"I’ll fight this to the end," Man Opted For Jail Rather Than Giving His Beloved Dog Back To His Employer

Barry can't even imagine giving up his dog even if he has to go to jail for it

This man named Barry Myrick is in a war with his former employer, M&M Environmental in Queens, over the love of his life: his dear dog.

Barry used to be a pest control professional who was given a bedbug-sniffing pit bull mix named Roxy by M&M. Now Barry and Roxy are inseparable and have a bond like that of a father with his child. 

His love for Roxy is so big that he even has a tattoo of the furry baby on his leg. 

“She’s my best friend,” said Myrick. “I committed to her long ago, and nothing’s going to come between me and her.”

Rachel Wisniewski for New York Post

Barry and Roxy have worked together for four years

Barry Myrick, 37, inspected commercial and residential properties with Roxy for four years but then he was laid off from M&M in march of 2020. 

The company provided the dog and covered all her expenses of food and veterinary bills. But Barry had been living with Roxy since he picked her up from a dog training facility in Florida.

Roxy is part of their family

Barry has no plans to have children and he and his wife Joana treats the dog like their own kid. 

“She’s a part of our family. This is the closest to kids we’ll have,” said Myrick.

Rachel Wisniewski for New York Post

Roxy and Barry have so many memories together, they have enjoyed hiking trips to Bear Mountain and vacations in Woodstock and now can't live away from each other.

Barry had no idea he would have to go through all this to keep the dog with himself. When the pandemic started, he chose to be laid off rather than the pivot and work for M&M as a COVID cleaner without Roxy. Barry returned everything from vehicle to credit cards and equipment to the company but of course, he couldn't give Roxy back.

He told that a manager had said to him, “You’re going to keep Roxy, right?”

Rachel Wisniewski for New York Post

The company has ordered Barry to return their dog

A month or two later, Barry received a letter from the company that ordered him to return the “company property.”

M&M demanded Barry to return the dog to the company but he refused. Thus the company took legal action, reporting that Roxy was stolen and leading the Queens District Attorney’s Office to slap Myrick with charges of grand ­larceny.

Even legal action didn't make Barry change his mind as he was not ready to give up on Roxy. 

For some, it was just a dog, and animal, but Barry and Rozy were emotionally attached and were more like buddies. 

In August, he surrendered to the NYPD. “I spent 15 hours in jail. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy,” said Myrick.

“The stories I heard were unreal — someone beat their stepdad with a baseball bat. I couldn’t tell anyone I was there for a puppy.”

Rachel Wisniewski for New York Post

Barry says the company forfeited its claim when it laid him off and didn't ask for the dog

The company gave a statement to The Post which said they always intended to rehire Barry Myrick and that managers expected he would return to work by June.

But Barry had no idea or else he wouldn't have moved from Brooklyn to Philadelphia in May.

He told The Post about his contract that “said that if I were to be terminated or if I were no longer working there, I would have to return Roxy.” 

But Barry said in his defense that the company forfeited its claim to Roxy when it laid him off and didn’t ask for her back.

“When they left the dog with him in March, [M&M] made no arrangement … to get the dog or pay for the dog in the interim,” said Myrick’s lawyer, William J. Kurtz.

At the moment, the dog is with Barry and will stay with him till the matter settles. But M&M is not letting Roxy go and says she is a working dog and this is a case of ownership, not custody.

The company's lawyer Gary Port says their client has ownership of the dog whose training cost them $15,000.

 “My client did not give this guy a gift of $15,000.”

The lawyer says: “Maybe he is attached to Roxy — maybe he wants to set up his own business.”

Barry says he has no such intentions.

“That’s the last thing I’m thinking about.” 

“My only concern is to not be separated from her. I’m not starting a competing business in a pandemic with no money.”

He is concerned that the dog, who came from a troubled background, wouldn't be able to bond with another trainer. 

“She’s not a golden retriever who will be happy-go-lucky with just anyone,” he said. “She has eyes for no one else.”

Barry's family is super concerned about him and wants him to give the dog back. Barry on the other side has already gone to jail for Roxy and is willing to go again but not give his dog back.

“My family said, ‘Give the dog back, you’ll get another one,’ ” recalled a defiant Myrick. “But I’ve emptied out my bank account, spent time in jail . . . what else can they throw at me? I’ll fight this to the end.”