By Ella Martin
Barrett the dog’s life was uncertain after he was found wandering in a FishHawk neighborhood by a local resident. Thankfully, Ali Holton, director and founder of FishHawk TNR, stepped in and intervened. Holton is a graduate from the University of South Florida with a degree in marine biology as well as environmental science and policy. She went on to earn her Master of Science in biodiversity, wildlife and ecosystem health from the University of Edinburgh.
FishHawk TNR was created in January 2013 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 2015. The mission of this program is to create a humane way to help stray cats and dogs in the community by rescuing and fostering them.
Barrett’s life changed forever in May of 2021 when Holton received a call about a very sickly dog wandering around FishHawk. Holton immediately responded and rescued him. No one was sure if Barrett was going to make it, and if he did, it would be a very long path to recovery. The dog had such a sweet nature about him that he was lovingly named ‘Barrett the Brave’ by his caregivers. When Barrett was brought to one of the foster homes in FishHawk, it was clear he was in awful condition due to neglect.
According to Holton, “He was so skinny that we knew it was really long-term neglect, so we had to start off with really small, high-nutrient-based meals multiple times a day,” due to the fact he was previously starved. This was done to help prevent Barrett from becoming sicker than he already was.
He also had to get lots of blood work and testing done that revealed an abundance of conditions, such as extensive ear infections; numerous allergies; heartworm positive, which resulted in a grade-three heart murmur; and more. Barrett went through many eye surgeries to repair his cherry eyes and received a soft pallet repair to aid with his breathing. Barrett was such a fighter and remained strong throughout his long recovery.
Finally, over a year later, Barrett is healthy, happy and looking for the perfect home. He is a gentle dog, gets along with everyone (including dogs, cats and children) and is house trained.
If you or someone you know is interested in adopting Barrett, email fishhawktnr4@gmail.com to receive an application. In order to find the perfect home, FishHawk TNR does interviews and home checks before you can adopt any of its rescues. Thanks to FishHawk TNR, the sky’s the limit for Barrett the Brave.
