Author Bella Mackie has spoken about her profound love for her late dog, Barney, and her decision to adopt him in lieu of having children with her husband, Greg James. In an emotional article for Vogue titled “My Perfect Dog Died. What The Hell Do I Do Now?”, Mackie detailed the couple's experience raising Barney, whom they adopted from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2019.
Barney passed away earlier this month, prompting Mackie and James to share their grief publicly. Mackie wrote, "A good lesson in life – and one I only learnt this week – is not to get a dog in place of a kid... I love the dog so much I’ll never be able to love a kid more." She also reflected on their initial connection, stating it was "love at first sight" for James upon seeing Barney.
After Barney's passing, Mackie found solace in quoting Philip Larkin's poem "An Arundel Tomb." She adapted the lines to reflect her feelings for Barney, noting, "His love was wonderful, wonderful enough that one day we’ll get another dog from Battersea (I miss those smug points) and upend our entire lives in service of them. Until then, I don’t know what the hell to do."
The couple recently addressed a critic who commented on the timing of Mackie's book promotion following Barney's death. After Greg James announced Barney's passing, stating he "can't stop crying," Mackie shared a video expressing her sorrow. Despite her grief, she proceeded with promoting her new book, "Claws Out!," due for release on August 27. When a follower commented "Too soon before your pup died!!" on her promotional posts, Mackie responded with "F**k you," while James stated, "our grief and how we deal with it is absolutely nothing to do with you."
Mackie later shared the exchange on Instagram Stories, humorously captioning it as providing "an odd moment of dark comedy." The promotion for "Claws Out!" included creative visuals with Mackie's head superimposed onto images of famous writers and a photo of a shirtless Greg James, reflecting elements of the book's critical reception.
Reviews of "Claws Out!" have drawn comparisons to authors such as Jilly Cooper, Agatha Christie, Dickens, and Evelyn Waugh, noting the book's intricate plotting and "deliciously spiky" tone.