“After losing our Springer Spaniel back in January 2020 my husband and I knew that we wanted another dog in our lives, but once the pandemic hit it was impossible to find the right one due to demand and crazy prices. As our previous dog was a rescue we decided that rescuing another was what we felt most comfortable with and we were open to any breed when we started looking. But once my husband met a work colleague’s Pointer he was smitten, and when the owner explained their personalities and nature we were excited to explore further.
When we looked on the Pointers In Need website, which the colleague had recommended after their adoption, it was quite upsetting and hard reading all the desperate and urgent stories. You can never really explain what draws you to a certain dog but Gracie and Ron just kept sticking in our minds, we could feel them fitting perfectly into our family and home.
We found the adoption process to be thorough and in the best interest of the dogs. It was like a massive pair of arms around them and you really had to be lucky to be chosen to be their new Mum and Dad! It was gentle, informative and supportive. Also very exciting!
Gracie was newly up for adoption and she had been earmarked for another family but due to a situation with their other dog they couldn’t take her on in the end. We had a conversation with Claire, who runs Pointer In Need, and before we knew it we were decided on wanting to adopt Gracie! After our online home assessment we were approved to adopt her and she travelled from Turkey by road to us about eight weeks later. We have a video of the moment we first met which still makes me cry. When Gracie arrived, she literally threw herself into our arms straight away! She was an excitable ball of energy, she still is.
Ron joined us a year later. Gracie was quite young and we felt she needed company, so we went to Pointers In Need again. We were immediately hooked by Ron’s pictures and videos – he had been in kennels in Turkey for quite some time and wasn’t coping. When he arrived with us it was such a contrast to Gracie, it felt more he was relieved.
They took to each other straight away, from the very first moment but they are so different from each other. Gracie adapted to home life quicky, she was very destructive and a terrible bin diver!! Ron was so nervous, he wouldn’t go upstairs for days. He’s a blanket nibbler. Gracie protects him and she knows when he’s scared. She cleans him daily! He likes to lay on her or they have to be touching to go to sleep.
Ron hates fireworks, carrier bags, the freezer, the bathroom, small children, lots of noise, strangers or lots of people. Gracie is braver and even if things scare her she will tough it out. Gracie is the leader – she’s a Mum, soft and knowing and is fantastic with our grandchildren. She’s stubborn and hard to train! Gracie is hugely protective but not in an unpredictable way. Ron is sensitive, nervous, soft, compliant, gentle and doesn’t trust quickly.
Every mealtime I ask Ron what he’s having and his answer is to howl at me!!!. I’ve bought both of these little jumpers and tops to keep them warm – Gracie unravels hers while wearing them! Ron knows the sound of the ice cream lady – they both get a treat now and again, it’s their favourite! When they sit with you they HAVE to be touching you. Not a bit, with all their paws! Gracie has escaped so many times now that we just know where to find her. When Ron barks at the postman putting things through the door, he looks at you as if to say “Who did that?!” They are both bonkers, beautiful, loved, loving and loyal. Given everything that they’ve been through, which we will never truly understand, they know they can trust us to help unpack their baggage.
We can’t thank Pointers In Need enough for trusting us with our babies.”
