We are determined that Rocko's next home will be his forever home! His most recent owners told us that Rocko is crate and house-trained (he'll ring a bell when he needs to go out); loves children, other dogs and ignores cats; can be crated for up to 8 hours but is used to sleeping in his bed or in his owner's bed at night; is a "real cuddle bunny" and loves to sit on your lap; and loves to play Fetch. Rocko's a very leggy fella and those legs giving him an amazing ability to leap. With his long legs and trim but muscular build, we think Rocket has the potential to excel at agility and he'd make a great jogging partner. Rocko has a lot of energy but he's also a total lap dog and we think he'll be a wonderful BFF (Best Furry Friend) for some lucky household. We should point out that, although Rocko's last home had a male family member, Rocko is not as comfortable with men as he is with women and will take longer to warm up to any males in the home. This poor little fella's never done anything wrong to be on the receiving end of such bad luck with owners. That he's even willing to keep loving and trusting is a testimony to what a great dog Rocko truly is and he deserves an equally great owner who understands that owning a pet is a lifetime commitment. If you live in the Louisville Metropolitan area, have a nice-sized fenced yard and want to give Rocko a loving home for the rest of his natural life, stop by our shelter so that we and he can meet you. Primary Color: Red Gold Weight: 15.2lbs Age: 4yrs 10mths 0wks Animal has been Neutered I am available for adoption at the Animal Care Society.