Barley wasn't always a cynical bulldog in a raincoat. In his youth, he dreamed of becoming a superdog. But life in the big city has taken its toll. Now his mission isn't saving the world, but preserving the last vestiges of his peace in the chaotic metropolis.

He works as a "stability manager" in a small, cozy office, though everyone still calls him "the secretary." Barley is the one who remembers who drinks their coffee with double cream and who only drinks it black. He knows where the spare office keys are and how to fix a printer with a swipe of his paw. His newspaper isn't so much for reading as for fanning yourself during times of stress.