It’s been a wild ride so far in 2025, and the opening act of February has not shown me any sign of it subsiding anytime soon.

For those of you who remember, I recently brought home a puppy after covering a story at the Vicksburg Animal Shelter, and he has been puppy-ing his tail off (pun intended) since he arrived. One of his more recent adventures happened early in the morning and forced me out of bed – before sunrise, mind you – to try and get him outside before he did anything on the rug I would regret (he certainly doesn’t seem to). The reason I bring this up is because whatever I did to try and corral him while yanking on the door did a number on my back.

Fast forward a few days later and my stubborn refusal to go see a doctor had me hunched over so badly at work that our magazine editor Terri Cowart Frazier left the building and returned with two bags of frozen peas, which I promptly positioned between my back and my desk chair. And now’s a good time to say thanks to Terri, because they worked like a charm – for a while.

I eventually had enough Tuesday night and drove to the emergency room at Merit Health River Region, where I have to say I was very impressed with the care I received. Not only was everyone incredibly nice, but they quickly confirmed what I suspected – that I’m in my 40s and shouldn’t do things like that anymore – gave me two shots and sent me on my way. And that night I slept like a baby for the first time in several days. 

So, if you’re wondering whether or not my new dog is a pit bull, well, so am I. None of us are completely sure what Barkley the dog is just yet, but judging by his paws and the way he sits, he may have some pit in him. Regardless, the pit bull I was thinking of is currently being fostered by some wonderful people here in Vicksburg, but needs a forever home. I’ve personally been around him on more than one occasion and he’s incredibly sweet for a 75-pound dog that should seem scary, but doesn’t. He’s three years old and goes by Honeyboy. And he has been taken very good care of, but is in need of a home that’s more conducive to his size and desire to play. If anyone is interested, use my email at the bottom of this column and I’ll fill you in on the specifics and point you toward the family looking to help this guy find a permanent home.

So, in short, my message this week is that dogs are awesome and we should help them when we can. But, when you do, just remember your limits. Barkley and I have had a talk about our morning routine and he swears it won’t happen again. I’ll keep you guys abreast of how that goes.

But I’m glad I gave him a home and I hope one of you out there does the same for Honeyboy. Just remember to keep the frozen vegetables nearby and it’ll all be fine.

Blake Bell is the general manager and executive editor of The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at blake.bell@vicksburgpost.com.