Barney recovers, gets awesome new life

Barney is a Maltese and Pomeranian mix, somewhere between 7 and 8 years old. Late last year, he was hit by a car, with severe injuries to his hind area. While being treated at the RAPS Animal Hospital, he was also diagnosed with bladder stones. Faced with these medical challenges, his people decided to surrender him to RAPS.

While spending fulltime at the hospital, undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy to repair his injuries and surgery for his bladder stones, Barney captured everyone’s heart. Vicky Peng, a receptionist at the RAPS Animal Hospital, was especially smitten with him. After two months of treatment and rehabilitation, Barney went home with Vicky for a week of R&R. The bond was so great that Vicky decided to adopt him forever.

He’s soaking up the love.

“He’s a people dog for sure,” says Vicky. “He loves physical contact. If your hand’s available, he’s right under it for any pets that he can get. He loves cuddles. He’s fairly easy-going for most of the time, but he does have his stubborn moments as well.”

He’s not a morning dog, she says. Forced to go for a walk for morning’s first routine, he’s a bit of a grump.

“He’ll stand there and look at you like, Why are you putting me through this?” Vicky says.

Other than being a grouch in the morning, Barney is happy as can be. And his physical health continues to improve.

“His hind area was very sensitive. Nobody could even touch his lower back let alone the right hind leg,” Vicky says. “Now, the skin is recovering and some fur is growing back. He’s not 100% using the right hind leg, but when we are walking slowly, he’s able to use all four. Judging from how fast and how much he’s improved, it’s looking quite optimistic.”

RAPS is all about happy endings and this one is a favourite! As a no-kill animal-serving agency, RAPS ensures that animals like Barney are cared for no matter what their challenges may be.

Congratulations to Barney (and Vicky!) on your new family!