Reunited and it feels so good!
Late last month, a Baltimore man was reunited with his dog after the animal was put under the care of a local rescue shelter following a gas explosion that destroyed the pair's home and sent the man — who was not identified by name — to the hospital for an extended stay.
According to a social media post from the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS), in October, the owner was sent to a trauma hospital following the explosion and put into an induced coma for life-threatening burns. His dog, named Barak, arrived at BARCS a few days after surviving the horrific incident.
BARCS, an open admission shelter, wrote on Facebook that the "looming threat of running out of kennel space has always plagued our organization," but that the shelter was able to make an exception for Barak when they learned his owner would likely be in the hospital for "at least a month".
Thanks to increased interest in pet adoption and fostering spurred on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the center was able to keep watch over the canine. The recent expansion in the shelter's foster program has led to more available kennel space at the facility.
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"Even though Barak's return date to his dad was unknown, we made the pledge to care for him for as long as needed," BARCS added.
And though Barak wasn't an eligible candidate to be fostered, per BARCS, "he had a daily plan of long walks, playgroup romps, in-kennel enrichment, training sessions, and cuddle time thanks to our dedicated volunteers and staff."
Challenges still arose, however, even after Barak's owner was released from the hospital. His home destroyed in the explosion, the owner had to find new housing after leaving the hospital, and could only find accommodations that did not allow dogs at first.
"We stayed in contact with Barak's dad frequently as he put the pieces of his life back together, all the while facing the daily heartbreak of missing his best friend," BARCS noted. "We assured him that, no matter what, Barak would stay at BARCS until they could be reunited."
After finding and securing a pet-friendly home in late January, Barak's owner was able to reunite with his best friend and bring him back to the everyday life that he once knew.
"Keeping this family together was worth the resources and worth the wait," BARCS added.
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