“Rescue” isn’t something that just happens in a day – it’s a process. In some cases, it can go very slowly. It’s at those times that rescuers live for the little moments. The first time a pup will take a treat from their hand. The first wag of a tail. The first time they will greet you instead of hiding when you walk in the door. It’s these little, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that lets a human rescuer know that they’re on the right track. That the pup they’re devoting their time and attention to is responding. And every little bit counts.
Homer is one of these hard cases, but it really isn’t his fault.
Camp Golden Years in Tehachapi, California is a joint project between Marley’s Mutts and the Vet Friends Foundation. Together, their goal is to get more senior dogs rescued by giving them a place to transition from shelter to forever home. The “recruits” at Camp Golden Years are old and grey, but they don’t pass up a pet in need – like Homer.
Homer had been roughing it on the streets for months when he was found and taken in by Camp Golden Years. Wherever he was before, he had been tethered and had somehow gotten the cord wrapped around his waist. It had been there so long and so tightly, that it was embedded into his skin and cut off some circulation. A sensitive soul, sweet Homer had forgotten what it was like to be a pet – if he had ever truly been one – and had become feral to survive.
Joel Rockey with Camp Golden Years knew that the camp wasn’t really equipped to give Homer the help he needed, but he wouldn’t see him turned away. So Joel reached out to Rocky Kanaka for help with Homer. Rocky is passionate about pets and has used his talents to help give shelter dogs a voice and bring awareness to animal rescue.
Rocky’s family had just been shaken by extreme misfortune, having recently lost a family member. Seeing the sad photo of Homer, he felt that helping this little pup through his pain would bring some healing to him and his family, too.
“When I saw the picture of Homer, I knew I had to do something. And I don’t always get this personal, because I really try to keep it about the dogs, but recently our family has gone through tragedy.
“In my experience giving back, especially with a dog, can help heal.”
Homer had been in physical pain for at least weeks, with the tether around his waist getting tighter and tighter. The emotional pain was even deeper. Homer was terrified of humans, and though several people tried to help catch him and free him from the cord, he wouldn’t allow anyone to get close to him.
When Rocky met with Homer he saw the bruised soul behind the broken little pup, and an eagerness to love even through the fear. On a leash, Homer would “pancake,” laying splayed out as low as possible on the ground, refusing to be led anywhere. Patient as ever, Rocky would just sit, holding the leash and waiting for Homer to make his move.
“Homer is scared, and rightfully so. He has no reasons to trust humans. And so it’s going to be a journey. It could take weeks and months, even to show him that he can trust again. And I know he wants to. There’s a curiosity in his eyes.”
With high hopes for Homer, Rocky and his wife, Kelly, agreed to foster him. The road to physical and emotional recovery would be long, but his devoted foster family was determined to help him find his way.
Rocky and Kelly are experienced with fostering dogs who need a little extra love. The two recently fostered a dog who was rescued from a hoarding situation along with 159 other pups. She didn’t have a name, she didn’t know how to trust, and she needed a lot of time to come around.
Rocky and Kelly named her Blossom, gave her all the time she needed to love again, and when the time finally came, helped her find her forever home.
Homer was in good hands! They also had their “secret weapon,” Flip, a senior Boxer who loves other dogs.
The first few days in the Kanaka’s home were difficult. Homer was terrified. He was reluctant to come out of the corner of his kennel, where he had tried to hide. He would freeze and shake instead of wandering around like a curious pup. It broke Rocky and Kelly’s hearts when they realized that he had no idea how to use stairs.
But they had an endless supply of patience and so much love to give him. They only had to wait for him to come around.
“For the next month we let Homer observe and interact only when he wanted to, everything was on his terms. Little by little. Quiet days.”
Homer needed surgery to repair the damage done by the cord that had been wrapped around his waist. They gave him the support he needed, and tried to relieve some of the fear he had going in, and gave him the space he needed after to rest and recover. Homer opened up a little more after his procedure. Rocky shared an update, having learned where some of Homer’s favorite spots to be scratched are!
“I think that the healing process is gonna go really good. He’s open to love. There are signs of progress.
“He has his good days and his bad days.”
Rocky and Kelly celebrated the little victories. There were the days that Homer would wander outside on his own. They learned that he was a big fan of treats, and Rocky excitedly shared video of Homer eating snacks from his hand – and then trying to steal the bag while his back was turned!
There were some bumps in the road. Homer spent the 4th of July holiday shaking in fear. With few other options, Kelly spent a lot of time carrying him like a baby and soothing him.
Rocky shared the moments he could with his social media followers. They sent love and support to Homer, and Rocky, who believes that dogs can feel good intentions and love in words, read their messages to Homer. The people who fell in love with his story helped donate to cover some of the costs of Homer’s surgery. One very talented fan even painted Homer’s portrait in watercolors! For maybe the first time ever, Homer was experiencing real human love.
In an effort to learn what Homer might best respond to, the Kanakas had a DNA test done. The results returned, saying that Homer was mostly Australian Cattle Dog, with some other surprising breeds mixed in! This was good news – as a working breed, Rocky thought that Homer might relax if he was given the chance to let his instincts take over and do some herding. He began to look for ways to make it happen.
The very next day, the 47th day that Homer had been in their home, he gave Rocky and Kelly a huge gift. Rocky had been recording Homer every day to mark his progress as he came out of his shell, so he was fortunate enough to catch the very first playful tail wag Homer gave him!
Rocky was so shocked and excited that he jumped for joy – which scared Homer enough to cause him to cower – but with a few pets and congratulations for his foster pup, they were both bouncing around together!
Getting there definitely didn’t happen overnight. Rocky’s daily videos show what an incredibly slow process it was. At the very first, it was hard to get Homer out of his kennel. Then out of the door. Down the stairs. And into the grass. So much time was spent just holding the other end of the leash, waiting for Homer to move his paws in his own time. Once he made it into the yard, he would just sit, or lay down, with no intention of playing or exploring.
“When we first got him he was just shaking and he didn’t know how to be a dog… I knew it was a process and we would get through it, but to see a dog like this is just heartbreaking.
“The fact that Homer is wagging his tail is a miracle in itself.”
Flip was a big help in getting Homer there. While Rocky was keeping his distance, Flip was being very gentle, but approaching Homer on his own. Never too aggressively. He would sniff nearby, and you can see that he piqued Homer’s interest and curiosity. By watching Flip and Rocky play together, Homer learned to play too, and would mimic Flip’s actions at play time! Watch the three of them play together in the video below from Rocky Kanaka’s YouTube channel!
To help Homer become more comfortable in his own skin, Rocky arranged for him to do what Australian Cattle Dogs love to do most: herd! Together they took a trip to On The Lamb Herding Training, where Homer got to watch another dog, a master at her craft, work. After observing, Homer got to try it out.
Instinct didn’t take over the way Rocky had hoped it would – Homer was a little nervous, but with some encouragement, got up from his “pancake” and went to work. Homer allowed himself to be led around, and did his best to keep the sheep in line. He may not have been the best herding dog ever, but for a pup who was scared of everything less than two months ago, he did a great job!
As Homer became more comfortable with Rocky, Kelly, and Flip, he began to open up more to others. When introduced to strangers, babies and other dogs, Homer was able to stay calm. The feral dog was going away, and the pup who was eager to be loved was coming out, for good this time.
“It just when you foster a dog and you see them wag their tail there’s just an emotion. I don’t know. I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s amazing.”
It may not seem like much, but when you see Homer’s first day side-by-side with his first tail wag, it’s hard to believe you’re even looking at the same dog! In just 47 days, love and patience won this sweet pup over!
Homer’s journey isn’t over yet. He’s still with Rocky and Kelly, and he’s making more and more progress every day! Someday soon, he’ll be ready to live the rest of his life as some lucky person’s beloved pet, but Rocky and Kelly will keep these little moments they had with him in their hearts forever!
Read more about Homer at RockyKanaka.com.
Featured Photo: Rocky Kanaka/Facebook
Toledo, United States.
