
Overlooked dog kept being rejected at shelter. Then the right family came along
An overlooked dog kept being rejected at a Florida shelter — then the right family came along.
'Despite being a great dog, he was turned down by many visitors due to his size, energy, and breed,' the Humane Society of Tampa Bay wrote March 17 in a Facebook post. 'Until this weekend!'
That's when Rocko the dog finally got a new home after two months of waiting.
'Everyone at HSTB was so excited to see Rocko get adopted,' Regan Blessinger, marketing and content manager for the humane society, told McClatchy News in an email. 'He was such a happy and fun dog, and we are not only happy he got adopted but got adopted to the right family who understands his activity level.'
The shelter shared the heartwarming news after Rocko was surrendered for being 'too active.' As he waited for a new owner, he became known as a playful, 77-pound bull terrier mix.
Then, after several visitors passed him over, he caught the eye of a family who had recently lost their beloved dog. They thought Rocko looked similar to their late pup, and his one brown ear captured their hearts.
'He's super goofy, we can't wait to bring him home to our place,' the family told the shelter. 'We have 3.5 acres, so he will have all the space to run around and explore.'
Facebook users couldn't get enough of Rocko's story, which garnered more than 1,800 reactions within four days of being posted online. Several people shared comments congratulating the dog on starting his next chapter.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Brillion Fire Department welcomes and congratulates its first-ever Fire Cadets
BRILLION, Wis. (WFRV) – In a Wednesday morning Facebook post, the Brillion Fire Department introduced the community to some of its newest members. Reese, Kiera and Blake were welcomed by the station in December as the first cadets in department history. Village of Bellevue gets two new Community Orchards courtesy of volunteers & New Leaf Foods 'These cadets are gaining hands-on experience, training alongside our firefighters and preparing to serve the community with dedication and pride,' the post said. The Brillion Fire Department's post expressed pride and excitement for the trio, as they become part of the next generation of firefighters. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fire breaks out at Coach's in Wilkesboro with employees, patrons inside
WILKESBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — A fire broke out at Coach's Neighborhood Grill on Tuesday while employees and patrons were inside, according to a Facebook post by Millers Creek Fire Department. Wilkesboro Fire Department arrived at Coach's, located at 1840 Winkler Street off of U.S. Hwy 421, and found smoke and fire coming from the roof's mechanical area. Heavy fire spread throughout the ceiling area above the tiles. Crews cut three ventilation holes through the roof to extinguish the fire, which took about 45 minutes to control. Assisting agencies include: Cricket Fire Department Moravian Falls Fire Department Broadway Fire Department Wilkes County EMS Wilkesboro Police Department Duke Power Frontier Energy The post does not specify what time the fire happened; however, personnel were on scene until midnight searching for hotspots and fire extension. No injuries were reported to civilians or firefighters. The fire is believed to be accidental. The North Carolina State Fire Marshal's Office continues to investigate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Watch Duty wildfire map: App helps track California blazes, find shelter. What to know
As a wildfire continues to spread in Apple Valley, one service is working overtime to keep residents informed − and safe: Watch Duty. Watch Duty uses an app and a web browser to alert people of nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts "in real-time." By using the platform, Apple Valley residents being impacted by the Ranch Fire − among others − can see a list of local shelters, that status of evacuation orders and warnings, as well as regular updates. John Mills, CEO and co-founder of Watch Duty, said that as a California resident, he has experienced, the same situation tens of thousands of people are dealing with. When he was forced to evacuate from his home west of Healdsburg in Northern California's Sonoma County because of the Walbridge Fire in 2020, he kept his ear to the ground, listening for any and all updates related to the fire. "It was just a traumatizing amount .... You're up all day refreshing your browser tab and trying to figure out where the information is. And turns out, information is on the radio and there are a bunch of the first responder radios," Mills said in a Wednesday interview with USA TODAY. "There are these people who spend all their days and nights listening to first responders relaying that information on Twitter and Facebook. And that's what got me through those fires." Live updates: Ranch Fire reported at 4,200 acres, evacuation orders remain in place Mills decided to get to work on this "crazy idea" he had, helping his friend build a startup in the wildfire space. "I'm riding in fire trucks, doing wildland fire training. I'm hanging out with first responders and trying to understand what the worlds looks like and how I can help," Mills said. "About six months in, I realized what the answer was, and it was what became Watch Duty." Here's what to know about Watch Duty, including how to get it. Watch Duty is a non-profit focused on "disseminating public safety information in real-time from verified sources" about wildfires across 14 states, including Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii and California, according to the Watch Duty website. Any information posted to Watch Duty comes from active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders, who routinely monitor radio scanners, working around the clock to bring you up-to-the-minute lifesaving information. Watch Duty was built in 80 days and officially launched in August 2021, a year after a multiple fires devastated counties in northern California, including Sonoma County. Get weather and fire alerts via text: Sign up to get current wildfire updates by location Watch Duty follows six steps anytime wildfire-related information is disseminated by fire response personnel. An automated monitoring system picks up the details about an incident reported to the emergency dispatch center, alerting Watch Duty teams via a messaging app, then any and all Watch Duty reporters in the region begin to monitor radio scanners, wildfire cameras, satellites and other public sources. After that, Watch Duty reporters verify the disseminated information and wait for on-scene personnel to provide an official report on conditions. Watch Duty will notify the affected public of any perceived threat to life or property through the application and will continue to monitor the incident and provide updates until it is extinguished or no longer a threat. A step-by-step video of how Watch Duty works can be seen below. The is available for free to download on the App Store, Google Play, or can be used through your web browser. Watch Duty has been downloaded over 2.8 million times since it was released. In-app features include: Real-time Wildfire Map & Alerts Monitor Wildfires and Prescribed Burns Flight Tracker Air Quality & Wind Direction Consolidated Information like red flag warnings or power outages Track Active Fire Perimeters Evacuation Orders & Shelters Submit Photos This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch Duty: Free wildfire alert app helps California residents