BLOSSOM
Exactly one year ago last week, on a riverbank in Pittsburgh PA, a 10 month old APBT/AmStaff pup was found, barely clinging to life after losing a fight and being tied out to die by her former owner. She was starving, dehydrated, and badly injured. Fate intervened, and this pup was found in the nick of time. The shelter decided this pup, unlike many of her breed they had picked up before her, deserved a much needed second chance at life. Within days this abused, injured pup was tugging at heartstrings across the country as her story circulated the internet. It was printed in a nationally read newspaper column, and she got her own website thanks to Jacqui Crews. This sweet pup was named Blossom, and she began to flourish with love and attention, and good food and medical care.
To my surprise, donations began flowing in from all over the country to help pay for Blossom's food and medical care! I was overwhelmed with the scope of the concern for this one little dog, who had been discarded like trash just a short time ago! As spring turned into summer, Blossom began to look like a different dog - happy and healthy, and barely showing any physical signs of her former near-death experience. Her personality is fantastic - a testament to the stability of this breed. She adores people and thrived on any little token of affection- a fresh blanket in her kennel made her prance around happily, and a pig ear would practically put her in heaven!!!
But sadly, the one thing that was lacking was someone to take this beautiful dog home. It seems that her former abuse scared off many adopters, who were unwilling to take this "former fighter" into their homes. Leah Purcell from Spindletop generously offered to take her in for training and placement, if I could find a way to get her to Texas. Again, donations came in to pay for her plane fare. She arrived in Texas in November of 1999, to begin to be socialized and introduced to household manners and obedience training. She immediately took to the training, and became a favorite of the staff and even learned to be social with some other dogs!!
And now the final chapter has begun!! On Friday, April 7, 2000, exactly one year and one week after almost losing her life, Blossom boarded a plane for Oregon, to begin the next chapter of her eventful life!! BLOSSOM HAS A HOME!!!!!!!! She now has a large piece of property to run on, and has some new doggie friends to play with- at the end of her first day she was so tired from running around she went to bed early!! Her new "mom" promised to keep us updated and send pictures often.
*Blossom*
And with this joyful announcement, I need to take this time to thank EVERYONE who helped in any way to save this pup's life - I never could have done it without the help of each and every one of you!!
Special thank you's have to go to Ron Smith and the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, who had the heart to give this girl a chance instead of letting her become just another sad statistic. And to Linda Wilson Fuoco and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who published her story in Pet Tales, resulting in a lot of the financial aid for this case. To Lorraine Marsalese who went over and beyond anything I would have ever expected for a contribution for a dog she never even met. To Jillian, who immortalized Blossom in her most recent book. And most importantly, to the anonymous boater who stopped on the riverbank on March 31 - without him, there would be no story, as Blossom would have died alone and unloved.
As far as the rest of the help I received- there were so many people who helped Blossom that I could never begin to name individuals for fear of forgetting someone. The people who helped spanned all realms of life- from dog list members, APBT and AmStaff owners- ADBA, UKC, and AKC clubs alike - to pet lovers who have never even met a "pit bull" but were touched by her story neverless. Whether you donated money, food, or medical care, or printed her story in your magazines or newsletters, forwarded her story to someone else, sent me a note of encouragement, or just kept her in your prayers-------
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please keep Blossom and other rescue dogs in your hearts- and help out with rescue whenever you can. Personally or financially- rescues are terribly overburdened and under funded. She was just one of the thousands of homeless APBT's that are discarded in this country every year. One of the lucky ones.
Hug your dogs tonight, and be glad they have you to love them.
--Lora Bauer/Hartagold ASTs
