Barri 'Summit' (for the golden patch on the top of his head) has sadly gone downhill very suddenly and quickly on Saturday and passed away in the small hours. He was coming up to 6 years of age and was just a few weeks away from his 5th adoption anniversary.
I am gutted to lose him rather unexpectedly but glad that I have been able to give him 5 happy years of life that he nearly didn't have at all. The first vet who saw him over a severe case of wrongly DIY treated ringworm wanted to put him to sleep straight away. Thankfully, the second vet had him surrendered to TEAS sanctuary from where I adopted him.
After a couple of bonding fails, he managed in his excitement to somehow squeeze through the divider in the bonding run on the lawn and to introduce himself to gentle Briallen while I was answering the doorbell. I've never seen such a dirty sow! But since by that stage Briallen 'Primrose' was already kindly but firmly asserting her authority, I let them happily get on with their bonding and their budding love affair.
Later on, Barri and Bria made very good 'parents' for my younger rambunctious sow pairs. Initially, they were looking after my babies Meleri and Miaren for a shot while but then - when that did work out better for the longer term - after Hapus 'Happy' and Llawen 'Merry'.
Briallen sadly did very unexpectedly just before the start of the pandemic but Barri thankfully still had Llawen to stay with him to the end, who he got on well with.
Barri was a friendly boy but he occasionally had his moments. Briallen usually managed to calm him down again quite efficiently, though.
In the last two years he was suffering from a thickened bowel causing IBS like symptoms and flare-ups every few months and needed regular medication for his chronic issue.
We have laid him to rest with a bouquet of dandelion and lady's mantle as a reminder of his memorable self-introduction and the happiest day of his life together with self-seeded bluebells (sadly the wrong kind, blown in regularly from a neighbouring garden) and blue bugle.
I sure that Barri will be enjoy being reunited at the Rainbow Bridge with his beloved Briallen!
I'm very sorry!
thinking of you
