The Happiest of Happy Endings

Blossom was one of the worst cases of neglect the RAPS team had ever seen. Today, this resilient beauty formally joins her forever family.

When Blossom arrived at RAPS almost two years ago, she was one of the worst cases of neglect we had ever seen.

Blossom, a German shepherd-Lab mix, was found by kind passersby running loose near a busy intersection, in September 2020. When she was brought to RAPS, she was severely underweight, she was suffering from horrific mange and almost all her hair was gone, except for on her back, head and neck. Her body was covered in scabs, she was bleeding in places and she was chewing on herself due to the extreme discomfort. She smelled awful.

Her treatment began immediately at the RAPS Animal Hospital. She underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which helped her tissue and skin heal and, slowly, her hair began growing back. With proper nutrition and adequate food, she began to regain her weight.

Blossom’s personality shone through from the very beginning.

One of the most beautiful developments was when her skin healed and her hair came back and she couldn’t get enough cuddles and pets. … Tragically, when she arrived at RAPS, her body was so painful that she could not stand to be touched. She was missing out on the love she craved.

Fast forward to today!

This morning, Barb and Frank Jones will sign the papers to become Blossom’s forever family. The couple have been fostering Blossom for almost a year – they really are already her forever family – but today it becomes official when they sign the adoption papers!

Barb and Frank have watched Blossom emerge from her shell, with their constant, loving support and care.

“When we first got her, they told us she didn’t really go for walks much because she didn’t enjoy them,” says Frank. “She was pretty much a quiet, tame dog. Through our own discovery, getting her where she needs to be, her personality has changed.”

Now, she loves walks – and Barb and Frank make sure she gets about three good outings a day. And she loves them.

“She’s become better,” says Frank. “She’s a delightful dog to be with. She’s playful, she’s talkative, she’s so affectionate and loving. It’s just a total change from the day we brought her home.”

Blossom’s personality and confidence has grown enormously in the Jones’s care. They are still dealing with some health issues, but compared to her original state, these are minor. Every week or two, they take her to the self-serve dog wash at the local Bosley’s and give Blossom her required medicated shampoo bath and treat her ears with a special solution to help continue the healing. Back home, Blossom is never far from her peeps. There are dog beds all around the house, but she can always be found right near Barb and Frank. When they are on the couch watching TV, Blossom is ensconced cozily behind the couch.

She is also going to school. She has some reactivity to other dogs – sometimes, not always – and she can get defensive if Barb or Frank touch each other or behave in ways that Blossom thinks they shouldn’t. (Barb has learned not to jokingly slap Frank on the arm because Blossom can’t tell a friendly gesture from an aggressive one.)

On the other hand, Blossom loves to be vacuumed! She’s a shedder … and the dog who once couldn’t be touched because her skin was so sensitive now demands to have the vacuum cleaner suction her all over! It makes it a challenge when one of the humans is trying to actually do the housework and Blossom is grabbing at the vacuum demanding that they turn it on her.

The magnificent, sweet and sassy personality Blossom showed from the moment she arrived at RAPS is now combined with a miraculous resilience.

“There is not a day that I don’t come home that my wife tells me some story about Blossom,” Frank says. “She’s taken my heart. For a dog to go through what she’s gone through and to give us so much of her love and affection, it just amazes me.”

Featured photo: Michele Wright, Furry Friends Photography