Barnum and Bailey are Reuntied at Rainbow Bridge

It is a verifiable circus here at Rainbow Bridge since, after five years, Barnum and Bailey Beagle have been reunited

My good friends from down the road in Cape Cod are a delightful pair, and we look forward to them spreading joy at the Bridge. We know Bailey's parting caused such sorrow.

 

While Bailey loves her brother very much, she did everything she could not join him. For fifteen and a half years, Bailey has been a survivor. She handled each curve ball thrown at her. In her later years, she was hit with melanoma, which she fought with every ounce of her being

 

She did this for two reasons: The first was because she loved her parents very much, and the second was that she made a promise to Barnum, who went to the Bridge too early. Before he left, he made his sister vow that she would give her full measure of devotion to her parents, and every last bit of energy.

 

The last of her devotion expired this week.

 

She held off the effects of melanoma, even after it began to spread to her back end. This caused her legs to fail. Bailey looked at her mom, and her eyes said: “That’s okay mom, I still have my front ones, may I have a fortune cookie?”

 

Bailey kept up the ruse that she was hungry as long as she could, but over time she could not stomach another treat. She projected a brave front during the day, but at night her demons betrayed her, and she could not control crying in her sleep. It came half from pain and a half from knowing her song was ending.

 

Her parents wanted her to give up the fight. They hoped she would pass in her sleep, but Bailey kept holding on. The dark angels, who had been trying to the Bridge, grew impatient waiting and gave her a seizure. Bailey never fully recovered from their attack.

 

After the seizure, Bailey slept for hours. When she awoke in the middle of the night, she began crying and howling. Her parents tried to calm her, but they couldn’t. They didn’t know that, inside of a dream, Bailey was fighting the dark angels to stay, and knew she was losing. She kept howling that she didn’t want to go, but her opponents were not listening.

 

Bailey’s parents could not calm her down. They knew it was time. They kept her comfortable until the vet opened at 8:30. Her parents were afraid that they were going to have to say goodbye to their baby in the car, but the vet allowed them to go into his office, where they could hold Bailey until she passed over, and joined Barnum.

 

Bailey moved tentatively as she started across the Bridge, but with each step, all the pain that she had felt was swept away. She soon was running, like she did when she was young. We made sure we filmed it, so her parents could see Bailey's transformation in their dreams even if they won't be able to remember it.

 

When Bailey and Barnum were reunited, they sped towards one another with their tails wagging a million beats a second. They kissed, yipped, and zoomed. Bailey began barking, but not from pain or sorrow; she was singing a song of joy.

 

Both beagles know their parents are going to be walking the road of grief for a long time. Bailey’s passing brought up memories of Barnum’s transition, making the pain twice as bad. Barnum and Bailey want their parents to be as joyful as they were when the pups were young, and they are going to try to ease their pain through good thoughts as their parents sleep.

 

It will take time, but when you are at the Bridge, all you have is time. I will be spending a lot of it at Barnum and Bailey’s awesome dog circus.