Six years ago, former mobster-turned-animal-rescuer James Guiliani rescued a sweet dog named Rocco and placed him with a family. Back then, Guiliani made the family promise that if they ever needed to return Rocco for any reason, they would call him. Today, that time has come.
Guiliani gets a call from Rocco's owner Dede asking him to take back the dog. Guiliani agrees, but can't help feeling disgust.
"They're discarding him because they're moving," he says. "This infuriates me."
As he walks up to Dede's front door, Guiliani prepares himself for a difficult discussion. As angry as he is, Guiliani knows he must control his emotions and focus on the animal.
Guiliani sits down with Dede, who is holding Rocco. "What's going on?" he asks in a solemn voice. "Why are you giving me the dog back?"
"I'm going to an apartment, which [allows] every other animal except dogs," Dede explains.
Guiliani doesn't say much. His main concern is the dog, who he says is unlikely to get adopted. "No one's going to deal with Rocco. He's deaf and he's blind," Guiliani says.
Dede continues. "If there was anybody else, I would have--"
"No," Guiliani interrupts. "You don't give him to no one else. You give him to me. That's what I do. That was our agreement."
Then, it's time for Dede to say goodbye to Rocco. Through tears, she tells Rocco that she will miss him and gives him one last hug. Not even tough-guy Guiliani can keep his eyes dry.
"Rescue isn't for everyone, so I can't be that critical on people," Guiliani says. "That's why I'm here. I'm here to pull them out. I'm here to save them."
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