Man Bun Second Chance Club

That’s Tiny Tim aka Barkley and me – meeting up in Phoenix, Arizona!

We are both rescues from different parts of the world but we have both landed on our paws – and not just that, we are also spotting the trendy man bun. LOL!

Some of you may remember Tiny Tim from previous blog posts, but if you have not, this is how we met.

Tiny Tim is a dog meat truck survivor. Rescued by Harbin Slaughterhouse Survivors in November 2020, he was a tiny sliver of a dog. With two strangely fused back legs and a dislocated right shoulder, he had survived pulling himself along on one leg. But none of that squelched his feisty personality – he will tell you off or let you know if he needed something.

But that was the start of his journey of Second Chance.

He definitely pulled Mum’s heart strings and she offered to help with his recovery costs. We got to name him Tiny Tim (TT) because he reminded her of the little cripple boy in Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. She considered adopting TT but it wasn’t possible due to his medical needs. (blog: Meet Tiny Tim)

But we continued to follow his journey. And in September 2021, we heard that he was in San Diego at @Roadogs rescue. Mum did inquire further about adopting him but they did not want him to leave the US (blog: From meat truck to CA).

As much as she would loved to have TT, she knew the logistics of having him would be difficult as we live in a flat without a garden in central London. Knowing he was safely cared for, we knew it was best for someone else to give him a more suitable forever home.

Six months after she had the last communication with Roadogs, out of the blue, Mum received a lengthy message on our blog. Clint had been doing some research about Harbin SHS when he came across the blogs we had written about TT. He wrote to let us to know that he had adopted TT, now called Barkley and lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

At once sad and happy, Mum wrote back. She was relieved and happy that Barkley is now safe and loved. But sad as that meant he will never be part of our family.

Since Mum wanted to adopt TT, as you know, things have changed in our household. Darcy is no longer with us. As I am now Mum’s constant travel companion, Mum asked Clint if we could visit Barkley. With equal enthusiasm, Clint welcomed us.

May’s comment: And that is the reason we were in Phoenix.

The meeting has been in the planning since March and I wasn’t going to wait till next year. I didn’t want to leave it too long because Barkley is not a young dog. Though it has to be said that aside from his disabilities he is in good health. He looks fragile but he is actually quite robust.

No one really knows how he came to be in his current state but he looks like he had been in a cage too small for him, or possibly squashed into a cage with other dogs for the dog meat trade transport. His dislocated right shoulder that never healed left his arm hung in mid-air. All vet reports from Beijing, to San Diego and Phoenix have ruled out surgery. And wheelies doesn’t seem to be an answer as his back legs though fused in an awkward position, he is standing on them. They still have sensation in them and supports him when sitting up.

As feisty as he is and very opinionated, he is communicating. He knows his limitations and will tell you when he needs to be picked up. He is incredibly toilet-trained – will tell you if he needs to go and will always try to release something when he is put down outside. He scuttles along carpeted areas as they provide traction to help pull him self forward. When on a smooth cement floor he struggles to pull himself forward. And God forbid if he fell off a bed and break his only working arm. For those reasons, we are over protective of him. And we feel sorry for him when he cannot run to the door to greet us, nor can he jump up a bed and off. He can’t spin excitedly around like George when he knows we are going out, but he knows and barks with excitement. Those are the normal things that we expect dogs to do. But someone reminded us that he doesn’t know better. But listening him bark and telling us he wants to be part of our activity makes you want to sweep him up in our arms and protect him from the big wide world.

George and I have scheduled to be in Phoenix for three nights after returning from Los Cabos. Clint generously asked if I would like to keep Barkley for the days we were there. I must admit I was a little nervous. And what if he didn’t like me and couldn’t settle. But hey! This is the reason we came to Phoenix. It ended up him staying for sleepovers.

And boy! Did we have cuddles!!! All day and all night!

We didn’t need a transition period. We didn’t lose time getting to know each other.

There were barky playing times, tired times when he curled up next to me or on my lap, and there were quiet times when we studied each other and gaining trust each time.

Now, what do you think of the Man Bun Second Chance Club?

George looks rather large next to Barkley, but so proud of him as he has been very considerate of Barkley’s needs. He kept his distance because every time he came near me, Barkley got jealous. I am sure he was a little confused wondering why was this dog constantly in my arms, on my lap or curled up next to me in bed. Don’t worry George. All will be back to normal in no time. But they both did co-exist in our regular hotel room. And on the second morning, Barkley allowed George to come up on the other side of me for cuddles.

It’s crazy thinking about Barkley’s journey. How fate saved him.

I was following Harbin SHS Instagram when I saw the sad photo of him huddled in a corner, after he had been released from the overcrowded cages. Feeling helpless, I wanted to help him and made me consider about my next dog.

And how lucky was he to be cared for by Roadogs in the midst of the pandemic. It was through their social channel that Clint saw him and like me, he was immediately drawn to TT and wanted to adopt him that September.

How lucky am I that Clint persisted in finding more about Barkley’s background and googled Harbin SHS. In doing so he found our blog and reached out to let us know that Barkley was safe. I feel like we have come full circle.

So even though Barkley will never be mine, he is now a part of our world. I asked if I could be his godmother. 🙂

Tiny Tim aka Barkley is one of hundreds of dogs saved by Harbin Slaughterhouse Survivors.

As there are no legislative protections in place for animals in China, Harbin SHS dedicate their efforts to rescuing animals from the illegal black-market Meat Trade, along with local abuse, neglect and abandonment cases. With the help of amazing flight volunteers and Partner Rescues, these survivors have been able to leave China and find loving forever homes all over the world.

Their work solely relies on donations from individuals from all over the world. You can either be a monthly donor or a one time supporter to help feed the animals, pay for heating and the growing staff that helps to run the Safehouse which currently houses over 600 dogs, cats, pigs, chicken, etc. Donate here.

And if you are thinking of getting a dog, or another one – think about adopting. There are many out there waiting for a second chance. And then again it was Darcy who opened up my heart and when I was looking for number two that I came across Hungary Hearts Dog Rescue – and that was how George came about. And once you get involved in the world of rescues, it is a slippery slope – you can’t ever turn your backs on them.

Barkley and George are some of the millions who through no fault of theirs almost lost their lives, and through fate and the work of some angels who worked hard to save dogs like them, they have been given a second chance. And there are millions of others who need that break.