A senior Shetland Shepherd-Dachshund mix named Barkley was found wandering haplessly by a trailer camp in Owensboro, Kentucky. He was delivered to the Daviess County Animal Shelter, where the workers immediately knew he was getting to be one tough case. Barkley showed tell-tale signs of heavy depression, and there was no way he was getting to engage with any human.
Perturbed by the shelter environment, Barkley had confined himself to a grim corner in his room. He would face the wall all day and refuse to the touch his food. Whenever a worker approached him, he simply shifted his stiff body to avoid any kind of eye-contact. Owing to Barkley’s pack up stance, the vet had to sedate him to look at his health. The staff was horrified to find out that the poor guy had raw and infected urine burns on his paws, while his dental health was equally shabby. However, Barkley was already neutered, which indicated that he was no stray. It’s likely that his family abandoned him to avoid his age-related medical bills.
For 2 difficult weeks, Barkley remained petrified and unresponsive. But the determined workers didn’t hand over on him and kept assuring him of their sincerity and love. One miraculous day, Barkley finally realized that he was during a good place. He stopped hiding and decided to believe in humans again! Gradually, Barkley grew relaxed and gladly embraced his caretakers. While he wasn’t an attention-seeking type, he began looking forward to belly rubs and cuddles from humans! Barkley was later rescued by “Secondhand Hounds,” who placed him during a long-term foster situation.
Barkley was not an ailing pooch harboring scars of abandonment, but a cheerful and friendly boy living it up in his family . Sadly, Barkley crossed the rainbow bridge a few of years later from a cancerous mass on his back and spine, which wasn't operable. But we’re so happy Barkley got a minimum of a few of years crammed with love and affection in his final years. R.I.P sweet Barkley. Click on the video below to find out how Barkley’s painfully depressed behavior affected the whole community.