Lacy ”hoodini” Barke- August 2019
Lacy "Hoodini" Barke
September 2008-August 2019
In 2008, for our birthdays, mom asked us kids if we wanted gifts or a puppy. That was a no-brainier. We wanted puppies. Both of us kids had little holes in our hearts that only puppies could fill.
We had a family friend that raised border Collies as agility dogs and she knew of a trainer that was selling puppies. We went to the trainer and she had a litter of puppies and she was giving away the runt of the litter because she needed to be separated from the rest of the pups. That was Lacy. We got her for free from the breeder.
Lacy's middle name was "Hoodini" because the day we got her, we put her in a fabric dog kennel in the car for the ride home and within 5 minutes she got out of it.
When we got chickens, she would tear a hole in the chicken wire to let the chickens out. She loved letting the chickens out. She thought she was being helpful. She was so proud of herself. It took us forever to find a way to keep the chickens in that Lacy couldn't get through. She got into everything.
When we first got her she would chew up pots and plants in the backyard.
She was very protective of her boy's room. She would fuss at dad when he would walk towards brother's room. She would always run into brother's room and pick up something and bring it out with her. Usually it was a dirty sock, a paper plate, a shoe, or something crazy like that.
She would always try to bury her food with brother's clothes or his shoes.
Brother hated it when the groomers put bows in her hair after she got groomed. Brother didn't want her being a "foofoo" dog. I on the other hand, liked her to be a "foofoo" dog.
She loved to play vulcher with Pattycake.
Anytime Pattycake would come in the house after being outside, Lacy would stand above her and growl at her. We called this "playing vulcher."
Lacy was a great watch dog. She had a deep bark. She made me feel safe when I was home alone. I knew nobody would try to mess with her. My dog on the other hand was definitely a "foofoo" dog and was no watch dog.
When Lacy was younger she liked to play tug and fetch with Pattycake.
Those two would lay side by side. It was so sweet.
We taught the dogs to pull us kids around the block on our scooters. We put a harness on the dogs and attached the leashes to the scooters and they would pull the scooters. That was fun. Both dogs were really strong.
When brother played his trumpet, Lacy would howl and sing along.
We could make Lacy howl and we said she was singing. She also liked to talk.
When brother went off to college Lacy was so sad.
Pattycake and Lacy were sleeping on the recliner chair with mom and Lacy puts her head on Pattycake, looking to her puppy friend for comfort, because her boy went away to school. It was so sweet!
Lacy was so beautiful. Her black shiny coat with a little white stripe on her neck. She was adorable. She loved to go for car rides and stick her head out the window. I love to watch her silky black hair and little ears fly in the wind. If we slowed down at stop lights she would look at mom like "what's the hold up? Let's go."
Funny puppy.
Lacy was a follower. If she saw Pattycake doing something she would want to do it too.
If she saw Pattycake eating vegetables or a treat, she would want it too.
Middle of 2019 Lacy got Colon cancer.
We tried to treat it for several months before we finally had to put her down.
But mom and I saw this as God's timing. We knew we would be going to NC for a month in Oct and it would have been to hard to find someone to nurse a sick dog while we were gone. It was hard but it was for the best and I really felt that it was God's timing.
Lacy was a miracle from God.
I'm so glad God gave her to us for 12 years.
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
The song that keeps coming to mind is Ron Hamilton's "Rejoice in the Lord."
"God never moves without purpose or plan……"