A Tribute To Otis: Barley’s Story (with a little help from Jeanne Dedo)
Our mom talks to us about Otis the Dog, the big yellow Lab who used to live with us, on a daily basis. She misses Otis and Zoey, the Great Dane, very much. Otis is missed everywhere he used to roam, from the office to our home. Privately, we think he was Mom's favorite, even though she always tells us that she loves us just the same. She did have him with her the longest out of all of us. Plus, in his later years Otis was sick and needed a lot more attention from Mom than we ever did. We love and miss Otis the Dog very much-- Mom says she only hopes we turn out to be as good of a dog as he was.
I've been hanging around the Bordas & Bordas office for about three years now, and only got to know Otis for a short time when I was a puppy. Zoey mothered me, but Otis barely tolerated me. In my defense, I was a puppy, and it wasn't my fault that it was so hard to behave myself around him. Otis was a strong and handsome yellow lab-you can still see him in our picture of the whole office on the web page. He was with Bordas & Bordas for eleven and half years when he went to cross the rainbow bridge to see his friend Zoey, who left us just five weeks before that.
It was really hard for Mom to lose two of her four-legged children within five weeks of each other. I knew it was up to me to save her broken heart! Plus now I would get all the attention, or so I thought. Almost eight weeks later, our other mother Linda Bordas called and told all of us that I was getting a brother. I didn't really understand what that meant, but I was happy because my mom seemed so excited at the news. Little did I know that real trouble, in the form of one rowdy Wheaton Terrier named Guinness was on its way...
My brother came and took over everything: my bed, my toys, my mom, my office, my everything. I really didn't like him all that much at first. Then my mom sat down with me and asked me if I would teach Guinness everything I learned from Otis and Zoey to my new baby brother Guinness. She explained that is was my turn to be the big dog around the house and to be a role model for Guinness, and that I was the lucky one because I had both Otis and Zoey to teach me. So I did, and now Guinness and I are not only brothers, but best friends. We go everywhere together! We don't like to be separated. We love each other very much and we are so happy that we have a loving home. Not all animals are so lucky.
Just this year, we were lucky enough to get a new chocolate Lab sister named Caroline! You can read Linda Bordas' story about adopting Caroline. Although she will never take the place of Otis, she's a wonderful addition to our furry family. For my next story, Mom is going to help me tell you all about what it felt like to have Caroline come into my life, so stay tuned!
Please rest in peace, Otis the Dog. You were one awesome yellow lab, and are sadly missed by me (Barley) and by all who were lucky enough to know you.
Please remember to spay or neuter your pets and please don't shop, adopt from your local animal shelter or a rescue league. Bark on Bordas Dog Nation, Bark On.