Help Save Tocin – A Second Chance for Our Best Friend

Hi everyone,

We’re reaching out for help to save our best friend, Tocin. He is a loving, affectionate, and playful 1.5-year-old rescue who has been our world since the day we adopted him. But right now, he is in crisis, and we are fighting to give him the life he deserves.

Tocin’s Story: From Street Puppy to Our Heart

Tocin was born on the streets of Fresno alongside his six siblings. They were rescued and brought to the SPCA with their mother, and miraculously, all seven puppies and their mom were adopted. That’s where we met him.

We weren’t planning to bring home a puppy that day, but when we saw Tocin through the shelter window, something happened—he woke up from his nap, walked right up to us, and laid back down to sleep at our feet. In that moment, it was clear: we were his family.

Since then, Tocin has been our everything. He is sweet, affectionate, social, and eager to learn. He loves long adventure walks, playing, and cuddling up with us. But despite his loving nature, he has been struggling with behavioral challenges that we can no longer manage on our own.

Why Tocin Needs Help

Recently, Tocin’s resource guarding behavior escalated, and he bit one of us. It was a serious and scary moment, but we refuse to let one bad day define his future.

Because of this incident, Tocin was brought to the Animal Care & Control (ACC), where they planned to euthanize him. We had to face that devastating reality and rushed to save his life. Luckily, we made it in time and were able to bring Tocin back home. We cannot accept that ending his life is the only option.

Tocin is not an aggressive dog. He is a young, intelligent, and loving pup who is struggling with fear and insecurity. He needs professional help, not a death sentence. He has never shown aggression toward strangers, children, or other dogs. Outside the home, he is friendly and social. But inside, he has trouble with resource guarding and impulse control.

We are fighting for a better solution because we believe in him.

The Plan: Professional Training to Save His Life

Tocin has been accepted into a 4-week Board & Train program with Koru K9 starting March 2nd. This is a highly specialized training program designed for dogs like him—dogs who need structure, guidance, and professional support to work through behavioral challenges.

This training is his best chance at a happy, safe, and full life. It will give him the tools he needs to trust, feel secure, and no longer feel the need to guard resources.

How You Can Help

The cost of the training program is $4,400 (not including additional costs for training tools, consultation fees, follow-up visits, and ongoing support). While we have been working hard and saving everything we can, we simply cannot afford this on our own.

If you can:

Donate – Every dollar goes directly to Tocin’s training. Even small amounts make a difference.

Share – Spreading this story could reach someone who can help.

Encourage – Your support, kind words, and understanding mean the world right now.

We Are Asking for Help, Not Judgment

This is not an easy situation. We are not making excuses for what happened. We take full responsibility for giving Tocin the training and care he needs. But we will not give up on him.

We want to live a long, happy, and safe life with Tocin, but at this point, his behavior requires professional help beyond what we can provide alone.

Thank You for Believing in Tocin

We wouldn’t be here if we had any other choice. We have always fought for the lives of animals in need. Today, we are fighting for our own dog.

Thank you for reading, sharing, donating if you can, and supporting us and Tocin in this fight. With your help, he will get the training and second chance he deserves.

With gratitude,

Maggie Mellen & Kay Sisson