April 16, 2012 RIP Barkley

Barkley was sent to play with Tiny, Shadow, Betty and Buddy at 9:45 AM today. It was the worst experience of my life. I thought being the fifth dog it would be easier. It was not.

Made some big steaks for supper last night. Neither of us was hungry and ate less than half so I cut up the rest for Barkley to eat on his way to the vet. Spent the night on the floor with the dogs watching TV. Eventually I slept in the living room with Barkley, Kali, and Vito. Tony slept in the bedroom with Stella and Bo. Went to bed around 10 PM. Here is a pic of our sleeping in the living room.

Was up this morning by 5 AM. Didn't sleep much all night knowing what today would be like. I never imagined in my worst dreams how it would end. I called the vet a 8:30 AM and asked if they could get us in any earlier than our 11 AM appointment, since seeing Barkley try to walk or be comfortable was not pleasant to watch. The vet said we could come in at 9:30 AM with the same doctor. I took the appointment time since I honestly could not sit here another couple hours waiting for what we were about to do. I thought I had everything covered. I pulled the car around back and put the blanket and storage container in the front seat. Got the steak out to guide Barkley to the car. Took him out the side of the house rather than the back stairs to make it easier on him. Used the dog stairs and steak to get him into the back seat of the car. Got him to the vet with only one pain noise as Tony took a corner. I sat in the back seat with Barkley. Used the steak and dog stairs to get him out of the car and walked him into the vet. Weight him at 40.1 lbs and took him into the room. Had to give Barkley the rest of the steak since he was going crazy, but was having a hard time standing. When the doctor came in we told her we are ready, we know it is time, he doesn't need to be examined. The doctor then said she would first take him into the back and put a IV tube in him so it would be a smoother ordeal when they inject him into the IV rather than trying to find a vein in front of us. I walked him into the back to the door and they took him in the back. After a little while I could hear him howling in pain in the back room. I immediately thought, not the left leg, that one hurts him. I opened the door and the vet had Barkley in her arms, Barkley howling in pain. I screamed, put him down, you can't hold him, it hurts to much. They put him down on the blanket I had laid out and he was hopping in pain howling. I told the doctor to just 'do it'. Barkley kept squirming and howling as she tried to get the needle in the IV. I yelled again, just do it. The doctor said first, 'I am trying', and then 'I am'. I then told Barkley he was a good boy and how much I loved him. In a little while Barkley laid lifeless in my arms. I swear this was the most horrible experience of my life. The sounds of Barkley howling in pain his last few minutes will haunt me the rest of my life. Here I thought I thought of everything. I forgot to tell the doctors and nurse 'not to pick him up'. How could I forget that? I knew, that is why we did all we did just to get him to the vet. Barkley, I am so sorry. Paid the bill and wrapped Barkley in a blanket and carried him to the car. Put him in the storage container and drove home. Set the container on the kitchen floor and tipped it sideways so the four other dogs could smell Barkley and know where their brother is, or what happened to their brother. All the dogs sniffed Barkley. Stella even nudged him a bit to see if he would move. It was heart breaking. Drove Barkley to Pet Lawn on the north side of town and dropped off his body. Said my last goodbyes, and drove home. I just took a Valium and sinus pill to hopefully get through the afternoon. What a horrible experience, and to think I will have to do this at least four more times. Here is another picture of my Barkley when he was happy and healthy. I'm going to lay down and hug my other four dogs all afternoon.

Barkley
Adopted 9/25/2008 at the age of 8 - My memories:

I went to the Waukesha Humane Society on a Friday September 25th, 2008 to turn over a dog we had taken in for a few days from a family that did not want him because he was too ‘puppy like’ and full of energy. We tried to have him here but he was too much of a handful at the time. When I dropped Nena at the Waukesha Humane Society my sister Penny, who works / volunteers
there, suggested I check out a Beagle named Barkley who had been at the shelter for about 3 months. He was 8 years old. I took Barkley for a walk outside for a while and then decided to talk to the staff about fostering him and possibly adopting if he worked out. I filled out the paperwork and took Barkley to the car. He jumped into the front passenger seat and sat there the entire ride home. He was happy to be riding in a car and had obviously done it before. He was so good the entire ride home as I talked to him about where he was headed.
When we arrived at home I took him out of the car and slowly walked him into the house, not knowing how he would get along with the other dogs, especially Stella. He walked right in
like we had just taken a walk and was coming back home, like he had been here before. The other dogs did not mind a bit that another dog was coming into their lives.

The first night when we went to bed I remember Barkley sitting on the floor at the side of the
bed. I told him to come on up onto the bed with his daddies. He jumped up and had the happiest look on a dogs face I had ever seen. After sleeping in the shelter for 3 months on a cold floor listening to so many other dogs barking, I could tell he was so happy. He snuggled up next to me and had this happy happy look on his face. A soft bed to sleep on with other dogs and two daddies, what more could he have wished for?

Barkley really only played with Vito. Stella was too rough, Kali didn’t have a need for him. But Vito always got along with everyone and Barkley took to him. They wrestle often and humped each other.

When ever you go to pet Barkley he turns his body to sit with his back to you like a ‘pretty
boy’. It is like someone trained him to sit nice when he is petted. That or the fact he is just so happy to get attention. This was the way Barkley always was. Happy to get attention.

I one night started talking ‘baby talk’ to him on the bed. He loved it. He kept trying to
bury his head under my body to play. The more I talked baby talk the more playful he got. He has always been such a happy boy to have come home here.

I assume he got his name Barkley because he does love to bark.
When he wants something or plays with Vito he barks loudly nonstop. Otherwise he is always happy to just find a spot on the bed, chair or couch and what the world go by around him. He does get along with all the dogs and snuggles with them napping or sleeping.

Barkley always had skin and allergy problems which was one of the reasons his past owners decided to give him up for adoption. We ended up switching him to an AIMS Skin and Coat food after about a month or more on antibiotics. The special food did seem to help. That and frequent baths. Being a Beagle, he did need his ears cleaned often.

Barkley loves to go for walks, sit by his daddy, or snuggle to sleep next to Tony or I at night. I can not imagine how someone could have given him up for adoption. He is the perfect pet.