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BACK ISSUES

Goodbye Roccy (1996-2007)

Photo by KENNETH ULAPPA

SEVERAL YEARS ago, Project POOCH received an email about a 7-year-old chocolate lab that had been abandoned by his owner at a boarding kennel. The homesick lab was not doing well, despondent and grieving for the person who had left him. The kennel employee wanted to know if Project POOCH would consider taking the lonely dog.

JOAN DALTON, POOCH director, went to the kennel where she was introduced to Roccy, a skinny older dog with infected eyes, a dull coat, and stiff arthritic legs. It was a cold, rainy day, but the dog was still willing to run on his stiff legs to retrieve and return a ball. Joan could see the dog had spirit; he was no quitter, so she loaded him into a crate and took him back to Project POOCH.

From here, things got better for Roccy. He was paired with a trainer with a special feeling for labs – and especially hard-luck labs like Roccy. Then the Ulappas came along.

Usually people want young dogs, and pass older animals by, but KENNETH and LAURIE ULAPPA were looking for a mature dog – gentle, reliable, trustworthy but still playful to be a friend for their young son, THEO.

The Ulappas adopted Roccy, and stayed in touch with Project POOCH with frequent updates and photos (both Laurie and Ken are professional photographers). They gave him a wonderful life

On August 6, Roccy said his goodbyes to his loving family and friend, Joan Dalton. His veterinarian put an end to his suffering from pneumonia and laryngeal paralysis. Kenneth Ulappa wrote: “Roccy was a wonderful dog, a chocolate lab/golden retriever mix, with a big smile and big heart, who had an amazing impact on many people, including our family, Joan and his trainer from Project POOCH. We are grateful for what he brought to our home, and we’ll always cherish our memories of the two years we had with him.”