Help Rocky Overcome Cancer

Rocky the Pitbull has touched the lives of so many people over the course of his short ten years. Ask anybody who's crossed paths with Rocky - his gentle playfulness, his love for people, and sincere attachment and loyalty to "his people" is what melts all of our hearts.

On Saturday, June 1st, 2024, Rocky suddenly stopped walking on hind right leg. Along with the physical change, Rocky was exhibiting signs of pain, he stopped eating and drinking, and became very lethargic. Joshua and I observed the behavior as extremely abnormal and took him to the emergency vet that day. What started out as "Rocky might have a ruptured CCL" at the ER, developed into the news of a cancerous bone lesion in his right tibia just a few days later. To say we are shocked and devastated by the news is an understatement. Our world quickly turned upside down.

On Wednesday, June 12th, we consulted with an oncologist who performed a biopsy. The doctor confirmed Rocky has osteosarcoma, and that the cancer has disintegrated his tibia, resulting in the leg also becoming fractured. Because of the lesion, Rocky's leg will not be able to heal from the fracture - and to isolate the tumor, we are now faced with the reality that our sweet pup's leg will now have to be amputated. Along with amputation, Rocky will also undergo chemotherapy in the hopes the cancer will not metastasize.

If you haven't had the chance to meet the world's sweetest and most loving dog, here's some back story on Rocky:

Rachel met and adopted Rocky in March 2014 while working as a writer and video editor at ABC7 in Los Angeles. Rocky, along with dozens of other puppies, was brought into the TV station for "Puppypalooza", an event that encouraged viewers to adopt from a local animal shelter. I had zero intention of bringing home a dog that day, but Rocky captured my heart.

At just eight weeks old, Rocky had been ditched alongside a street in East LA in a box. He was severely malnourished and developed rickets in his front legs. I remember thinking that this dog needs me, and it was absolute love at first sight. I was determined to get Rocky the help he needed to heal his case of rickets.

(GoFundMe doesn’t support portrait-photos, so y’all can enjoy two uploads landscape style!)

We saw several veterinarians in Los Angeles about Rocky's condition. None of them had real treatment options for rickets. Left feeling hopeless, but still wondering what could be done to help him, I started adding vitamin D oil to his daily meals. With rickets being primarily a vitamin D deficiency, Rocky's legs healed in just three days. This experience reminds me just how much this sweet dog has overcome, and the miracles I've seen with my own eyes in regards to his life. There's no doubt in my mind that Rocky can beat cancer, too.

Rocky is a huge staple to our family. He bonds us in ways we never thought possible, and truly can't imagine our lives without him. After much research and consideration about Rocky's quality of life, we are confident he wants to remain alive and with us for as long as possible. We know Rocky wants to become a big brother to his baby sister Esra in July 2024.

Joshua and I are asking for help to do everything we can for Rocky. He is still his playful self, despite the lesion and fracture in his leg, and very much has a sweet zest for life. He has bad days, too, but those come with the pain he's experiencing from the fracture - which will be dramatically lessened through the amputation.

Please consider helping us extend Rocky's precious life, because this is not his end! Rocky's oncologist has estimated the amputation to cost around $5K, along with six rounds of chemo at $800 each - totaling to about $10K. We have already put $2K into his care between ER visits, numerous x-rays between care providers, and are considering the TheraJan clinical trial in Virginia (which will require travel and additional exam fees/imaging) that could extend his life for years to come. Every dollar counts and is so appreciated by our little family.