Blossom was rescued from a high kill shelter when she was only a few weeks old. She was with her mom and siblings and we rushed down to save them all, but by the time we got there they had already killed the mom. The pups were shivering at the back of the kennel, terrified and very sad. We brought them home and found them homes, all except Blossom. Blossom was so traumatized and depressed that we had to breath the life back into her before we put her in someone else care. We held her, cuddled her as she slept, and very slowly the light came back in her eyes and the smile back on her face.

We were going to put her up for adoption when she developed a severe food allergy and once again, we had to get her well before adopting her out. So we pulled blood, did saliva allergy tests, acupuncture, changed food at least 10 times and even started cooking home made meals for her. Finally her food allergies subsided and she stopped itching and looked much more comfortable. It was time to find Blossom her perfect forever home where she could get tons of attention and be their darling princess.

Blossom was only a year old and we were excited and hopeful when we posted her picture and story on face book. Usually when we post a dog on face book we get many emails and applications back and are able to talk to several families and determine which fit was perfect for that dog. But to our surprise when we posted about Blossom no one responded. So we posted about her again. We got a few responses but they were all families who had many other dogs and Blossom needed to be the only dog. So we tried again, and again, to no avail. Months went by and I started to panic thinking that she would never find her own home. We loved her and wanted her to stay with us, but the other dogs picked on her and she had started defending herself and the tension between the dogs was not good. Also Blossom was so snugly and affectionate and loved to go everywhere with us; we didn’t think she deserved to be one of many dogs; she deserved her own person with her own attention. After feeling awful and scared for about 4 months I finally arrived at a decision: There must be someone special waiting for Blossom and maybe they are just not available now, so maybe that is why it seems like a stand still. Maybe that person is out of town, or has another dog who is old and making his transition? Whatever the reason there must be someone for Blossom and when the time is right they will step forward.

Meanwhile, unbenounced to us, a man, we’ll call Danny, saw our very first post about Blossom, fell in love with her sweet face and decided that she had to be his. The only problem was that he lived in a no pets allowed apartment. Without calling us, he decided to move. He reasoned that if she was still available once he moved than he would adopt her. If Blossom was not still available than he would adopt another dog, like Blossom. He looked all over town for a pet friendly apartment. When he would ask the landlord if they allowed pets he would show them a picture of Blossom and say, “That’s my dog!” If they said no, he would keep looking. After searching for about a month he found a wonderful little house that was unsure if they wanted to rent to a person with a dog or not. So he pulled out his picture of Blossom and said, “look, this is my dog. She is from The Gentle Barn and they rescue animals that no one else wants and rehabilitates them. Then together with the animals, they heals at risk, inner city, and special needs kids. They are a wonderful place, and Blossom is a wonderful girl!” The landlord was so touched by this story that he agreed to let Danny and Blossom move in.

Once Danny had moved in, got unpacked and settled in he called us. He told us that he was ready for Blossom and asked if she was available. He held his breath as he waited for the answer and was elated when we said yes. We set up a time to bring Blossom over to meet him and he sounded so nice I felt really enthusiastic.

When we knocked on the door on the day of the home visit and waited for Danny to open it, it was my turn to hold my breath. I prayed it would work out! The minute I saw Danny’s face I felt warmth and kindness coming from his bright eyes and smile and Blossom started wagging her tail. Danny sat on the floor so he could be on Blossom’s level and she tentatively walked in and sniffed around. He had never had a dog before but I noticed a huge box of dog toys, dog cookies, dog beds, a water bowl and a food bowl he had gotten in preparation to meet Blossom. After Blossom sniffed everything, had a few cookies, and checked out each room, she ran back to the living room and it seemed like it had hit her that this could possibly be her happily ever after. She ran over to Danny and started whining and kissing him and wagging her tail and rolling on the floor in front of him, ecstatic! They embraced each other and kissed each other for about 5 whole minutes and then they both sat on the couch together staring at me like, “you can leave now”!

After filling out the adoption contract and going over some last minutes care instructions, I left Blossom with her new person and walked to my car with a huge smile on my face. I was so happy for Blossom and her new life of going for drives in the car, several walks and hikes a day, trips to the park and to the beach, and cuddling in bed each night with her very own person for the rest of her life. And my heart was so full of faith! I had learned an important lesson that day: We all have our own agendas and our own decisions as to how things should work, but the creator has its own plan. And when we get out of our own way and surrender, we always end up with a great big win!

Written by

Ellie Laks

Founder