Barley and his litter mate were castaways on an urban island which must have been at least as alien and frightening to them as Gilligan’s Island would have at first been to the crew and passengers of the SS Minnow. Surrounded on all sides by the terrifying noise and the apparent terrifying screams of cars, little Barley must have thought of them as monsters. Fortunately for Barley, one of those noisy monsters stopped roaring, opened up, and out stepped a person calling to him with sounds that probably made no sense but that were sounds that to Barley would have been soft, kind, and inviting.
Barley’s irresistible curiosity and natural love of attention probably saved his life that day. Had he listened to his fear and run from that kind and tender offer of help who knows what might have become of him. The chance that a little puppy barely old enough to be away from his mother would have survived the heat of an Arkansas summer and the dangers of the inner city are slim. Fortunately for little Barley, the occupants of one of those scary car monsters cared enough to interrupt their busy schedule and alight from their air conditioned “monster” to rescue out little castaway. Barley’s kind Samaritans immediately put everything else on hold so that they could make sure that Barley was safe and secure. They bathed Barley, removed the fleas and ticks that must have been torturous to such a small puppy, and gave him a good feed, some cool clean water, and oodles of love and attention.
Shy and cautious at first, Barley quickly relaxed enough to play with his litter mate who, as it turns out, was also rescued later that day by the same selfless and caring people who had rescued him. Even the big dogs in the house quickly became friends to Barley and despite a lingering caution Barley will already come to meet people he doesn’t know. He likes to play tug of war, wrestle around on the ground, jump, chase and be chased and loves people attention. All you have to do is to give him a little attention and he lights up. He likes being outside but also likes coming inside to be with the family. He chews on toys that are available and hasn't bothered any of the furniture at his rescuers home. His brother’s ears are apparently one of his favorite toys!
Best guess is that Barley is a Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd mix whose coat is a tan to fawn with some white. As of early July he weighs under 10Lbs, but thanks to the excellent care and love he’s receiving from his rescuers he gaining fast, and you should expect him to eventually reach anywhere between 60 and 100 Lbs. He isn't yet house or crate trained; however, his rescuers are working hard on it, and he has been able to stay in a crate with his brother without fuss or whining and has slept at night very well.
Barley and his litter mate are independent rescues supported by DogsOnly, and will be attending the DogsOnly adoption showings at Petco in west Little Rock on Chenal Parkway across from Target and Home Depot every Saturday and Sunday from 1-4. If you think you might have a place in your life for this wonderful little canine companion with puppy breath you are invited to send an email to
[email protected] or complete an online adoption application by clicking the links at the top or bottom of his official bio page located at http://www.dogsonly.org/161pop.html. You can also contact his rescuer directly by sending an email to
[email protected].