R.I.P. Barney

Yesterday evening, my mom called to give me some sad news. Our family dog - Barney - had to be put to sleep. We've had Barney since 1992. He was a black miniature schnauzer. Barney lived a long and vibrant life. The last year or so, Barney's age started to show. He had a stroke earlier this year and was losing his eyesight. He'd lost the pep in his step; he was no longer running up and down the big hill in my parent's backyard, barking at people as they walked by our house. But even though age had slowed him down, he was still the same Barney that came into our lives during the winter of 1992. He arrived with a stuffed Barney the Dinosaur in his mouth. That's how he got his name. My dad affectionately called him "B2" and my mom and I would call him "Barn" or "Barn-Barn". He was an integral part of the family. Losing Barney is like losing a member of the family. Darrius used to torture Barney when he was a toddler but Barney never snapped or growled at him. He would take the abuse and keep it moving. As Darrius got older, he started being afraid of Barney even though Barney gave him no reason to be afraid of him. When I told Darrius the news about Barney last night, he was upset and sad. But he understood that Barney was old and frail and that he was suffering.

I hope Barney has a great afterlife in Doggie Heaven. He's no longer suffering. He's at peace.

We'll miss you Barn! <3