When rescue cat Rocky first walked into Dawn Firestone’s life, the vet suggested euthanasia because he was in such bad shape. Firestone wasn’t giving up on him, and Rocky is still by her side five years later, living his best life despite all the obstacles he faced along the way.
Firestone stumbled upon Rocky while her husband Ben was working at a job site in a port near Newark, New Jersey. He saw a cat climb onto a machine and accidentally drop her baby 15 feet onto a concrete floor, causing major injuries that would leave Rocky paralyzed for life.
Firestone immediately picked up Rocky and took him to the vet, where she was told it’s probably best to euthanize him because he’ll never walk again. She was determined to give him the best life possible despite the vet’s suggestion and took him to physical therapy, acupuncture, and water therapy, before buying a tiny wheelchair with his name.
“When I first encountered Rocky, I had never seen a paralyzed cat. I was active on social media, but I hadn’t come across anything like it — no cat in a diaper, nothing. My love for Rocky led me to refuse euthanasia. Because I stood firm in that decision, five years later, he’s still with us,” Firestone told People.
She also shared his story on Instagram and TikTok under the moniker Rocky on Wheels, inspiring countless people to give paralyzed animals another chance at life.
