Barnaby Howard

Went to Rainbow Bridge 26.2.07

It was a very sad Barnaby who arrived from Ireland last year.

but his new mum and dad put the smile back on his face bigtime for which we are really grateful to them. He became a very happy boy again, playing happily in their garden, but he has now been cruelly snatched away from us all. We all thought that he had years not months of his life to share.

A few days before he passed over, Barnaby had difficulty using his back legs, and no interest in eating. Despite extensive treatment and many tests there was no improvement and, as it was pointless and unfair to Barnaby to put him through any more, it was decided, reluctantly, and very bravely, that it would be kinder to put him to sleep.

Norma offered him a treat but he was not interested then she cuddled him while they gave him the injection and he went to sleep very peacefully in her arms.

We are all absolutely devastated but Lorraine and Pauline, especially, were very fond of Barnaby as they both fostered him for a few days.

His mum and dad did the bravest and kindest thing for him and for that we thank them from the bottom of our hearts. They put him first and foremost which can often be the hardest thing to do.

He was a very lucky boy to have found the love and devotion that they gave him, which more than made up for his miserable past. They brought him happiness and showed him kindness and love.

He passed over whilst in the most loving arms. It could have been so different had he been left to die in the cold and lonely pound.

Barnaby will be fine now, healthy and happy, surrounded by love, with the angels and all the other IRR dogs at Rainbow Bridge, waiting until we all meet again.

Look not where I was
For I am not there
My spirit is free
I am everywhere
In the air that you breathe
In the sounds that you hear
Don’t cry for me Mom
My spirit is near

Tribute to Barnaby from Norma

When Barnaby first came to us he was depressed, and unresponsive, except when it came to food.

After a few days he started standing in the hall gazing at the front door, and I wondered what he was waiting for. Was he expecting some one to come and take him somewhere else, or did he want a walk? We had been told he did not do walks, so I just took him a little way, and then next day, a little further, and finally in the car to somewhere more exciting where he could run off the lead. Despite his arthritis he cantered off happily. Because of his deafness he had to keep an eye on me to see where I was, and he was quite good about running back whenever he saw I had gone a different way. After a while he got so confident that I would be there that it took him quite a long time to realize that I was not there because he was so engrossed in all the smells that he would just wander off.

He loved to chase squirrels, even trying to climb a tree to get them. When he got the scent of deer, he would be off for ages, and I had to go and retrieve him, often he would find and eat something very dead and smelly, but it never seemed to give him an upset stomach.

He used to make out he could not get into the car, so I had practically to lift him in, but I used to catch him with his feet up on the table eating crumbs I had put out for the birds.
He had a happy knack of lying just where you wanted to be and was too stubborn to move, so one got used to stepping over him or waiting till he moved.

When I came home one morning after swimming and my husband said he had not touched his breakfast I knew he was not well. When I produced my walking coat he did not respond, and he normally would have jumped up. The only time he barked was when we were getting ready to go for a walk and I was taking too long, and then his two front legs would come off the ground in excitement as he barked.
We do miss him. We had expected to have him for many years and could not believe how suddenly he became ill.

At least I think he had a happy 6 months.
I know we did.