Barley was 7 years old when seizures brought her to the vet. The diagnosis was epilepsy, and the medication she was prescribed stopped the seizures, but took something else away: the dog slept nearly all day and no longer had the energy she once did.
At their home in Brookhaven, New York, the Cannarelli family began to think this would be their new reality, because the treatment was long-term. Then Justin saw an announcement from a school looking for homes for two newborn ducklings. The plan was to foster them for a few days and then take them to the garden center the family runs. One died that first night. The other, Louie, a Pekin duck just 4 days old, stayed.
When Barley poked her snout into Louie’s pen, the interest was mutual. Within a few weeks, they were inseparable. Every morning, she goes to see him; they play, roll around on the floor, and share tomato, peas, and cucumber. As Tori Cannarelli told The Washington Post, Barley started wagging her tail again and showing her usual personality.
