Editor’s note: Simply put, rocks are the new dogs. To meet the needs of this growing population of pet parents, we are switching our focus to become your source for all things rock related. Rockster will deliver the latest care info from experts in the mineralogy field, the best training advice from leading rock behaviorists, and the most helpful tips from our team of rock lovers, who will help you navigate life with a not-so-furry friend. Also look for inspiring stories of rock rescue and adoption, as well as profiles of Rockster Heroes. And be sure to create a page in our Community area — we want to see your pets, pebbles and boulders alike! We hope you enjoy Rockster. — Pamela Mitchell, Senior Rockster Editor
Three years ago, the streets of Sedona, Arizona, were swarming with stray and abandoned rocks, cast aside like yesterday’s trash or the physical evidence of thousands of years of geologic processes.
“They were all along the interstate, scattered in vacant lots, some just lying on sidewalks,” said resident Ted Hawk. “To be honest, we didn’t think there was a problem with it.”
But today, thanks to the hard, selfless work of Greater Sedona Pet Rock Rescue (and Landscaping Services), the rocks are now off the streets, hoping for a chance to be adopted by a loving family and spend the rest of their lives in a forever home — or a path running around that home, if you go that route.
“I just thought it was wrong,” said founder Jeanie Raddish. “All these poor rocks just strewn about. I wanted to give them a chance for a better life as a member of a loving home — or as part of a weed-resistant border to that home.”
So Jeanie and her team of volunteers began getting the rocks off the streets. All told, they’ve rescued 867,098 rocks, in all shapes and sizes, from a tiny pebble no bigger than your average pebble to a giant boulder called Big Red, who sleeps in Jeanie’s bed along with seven other rescue rocks.
But one little rock is close to her heart.
“Peanut was found on the sidewalk outside a fast-food restaurant,” recalls Jeanie, tearfully. “She’d been getting stepped on for weeks, sometimes kicked into the street. When we saw her, we knew we had to do something.”
So Jeanie walked over and picked the little rock up.
“I put her in my pocket, and she didn’t make a sound, not a peep, even when I was finishing my shake and the straw made the GARRRHHHHGH sound. She’d found her home.”
Jeanie drilled a hole into Peanut and now wears her around her neck as a reminder that all rocks deserve a chance to be pet rocks.
“We’ve got like a half million rocks back at the yard, if anyone needs one,” says Jeanie, brightly. “Take a handful. Really, come on by. You can change a life — or thousands of lives, if you’ve got a truck.”
“Rocks are a great alternative to mulch!” she added.
And now, a special offer for Rockster readers!
Greater Sedona Pet Rock Rescue (and Landscaping Services) is offering a special 5,000-for-1 deal for Rockster readers. That’s right: Adopt one pet rock, get 5,000 — or however many you want, really. Just enter the code WHATDOWEDOWITHALLTHESEROCKS? at checkout.
Read more about pet rocks on Rockster:
- Dogster.com and Catster.com Merge into Rockster.com
- The Pet Rock Revolution Is Here: Dogster Is Now Rockster
- What Do I Feed My Pet Rock? Why Does He Eat Poop? Our Vet Has the Answers
- 5 Tips for Taking Your Pet Rock to the Dog Park
- Do You Let Your Pet Rocks Sleep in the Human Bed? All of Them?
- 4 Tips for Introducing Your Pet Rock to a New Dog
This is our first Rockster Hero, but you can read about Dogster Heroes:
