OWASSO, Okla. — They say you can't buy love, but Mindy Barnes and her dog Roscoe prove you can rescue it.
"I am his person, and he is mine," said Mindy Barnes.
Together, theirs is a journey of survival, surprises, and second chances.
"He's a miracle dog! I thank God he found me before it was too late," said Barnes.
Roscoe's story begins in April 2024 in Hugo, Oklahoma, where the pup was shot in both elbows, a bullet grazed his chest, and he was left to die in the woods.
He was discovered days later and taken in by the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals, who posted his story and picture on Facebook. That's where Barnes first saw him.
"They posted they weren't going to be able to salvage both arms and were going to discuss quality of life. And I just had this moment of panic, and I was like, if you put him down, the shooter still wins. And OAA was like, well, he needs a soft place to land, and I was like, well, I have a place," said Barnes.
Even with a home, the 6-month-old puppy faced a double amputation.
"I worked with Dr. Caleb down at the Catoosa Animal Hospital, and he wanted to know my long-term plan, not my short-term plan. He made sure I understood it wasn't going to be an easy job and that there was so much care that was going to go into a dog having just two legs," said Barnes.
Forty-eight hours later, Barnes had that plan and the green light to rescue Roscoe. It turns out she has a heart for cases like his. Barnes said, "I have a blind donkey, and I had a deaf dog. I've taken in the animals that no one seems to want."
Roscoe moved in two days after surgery.
"I had anticipated carrying this dog for the rest of his life. They told me that dogs carry 70-90% of their body weight on their front legs, and I was just going to carry the dog everywhere he needed. The day we brought him home from surgery, he decided he needed to go outside to do his business and refused to let us hold him. He just took off walking on his own, and it shocked all of us," said Barnes.
When 2 News Anchor Julie Chin asked what has happened since then?
Barnes replied, "Since then, he has conquered the world."
Roscoe, now healed, is surviving, thriving, and perfecting that walk.
"He's learning to do it one foot at a time, so it looks like he's running or pitter-pattering, but for the most part, it's hopping," said Barnes.
Roscoe has a wheelchair, too, but needs a new one.
"He outgrew it because he didn't stay the 20 pounds we suspected. He is 36 pounds. So we have another wheelchair on order," said Barnes.
It has to be custom-made, and the "Rollin' with Roscoe" Facebook fan club is helping to cover some of that. Barnes isn't the only one who has fallen in puppy love.
"In the pet world, he's known," said Barnes.
Roscoe often helps at Oklahoma Alliance for Animals events.
"He is a ham; every time we do a public showing for OAA or Roscoe goes out, he is the star of the show!" said Barnes.
Despite life starting so rough, Roscoe leads with love.
"As humans, when somebody hurts us, we seem to carry a chip on our shoulder; this dog does not. He is just a happy dog. He survived his first incident and keeps rolling through the rest," says Barnes.
All thanks to the best friend he found in Barnes, who was willing to take a chance in order to give Roscoe his second chance at life.
"I hope his story teaches other people to give them a chance- don't assume there won't be more to the story," said Barnes.
Roscoe is proof. "He's unstoppable, unstoppable, unstoppable!" said Barnes.
If you'd like to make a donation toward Roscoe's new wheelchair or follow his journey, we've linked the Rollin' with Roscoe Facebook page here.
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