I want to tell a bit about our almost 3-year old Boxer mix, Rocket – the hurricane survivor! 
Last Spring we rescued Rocket from a real tough start in his short 2 years of life as a puppy. During the massive 2017 hurricane in Texas, he was separated from his family and lost his home. He was eventually found wandering the streets by animal authorities and taken to a kennel along with many other pets that were abandoned, lost and homeless after the hurricane. He spent 6 months in what they call a “kill shelter” in Kennedy, Texas where nobody claimed him. His time was up after 6 months; they couldn’t continue to keep him and Rocket was slated for euthanizing.
But it was not be so for Rocket……. as a group from Canada called S.C.A.R.R., who travels to the southern states to help save homeless animals after hurricanes, etc. found Rocket and saved his life for the second time!! So, not only was he a hurricane survivor but he had a near miss with euthanization.
At the same time, our family started our careful search for a dog to rescue.  We found our Rocket and knew he was the one!! We made all the arrangements, were approved for the adoption and drove 2 hours away to London, Ontario to pick him up. We instantly saw he how much of a gentle, loving, and incredibly affectionate soul he was and then became a perfect addition to our family of 4 young children. He is full of energy, loves being outside when it’s not super cold as he doesn’t seem to be climatized from living in the very warm state of Texas yet. He loves our hairless guinea pigs, Bullwinkle and George and treats them as if they are his own puppies.
Rocket is playful and a little cheeky at times. A great companion for the children, loves walks, and is a giant teddy bear who loves to cuddle and watch TV with the family. He anxiously waits in the front window to see the children arrive home after school and outings. We could not have asked for a more amazing family pet!!
About a month ago, we found out that Rocket’s strength to overcome life’s unpredictable curve balls was not yet over. We noticed a sore near his front armpit area which, after testing was found to be a Mast Cell Tumour. As the family discussed it, we prepared for the surgery to have it removed and went ahead with pre-op bloodwork, etc.
Then, yet another blow for Rocket, his bloodwork came back positive for Microfilaria (aka heartworm) to which he was tested upon his arrival in Canada but is not usually detectable in the early stages. Given the timing, it is assumed he was bitten by a mosquito and contracted heartworm while homeless in Texas. As a preliminary measure he needed x-rays to see how advanced the heartworm and the many possible physical complications of it were. The good news is that the cancer has not spread to anywhere else in his body and the one area under is arm can be surgically removed. The other good news is that the heartworm is in the early stages so no permanent damage yet to his heart or lungs. Unfortunately, he is unable to have the surgery on the mast cell before he is treated and clear of heartworm. Which brings us here to GoFundMe to share Rocket’s journey and hopefully help him beat the odds for a third time.
Treatment for the heartworm is very costly. We have the means to cover the surgery on the mast cell and aftercare, but the heartworm treatment goes beyond our means. We are reaching out in hopes to raise some funds to help us with the cost to treat the heartworm, and give our lovable boy another chance at life. Even the smallest donation is a big step towards bringing the dream of a third chance at life for Rocket a reality. He has beaten the odds twice with his youth, strength and tenacity, and with a lot of love and a little financial help, we know he can do it again!!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking time to read about Rocket’s journey. 

With love from: Nick, Courtney, Lincoln, Shelby, Aubree, and Bristol
... and of course ROCKET ♥

***Watch Rocket's Journey on SnapChat ... "rocketsjourney" ...***