While people were celebrating St Patrick's Day across the country, this tiny little girl was running the streets of Ballinasloe terrified. We have since found out she had been seen straying for over a week at that stage. Too afraid to let anyone near her but desperate to find safety, she eventually was cornered and, thanks to the kindness of a couple of people, found herself safe within our sanctuary walls a couple of days later.

A tiny girl weighing only 5kg who looked even smaller as she tried to huddle into a ball hoping that if she couldn't see us then we couldn't see her. We have dogs arrive to us with this level of fear hundreds of times but your heart still breaks for them as they arrive so scared they can't even look at us.

We gave Palm some space for a couple of days and then took her out for a little sniff and we discovered her very sweet and loving side who, while still shy, was coming slowly up to us for cuddles and love. Palm has now gone into a foster home where she can relax and start to learn about living in a home.

She would love a quiet forever home in a not too busy environment where she can blossom slowly with kind and patient people willing to go at her pace. Palm is sweet natured, gentle and kind but just needs someone to see past her initial shyness until she learns us humans are not all the same.

Palm is spayed, vaccinated and microchipped (available on request).

In compliance with DAFM legislation, the GalwaySPCA unique certificate number is GPT200022C.