Rocky, a cocker spaniel, is the latest addition to my own menagerie, he has been living with me for around 4 months now.

Here in the North of Spain, the winters can be quite cold, and I first saw Rocky running along the side of a dangerous main road around Christmas time. It was around 7pm on a cold dark rainy night.

I was in the middle of thundering rush hour traffic and there was no way I could stop. When I did eventually manage to turn round to try to approach him, he had disappeared, or it was just too dark with poor visability to see him. I went home praying that he had known where he was going and could find his way home.

The following day I caught sight of him again- still on the main road. He was about a mile from where I had seen him the previous night. This time I was able to pull over, but as soon as he saw me he bolted into the oncoming traffic which by a miracle missed him and ran into an area where there is housing, away from the horribly busy main road. I searched the area for over an hour but did not catch sight of him again.

I could only hope one of the house owners would see him, and realise that he was lost. However, there are many lost and abandoned dogs in this area, and most homeowners do not react at all other than yelling and hitting out at the dogs. My only hope was as he is obviously a breed as opposed to a mixed breed mongrel that he might get lucky.

The following day, I caught sight of him again. Again a three hour search ensued with no luck.


On day five, I got lucky. I was heading off the main road to a friend's house and Rocky was just coming in the other direction but fortunately was still on a side street without passing cars. He was bedraggled, wet dirty and obviously starving. He came to sniff the food I held out to him, and I was able to slip a collar round his neck.

I subsequently discovered, due to a microchip that he is six years old and had belonged to a Spanish man and his wife who lived in a seaside town 20 miles from where I had picked him up. The man had died, and his wife was unwilling to care for the dog. Five months earlier she had given him to a couple who already had two other dogs although she 'had her doubts'. I do not know how Rocky had come to be on that stretch of road, but my guess is he was dumped there. He was filthy and covered with fleas, which did not just appear over the five days he had been wandering on the road.

He was very traumatised and had an exceptionally sad dull look in his eyes, however I am pleased to report he has now cheered up no end, and loves his daily walk with the other seven dogs in my care.

He eats very well, and shows few signs of the trauma he has endured in his the last year. I believe prior to his master's death he was well looked after.