Barby Keel has run her animal sanctuary in Sussex, England for 54 years. She has a wonderful group of volunteers who help her manage the animals on the farm in an idyllic setting. “The backdrop to my life was the rolling, undulating Sussex countryside, and, of course, the sanctuary land that sheltered and housed animals of every description,” writes Barby in her book Gabby. Volunteers, friends and staff
gather in her home for a 'cuppa' at various times throughout the day before heading back out to take care of the next crisis. People call to arrange an owner
surrender of a pet or farm animal. Other animals are brought in as strays, injured or ill. “When an animal comes to the sanctuary and is nurtured back to health, we are all changed in meaningful ways. We are all made a little better by the experience,” Barby writes. She loves all of the animals, but remains cautious to not
become too emotionally attached. That is until Gabby arrives. The Lhasa Apso/Yorkshire Terrier mix was one of four dogs being owner-surrendered by family members of an older couple who had become too frail to care for them. Gabby was eight years old, described as an absolute darling. But, she hadn’t ever gone out of the house and wasn’t house-trained. For some reason, the couple who loved all four of their dogs, kept Gabby as a house dog. Poor Gabby was never given the opportunity to be a dog. Gabby arrives so frightened and so unaccustomed to walk-
ing on the ground, she barely moved a muscle. She doesn’t know how to play with Barby’s two dogs or how to play with dog toys. What bothered Barby most about Gabby was that the dog doesn’t make a sound - no whining or moaning. She would just need time, Barby surmised. “But, I had a
feeling that teaching her how to be a dog was going to be harder than I initially thought,” said Barby. “After all, I was going to have to reverse eight years of her life.” While Barby works to bring out the dog in Gabby and run
the sanctuary, she receives news that she has breast cancer. In bed at her home that evening, Barby reflects back on her life, the many struggles and challenges, the fun and laughter. She realizes that whatever happens with the cancer, she is ready to face it as long as her beloved Gabby is by her side. After surgery, Barby struggles with her own mortality. Each
time, it was the thought of leaving Gabby behind that worried her the most. “Our bond was so strong now that I knew she’d suffer terribly without me,” said Barby. There is plenty of humor, especially with and from Barby’s
lovely cast of characters. It’s Gabby, however, who pulls the reader across the pages of the book, following her journey to become a dog again.
U
Gabby - The Little Dog That Had To Learn To Bark by Barby Keel Kensington Publishing Corporation February 2020 release
www.TheNewBarker.com THE NEW BARKER 55
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