My Name is Sherwood…

I am only two years old.

I don’t know where my story really began.

What I do know is that for a very long time, I lived by the sea.

The warm shores of Kusadasi, Turkey were my home. Alongside my friends, my little street-dog family, I spent my days near Kadinlar Denizi – Ladies Beach. When the heat of the day faded and the sun began to sink into the sea, I would wander out from the shade and make my way towards the people.

I wasn’t looking for much.

A gentle hand.

A kind word.

Maybe a little food.

Maybe a cuddle.

And if I was lucky, someone would stop for a moment and see me.

You see, every time a family packed their bags and headed home, I hoped.

Maybe this one.

Maybe this family will want me.

Maybe if I show them how gentle I am.

Maybe if I walk beside them.

Maybe if I lean against them and show them how much love I have to give.

Maybe this time, someone will choose me.

But nobody did.

Still, I never gave up.

Because hope was all I had.

Then one day, something extraordinary happened.

A family spending time in Kusadasi noticed me. They realised I was like a Pointer. They laughed when I did something I still do today—what humans now call my “Pointer Lean”—when I gently pressed myself against them, wanting nothing more than to be close.

They took a photograph.

Just one photograph.

And sent it to someone called Kat, a kind lady that goes back with our rescue charity for decades with her Mum, she was thousands of miles away in the United Kingdom.

Neither I nor anyone else could have known it then, but that single photograph would change my life forever.

Across countries and continents, people began talking about me.

People who had never met me.

People who didn’t even know my name.

In fact, I didn’t have a name.

Not until then.

That was when I became Sherwood.  Named after a lovely warm and friendly place on Ladies Beach as that was near my safe place.

Suddenly, a whole team of kind-hearted people were trying to find me.

Tanya, our Adoption Co Ordinator who had lived in Kusadasi for many years and knew the town well, was asked a simple question:

“Could we find this special dog?”

The answer became an international rescue mission.

Volunteers in Turkey stepped forward.

Jackie, our social media manager launched appeals across social media.

Messages spread.

Photos were shared.

Sightings came in.

People I had never met began caring whether I was safe.

For weeks they searched.

Then one day…

I disappeared.

Nobody knew where I had gone.

The messages stopped.

The sightings stopped.

And those who loved me from afar feared the worst.

But my story wasn’t over.

One evening, word came through.

Sherwood had been spotted.

Not on the beach.

Not near my old haunts.

But in Kusadasi town centre.

Audrey a recsue volunteer rushed to find me.

Paula and her husband, also rescue volunteers and the wide spread community joined the search.

Everyone waited.

Everyone hoped.

Everyone held their breath.

And then…

They found me.

After weeks of searching, after countless hours of worry, there I was.

Alive.

Safe.

Still waiting for somebody to choose me.

That night, Paula and her husband took me back to their holiday home to keep me safe. For the first time, my journey truly began.

Soon, a wonderful lady called Lisainne from AFOT (Animal Friends of Turkey) Rescue stepped forward to help me.

There were blood tests.

Paperwork.

Documents.

Waiting.

More waiting.

And then one day, after all those years of wondering if anyone would ever want me…

I began my journey to the United Kingdom.

I wasn’t travelling alone.

I carried with me the love of an entire team.

People in Turkey.

People in Britain.

People whose lives had become connected because of one street dog.

A dog who had once stood quietly by a beach hoping for a cuddle.

What happened next was bigger than me.

The friendships built through my rescue still exist today.

More dogs have been helped.

More lives have been changed.

And all because a group of people decided that one forgotten street dog mattered.

Today, I finally know what it means to belong.

I love people.

Absolutely adore them.

I greet my favourite humans with what they call a hug and a smile.

I love long walks.

I love running with my friends and especially Kats pointer pack.

I love chasing balls.

Especially squeaky ones.

You know what’s funny?

Before I came to Britain, I didn’t even know what a squeaky ball was.

Now I’m completely obsessed.

The giant squeaky vegetables are pretty wonderful too.

I love learning.

I love treats.

I love food.

I love adventures.

I’m perfect in the car and happily jump straight in.

I’ve never made a mess indoors because I know outside is where my business belongs.

Take me to a pub and I’ll charm everyone there.

Take me on a walk and people stop to admire me.

Take me anywhere and I’ll be on my very best behaviour.

But my favourite place?

Right beside you.

Always beside you.

I’ll rest my head on your lap while you’re on the sofa.

I’ll roll over for tummy rubs.

I’ll snuggle next to you in bed.

And every now and then, I’ll do that special Pointer Lean.

Not because I want anything.

Not because I’m asking for food.

But because after everything, after all the years of waiting, all I really want is to be close to my person.

To feel loved.

To know I’m home.

Sadly, because of a heartbreaking family loss and change in family circumstances, Kat who gave me that chance can no longer keep me.

Kat loves me dearly and will always be part of my story. She would love nothing more than to watch my journey continue and to see me from time to time with my beloved Pointer family.

So here I am.

Looking for home once more.

Not because I’ve done anything wrong.

Not because I’m difficult.

Not because I’m broken.

Simply because life can sometimes be incredibly unfair.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:

Sometimes the saddest chapters lead to the most beautiful endings.

Maybe you’re reading this right now because all those years ago I followed people home from a beach in Turkey, hoping someone would choose me.

Maybe the family I spent all those years waiting for is still out there.

Maybe it’s you.

If you open your heart to me, I promise you this:

I will greet you every day as though you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.

I will make you laugh.

I will keep your feet warm.

I will lean into you when you’ve had a difficult day.

I will love you with every ounce of my being.

Not for a week.

Not for a year.

But for the rest of my life.

Because that’s who I am.

I’m Sherwood.

The street dog nobody came for.

The dog who inspired an international rescue.

The dog who brought strangers together across thousands of miles.

The dog who never stopped believing that one day somebody would choose him.

Could that somebody finally be you?