Our Happy Story this month is a very happy, Happy Story. It’s about a Spanish boy called Jerry, who waited two years for his forever home.
Not because he wasn’t a beautiful dog. He was.
Not because he wasn’t friendly. He was.
Not because we didn’t try. We did.
No, it was because he had been treated for Leishmaniasis. A parasite spread by infected sand flies. The disease can recur but a happy, healthy dog in a caring home has a far greater chance of a full life.
As we all know – there are no guarantees with any dog ….. a breeding line of champions can’t promise a long and healthy life. But nevertheless it takes a very special person to take those first steps.
And, thankfully, that very special person was there for Jerry. A long-standing supporter of our Charity, a past Fosterer and a serial Adopter! This was a wonderful moment for Jan, our Co-ordinator in Spain, and Claire and the whole Team at Pointers In Need.
“Our Pointers In Need journey began with Bella (previously Mania) in 2019. We had lost our 7 year old pointer, Ben, suddenly due to sepsis and our home felt empty. I had stumbled across the Pointers In Need website a couple of months earlier and noticed Mania, a Black and White Pointer who was a stray from Greece. I decided if she was still available, then it was fate!
“Mania arrived in the March, and in the first few weeks there were moments of “Oh my, what have we gotten ourselves into? But after a few months of bonding and gaining her trust she opened our eyes to how incredible giving a dog a second chance really was.
“So, a year after the loss of my partner, I knew I needed something to give me a focus. With one adoption under my belt, and a wonderfully calm Bella to assist I decided to open our home to a foster dog. Along came the very handsome Zac and, as expected, Zac quickly found his forever home.
“Not long after dropping Zac off in Manchester, we received a call looking for a pre Christmas placement for Christy – an Orange and White, nervous ‘pocket pointer’ from Turkey. Immediately Bella put Christy at ease, both in the house and when we were out and about meeting dogs and people on our walks. Christy grew in confidence under the protective eye of Bella and at that point we knew her search was over and she had found her forever home with our family.
“Over the next year and half our family grew with new kittens and my new partner with his 11 year old German shepherd, Angel. Surprisingly, they soon became an odd but loving, pack – including the 10-year-old house rabbit!
“Unfortunately, we lost Bella in the early summer of 2025, after a short period of ill health. We all felt the loss, but no one more than Christy. With her comfort blanket gone, she grew fearful again around other dogs and people. Watching her regress, we knew she needed another Pointer to share her home with. But with a teenager, young cat, two kittens, a rabbit and two dogs we knew a match might be tough!
“Having grown up with a liver and white pointer, I had been keeping a watchful eye on Jerry who I noticed in a post in early 2025. With a quick search on the Facebook page, there was the video of Jerry where he seemed largely disinterested in cats! So he seemed like he could be our boy!
“I filled in an online form and awaited a response. We were told he was still available but we should be aware he had tested positive for Leishmaniasis and would receive further blood tests before any adoption would move forward. We then had a decision to make but, to be honest, we had fallen for him the moment we saw the video. I did a bit of research on Leish including discussions with others who had adopted dogs, on the Living with Leish Facebook page and it was a yes from us (as if there was any question!).
“Jerry arrived in late September, and immediately found his place on the couch, and most importantly, in Christy’s heart. The other animals and humans in house all followed very quickly. He had been looking for his forever home for a couple of years but despite this he is one of the happiest and most loving dogs I have ever had.
“Jerry is keen to meet new dogs and people, wherever we go, including evenings in ‘the Local’! His tail never stops wagging (unless he’s pointing). We are lucky enough to live near unused fields with an adjacent golf course so have been working on his recall which is coming along well, although he is most definitely a bird dog! He and Christy spend time every day just happily running and their joy is infectious. They are well known in our neighbourhood as Jerry and Christy are joined on their evening pack walk by the kittens, Alba and Jura. Jerry will have his first blood tests (for Leish) with us in January 2026, but whatever these or future results bring, he has found his forever home surrounded by love and comfort.”
Adopter: Suzanne Craig
