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Great
British Dogs

Meet Blossom

Blossom’s overbite meant she was no longer valuable to breeders, but their loss was Lyndsey’s gain as the pair have now formed an unbreakable bond

Blossom is originally from Ireland where she was used for breeding. It wasn’t long before they realised that she was passing on her overbite, reducing the value of her puppies. They no longer wanted her, so she went to Many Tears rescue centre in Wales.

From there she went to a foster home, before being adopted by a family. Sadly, this didn’t last long due to a marriage breakdown, so it was back to Many Tears, into another foster home, and then we met her and she came home with us. This was all before she was five years old.

We’ve now had Blossom for three years and it’s like she’s always been here. It took her about a year before she would let us rub her belly, and she’s still not 100% sure about my husband. But she’s my shadow and will follow me wherever I go. It’s a bond I’ve never had with any other dog I’ve owned and it’s so special. She’s been my jogging buddy, my marathon-walking buddy, my isolation buddy, and everything in between.

We absolutely adore every little hair on her

To see her character come out over the years has been absolutely beautiful. Watching her enjoying walks, trips in the car, days out as a family, scratches and her spectacular zoomies around our garden truly warms my heart. She is fantastic with both my daughters, and she even loves the guinea pigs!

There isn’t a bad bone in this dog’s body, which astounds me as she had such a rubbish start to her life. She is so patient and kind to our little puppy who joined the family in December, although she could do with being a bit firmer with him as he’s running rings around her!

Honestly, the love that our whole family has for this little ‘potato gremlin’ is immense. She’s our funky little monkey and we absolutely ADORE every little hair on her (though it would be nice if they stayed on her and didn’t stick to everything she touches!).


Meet Oscar

At a stressful time in her life, Paula knew she could rely on her dog Oscar to help her feel better

Five years ago, I was the victim of an armed robbery attack at my workplace. I was left badly shaken and very frightened. As soon as I was brought home from the police station, Oscar came to me and sat with me, and when I went to change from my uniform he followed me closely.

He’d stay close by my side

Not long after the incident, my dad had to go and visit my mum in hospital, which meant leaving me home alone. Oscar lay beside me the couch for the entire time dad was away. And, for the whole week I was off work Oscar followed me around the house, sitting in the bathroom doorway and sleeping right beside me every night. Even when we were out on a walk, he’d stay close by my side if someone came towards us.

Throughout the months it took me to recover Oscar was there – and for that I’ll be forever grateful.


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Meet Luna

Alex admires Luna not only for her empathy, but also for the way she takes life by the stronghold.

Luna is an amazing dog, who’s not only changed our lives, but has also bought joy to so many other people as well. She visits our local hospital and meets patients in the stroke unit.

She has an uncanny knack of knowing who needs her most, snuggling up to them and placing her head near their hands so they can pet her. Sometimes, she’ll even lie on the bed next to them. She manages to bring a smile to all of the patients’ faces.

An uncanny knack of knowing who needs her most

Luna is a typical Labrador who loves food and sleeping upside down on the sofa. Swimming is one of her favourite sports, followed closely by running through muddy puddles until she’s completely soaked! She’s a very laid back dog, nothing seems to faze her, even the arrival of a crazy black Labrador puppy into the family.

Luna takes it all in her stride, and is truly a joy to be around.


Meet Ruby

Whether she’s chasing squirrels or barking at Elizabeth’s neighbour’s cat, Ruby has always been a typical Terrier

Ruby is a gorgeous mix of Welsh and Border Terrier. She has all the Terrier traits – she never chases balls or plays with toys. Something has to move for her to chase it, so her favourite pastime is chasing squirrels.

Thankfully, despite being fast, she’s not caught anything yet. But if she chases a squirrel up a tree, she’ll follow underneath as they run from branch to branch, barking at them to come back down. Then she’ll sit still under the tree and wait for them.

There’s also the neighbour’s cat, who torments her as she sits behind garden gates. It calmly strolls past, while she goes into full Terrier mode, telling it off. For a little dog, she loves being outdoors and is happiest when she’s out having walkies – the longer the better.

She always loves to jump up onto a wall and see what’s on the other side. She’s also clever, so she can count if she hasn’t had three walks in a day. She’ll lie down, head on paws, and let out a big sigh, with her eyes pleading to go out.

Her favourite pastime is chasing squirrels


Meet Sherman

Louise’s dog Sherman may be a giant, but his gentle nature means he’s adored by everyone in the community

We’ve had Sherman since he was a puppy, though back then I didn’t realise quite how big he would grow, both in size and personality. Sherman is an amazing dog, not only to us at home but also within our local community.

Sherman loves nothing more than attending school drop off and pick up, and if he doesn’t come, the children all ask for him. He is adored by all and constantly showered with cards, presents and more importantly, cuddles. There have been many occasions when parents have struggled to get their children to go school, but Sherman is happy to walk beside them, and that seems to be all the encouragement they need.

He is adored by all

Often, Sherman doesn’t want to leave the children, which can be quite embarrassing for me – it’s very tricky moving 12 stones of fluff! There are not enough words to describe the positive influence Sherman has had on us all. As well as looking after children, he also helps all the new puppies to become a part of our community by volunteering as a support dog, and even helps dogs who have been rescued and need socialising.


Meet Graham

With Graham by her side, Emma has the confidence to go out and experience new things, and now the pair are inseparable.

Since Graham has come into my life, he’s inspired me to get out and explore new places, as well as meet new people. I have never been a confident or particularly sociable person but having Graham by my side helps me to feel better and there isn’t anywhere I would go without him!

He’s come with me on a seven-mile-hike around the Peak District, travelled up to my hometown of Sheffield and even comes with me into cafes. Having him has pushed my partner and I to hire a camper van and travel around the Scottish Highlands. It’s always been a dream of mine, and now it’s even more special because he can come along with us!

Helps me to feel better

Graham is a very loving dog and is everyone’s best friend, even if he’s just met them. He is always up for a cuddle and loves giving people a ‘hug’ (where he puts his paw over your arm). I think meeting new people is one of his favourite things, along with food! He loves all food and will shamelessly do tricks for you in an attempt to get some – I haven’t found anything he won’t eat yet, even lettuce!

He’s also a pro at posing for the camera. Because of him photography is now a new hobby of mine, and of course he’s my favourite thing to take photos of. He is such a special dog and I honestly couldn’t imagine my life without him.


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