A senior Shetland Shepard-Dachshund mix named Barkley was found wandering haplessly by a trailer park in Owensboro, Kentucky. He was brought to the Daviess County Animal Shelter, where the workers immediately knew he was going to be one tough case. Barkley showed tell-tale signs of heavy depression, and there was no way he was going to engage with any human.
Disturbed 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 touch his food. Every time a worker approached him, he simply shifted his stiff body to avoid any sort of eye-contact.
Due to Barkley’s shut down stance, the vet had to sedate him to examine his health. The staff was horrified to learn 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 give up on him and kept assuring him of their sincerity and love. One miraculous day, Barkley finally realized that he was in a good place. He stopped hiding and decided to trust 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 in a long-term foster situation.
Barkley was no longer an ailing pooch harboring scars of abandonment, but a happy and friendly boy living it up in his foster home. Sadly, Barkley crossed the rainbow bridge a couple of years later from a cancerous mass on his back and spine which was not operable. But we’re so happy Barkley got at least a couple of years filled with love and affection in his final years. R.I.P sweet Barkley.
Click the video below to watch how Barkley’s painfully depressed demeanor affected the entire community.
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