Meet Brain's New Foster Puppy Barry! [GALLERY]

I first met Barry on Facebook back in early January. I was scrolling one night and saw a post from the East Texas Hoof and Paw Animal Rescue. The organization relocates dogs from Texas into foster and forever homes in Iowa. The post caught my attention because there were four German Sheppard dogs that were looking for new homes. I absolutely love German Sheppards and Holly and I began making preparations to bring one to our home in Marion.

Friday, February 7th, 2025 is the day that Barry officially came into our lives. After a 1,000-mile trek from Texas, he arrived in Eastern Iowa. We learned that Barry was born on the streets and placed with his siblings into a foster home at just six weeks. He was in that home up until two weeks ago when the staff at East Texas Hoof and Paw Animal Rescue prepared him for transport to Iowa. So Barry was in a new setting, with new people, and without his brothers and sisters. He was one scared dog.

We got Barry home and showed him around his new fenced-in backyard. He then got to meet our 12-year-old miniature Schnauzer Rigby. I wasn't sure how the two would interact but there was no barking, no growling—just a lot of sniffing and running around. Rigby finally had a big brother! The one thing that Barry wasn't prepared for was steps. As in, we're not sure he'd ever used them before. The first day I had to carry him in and out of the house to go to the bathroom!

Meet Brain's New Dog Barry!

Brain and his family adopted a dog from Texas. Meet Barry!

Gallery Credit: Ryan Brainard

Barry is still very skittish and nervous around us. We know that it is going to take some time to let his guard down around us. He is a very good eater and he is fully kennel trained and never puts up a fight when it's time to go to bed. I took him for a brief walk on Sunday and he seemed to enjoy getting some exercise.

I'm sad that he isn't able to show us the kind of love that we are showering him with, but I know why. You stare into those sad brown eyes and you wonder just what they've seen. I'm sure he'll be running around the house soon, and I'll long for the days he just sat at my feet. Thank you again to East Texas Hoof and Paw Animal Rescue for bringing Barry to us! Adopting isn't always easy, but the reward you'll get far outweighs any issues.