Hi all, this is Barley. In 2023, Barley was found wandering alone in farmland, malnourished and abandoned. He was taken in and with the help of community he found his way into our home. Since then we’ve made an effort to never take him for granted, we’ll never know what kind of life he had before, but we try to make sure he can live this new one to the fullest.

Barleys truly one of the sweetest dogs you could have the pleasure of meeting, despite the trauma he endured. He’s so eager to make friends and always so excited to say hi to any person or pet he encounters. He loves learning tricks and often pulls me aside because he wants to show them off for regular kibble. He insists on running with the pack at the big dog park. He adorably digs his little sleeping spot into his blanket every night. He joined our family when things were becoming difficult with the health and death of my father, and was such a blessing of a dog that gave us love and structure during the worst of times.

Now, to the purpose of this.

In mid April, we noticed Barley was having tummy problems and a mild, inconsistent cough. We called the vet and made an appointment at their soonest availability in early May. this past Thursday, 4/30, Barley had a swollen chest and signs of respiratory distress, and was rushed into the emergency vet. Deemed in critical condition, he had 300ml of fluid removed from his chest cavity and a mass was detected. By the work of the doctors he was made stable enough to go home. The underlying cause for the fluid couldn’t be determined now but that the fluid would return, at an unknown pace. We immediately made an appointment for ultrasounds of the chest and abdomen to determine the significance of the mass, and any other abdominal issues, but the earliest he could be seen by appointment is this Thursday, 5/7.

Now we’re monitoring him and trying our best to keep him comfortable. The fluid buildup hid his weight loss, and we are trying our best to combat his decreased appetite. We are worried fluid may be building up again in his chest, and that an additional chest tap is needed now.

If you’ve read this far, thank you. Our little family has been struggling. If you’re able to donate any amount, it will all go towards Barley’s care. The additional chest tap, new foods to try to get him to eat, and ultimately the ultrasound so his prognosis can be determined.

We just celebrated his 3rd adoption day April 12th, and Lord willing we hope we can celebrate more, but his future is looking very uncertain. Thank you again for reading this, and for any donation you’re capable of.