Fear is one of the most powerful emotions. It paralyzes us and stops us from doing things we would like to do. It prevents us all from taking that leap, risking, and finally making the most out of the situation.
When Waffles arrived at the shelter in Wildomar, California, she was just another scared dog, scared to the bone.
She was terrified, and Rocky Kanaka felt that.
The poor rescue girl was giving all the wrong signs. It was quite a specific, almost dangerous situation. But, Rocky, being Rocky, knew he could touch that dog’s soul.
And he did that by singing.
Rocky Kanaka Is Singing With Dogs
He should really rename his project from Sitting With Dogs to Singing With Dogs because what Rocky did with Waffels was something special.
When Rocky entered the room Waffles was in, he felt how the room was filled with anxiety and stress. Waffles was radiating it. She was under a lot of pressure, coming from a terrible background into a new world where she didn’t know what to expect.
So, Rocky did what he does best: he waited, eager for Waffles to make the first move.
The concerning thing about Waffles was that she didn’t eat. There was a treat in the same room with her, and Waffles did not touch it at all. That’s a clear sign of how much stress the dog feels. Clearly, Waffles was overwhelmed with it.
No wonder why! According to what the rescuers found, Waffles was abandoned in an empty, wrecked house, surviving off of scraps, and there weren’t many. She was left there to starve, heartbroken and determined never to trust humans again.
The time she would spend at the Sully Port holding and transition area for dogs would not benefit Waffles. An already stressed dog won’t do well and decompress in a stressful environment with other dogs.
Waffles needed a miracle, and Rocky gave her one: the miracle of a song!
The Healing Power Of A Song
Not touching food is not a good sign, especially if it’s a yummy treat. But, Rocky had an ace up his sleeve. All these years of experience in handling dogs taught Rocky a fun trick: no dog says no to a bowl full of pungent-smelling cat food.
It’s the special, aromatic scent that draws the dog and invites him to eat, no matter the food strike.
Finally, the first glimpse of interest was spotted in Waffles’ eyes. She seemed quite interested in the food, so she decided to give it a try. Lo and behold, Waffles loved it!
But, accepting some wet food wasn’t enough. Rocky needed her to feel more relaxed, so he did what he felt was a natural thing to do: he sang to her.
As Rocky began singing the first lines of “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow”, the popular musical tune from Annie, Waffles stayed a bit indifferent.
And then, as the lyrics continued, Waffles made a little miracle of her own: her ears perked up, she came a bit closer and actually started listening to Rocky.
By the time the line “Tomorrow, tomorrow, I’ll love ya tomorrow, you’re only a day away” started, Waffles came as close as she allowed herself. She rested her head on Rocky’s lap and finally felt safe for the first time in many years.
Was it because Rocky is such a good singer, or was it because Waffles loves the popular musical song? We might never know. Well, at least we know Waffles will give her future a chance.
Someone Will Love Her Tomorrow
“You’re a good girl, Waffles. You’re safe now, and everything is going to be okay.”
Rocky said and promised.
Once Waffles allowed Rocky to take her to a health checkup in the other room, they found out new things about this precious dog.
It turns out that this senior gal is a Labrador Retriever, already registered at the shelter.
Her previous name was Shiro Cuma, meaning white bear in Japanese. Obviously, Waffles had a previous owner, but where was he? Why did he abandon Waffles in such a terrible place?
The good news is that Waffles was classified as a healthy dog. She will stay in Wildomar, California with Animal Friends of the Valley.
Rocky came back to see her after a couple of days, and her previous owner did not show up. That’s why Waffles will be put up for adoption once she’s ready to accept new humans.
She’s still careful around new people, especially new animals. But, what’s good is that she somehow finds a way to unwind and relax.
Waffles’ transition into a normal-functioning dog is still in process. It takes time and a lot of effort to go from a dog that doesn’t trust humans to one that does. Still, she’s changed from a growling pup at the beginning to the gal who loves Annie tunes.
Dear Waffles, your new hooman will come… tomorrow, one day…
“The sun’ll come out tomorrow, so ya gotta hang on ’til tomorrow come what may.”
