Blossom

🌸 Hello, I’m Blossom! 🌸

Hello… my name is Blossom, and just like my name, I’m trying every single day to bloom into the happy, loving girl I was always meant to be. 🌸💕

Life hasn’t always been particularly kind to me. I was left behind in a Spanish pound, confused, frightened and wondering what on earth had happened to my world.

But then… something wonderful happened.

Like little whispers of hope, some very kind volunteer angels from FMA charity noticed me. They looked into my gentle eyes and saw the soft, loving spirit underneath everything I had been through. They decided that my story wasn’t finished yet.

And that’s how I came to be part of the Pointer Rescue Service. 🐾❤️

🌸 The Spirit of a Survivor

I’m a really lively, friendly girl and, once I’ve had a little time to settle down and take everything in, I actually walk pretty well on a lead but I am strong and tend to like to change direction a few times.

I’m also perfectly happy around other dogs. I love having canine company and I’m a sociable sort of girl.

Now… I do have one little secret from my past. 🙈

I can be a bit grumpy if another dog—or hooman!—gets too close to my food, treats or something I’ve decided is VERY important to me.

The rescuers call this “resource guarding.”

I just call it remembering what it was like to be hungry.

You see, when you’ve come from a place where you have to fight for every scrap, you learn very quickly that food is precious. You don’t necessarily know that tomorrow there will be another bowl waiting for you.

But something very special happened when I went to Sharon’s sanctuary.

Slowly, gently and patiently, I started to learn that I was safe.

I learned that I didn’t have to struggle for everything anymore.

I learned that people would feed me.

I learned that nobody was going to take everything away.

And, most importantly, I started to learn that I didn’t have to be afraid anymore.

I still need someone who understands this part of me and will give me the time and patience I need, but I’m learning. And I know that with a calm home, consistency and lots of love, one day I’ll truly understand that I never have to worry about my next meal again.

I’m also VERY excited about life!

Sometimes I get so carried away that my enthusiasm simply gets the better of me. I am wonderfully affectionate and already give excellent Blossom hugs.

I can be strong on the lead too, but honestly… that’s because the whole world is incredibly exciting to me right now!

There are smells!

Grass!

People!

Dogs!

Things to investigate!

And apparently I’m supposed to just WALK nicely past all of it?!

I’m working on it!

💔 The Hurdle: A Body That Needed Help

Just when everyone thought I had finally found some safety, the rescue team discovered that my journey was going to be a little more complicated.

A CT scan revealed that I had been born with deformities in both of my back legs, with one considerably worse than the other.

My left hind knee joint was malformed, meaning that every step I took was causing me discomfort.

I was a young girl with so much life and mischief inside me, but my body was making things very difficult.

To give me the pain-free future I deserved, I urgently needed major corrective surgery.

That meant:

🐾 My femur had to be broken and reset.

🐾 My left hind leg had to be corrected and stabilised with plates.

🐾 I needed intensive surgery followed by a long and very careful rehabilitation.

It was a huge undertaking, and it meant that Pointer Rescue Service and FMA had to join forces to organise a very special fundraising campaign to help me.

And while all of this was happening, I watched so many of the other rescues who had arrived with me leave on the Happy Bus to their new lives.

One by one, they went.

But I was always the girl left behind.

It was hard.

I wondered when it would finally be my turn.

But then something wonderful happened.

Lots of very special people pulled together and the fundraising campaign raised the money needed for my surgery.

Finally, I could have the operation that I desperately needed.

I had to be incredibly brave.

And throughout it all, Sharon was right there beside me.

For the last year, she has been such a huge part of my journey.

The rehabilitation wasn’t easy.

Oh goodness… it REALLY wasn’t easy!

I’m a young, cheeky German Shorthaired Pointer. I wanted to RUN!

I wanted to PLAY!

I wanted to investigate EVERYTHING!

And Sharon had to tell me to REST.

Honestly… the cheek of it!

She had to carefully limit my exercise, keep me calm and make sure I didn’t hurt myself while my leg healed. I also had to stay very lean to protect my joints.  My right hind leg isn’t perfect but the vet signed me off and said not to put my right hip leg through an operation as it was not necessary.  I was finally free to start living!

For a lively girl like me, being told to take things slowly was incredibly frustrating.

There were days when I was sad because I simply wanted to be a normal young dog.

But Sharon’s cuddles helped.

A LOT.

And slowly, day by day, I got stronger.

🚌 And Then… My Happy Bus Finally Came!

After EVERYTHING I had been through, there was a very special surprise waiting for me.

The Happy Bus had a cancellation this September.

And right under the wire…

I GOT A PLACE!

Can you imagine?!

After all that waiting, my window of hope finally opened.

The wonderful Foster Manager, Lesley, said she would look after me in the UK.

So suddenly my dream of a life in England was becoming real.

It was incredibly hard for Sharon to say goodbye after everything we had been through together. She had cared for me, protected me, helped me through my surgery and patiently got me through the long months of rehabilitation.

But she made sure all my final checks were done in time.

And my other guardian angel in Spain, Penny, helped pull everything together.

And then…

I was on my way! 🇬🇧🐾

I am now finally here in the UK, safe in foster care.

And guess what?

I’m going to meet an old friend very soon… BOOMER!

Boomer is another GSP who came from Sharon’s sanctuary too.

So our little Spanish sanctuary comrades are finally back together again!

I think there may be some serious tail-wagging, sniffing and catching up to do.

🌱 And now… I’m finally blooming.

For the first time in my life, I have felt lovely, green grass underneath my paws.

And oh my goodness…

I LOVE IT. 🌱

I’m enjoying cuddles.

I’m discovering new smells.

I’m learning what it feels like to be safe.

And I’m beginning to discover what life can really be like when you don’t have to worry about tomorrow.

I’ve come such a long way.

From a Spanish pound…

To Sharon’s sanctuary…

Through surgery and rehabilitation…

Watching other dogs leave while I waited…

To finally jumping onto my very own Happy Bus…

And now, here I am.

In the UK.

Safe.

Loved.

Blooming.

🌸 Maybe you’re the special person who will help me finish my story with love, warmth, patience and a forever home.

Until then, I’ll keep doing what I do best…

Blooming with hope. 🌸❤️🐾

Love,

Blossom xxx