Christie
Christie is a five-year-old breeding dog from the Central Valley of California. She was kept in a warehouse. When she failed to get pregnant the last time she was in heat the breeder handed her over to a lady that finds rescues to take former breeding dogs.
Christie came to Westie Rescue and Placement of Northern California (WRAP) on August 23rd, 2017. She was in heat. We kept her in a quiet environment for several weeks allowing her to adjust to life in a home. At first, she was reluctant to come out of her crate even with the door open. When her paws first touched grass she didn’t know what to do. We focused on housetraining, learning to go up and downstairs, walking on a leash and social skills with dogs and people. Christie is very bright and has picked up on these tasks very quickly. More focus continues to be needed on social skills and trust-building. She is timid and continues to shy away from touch.
Christie needed a full workup due to poor medical care. She visited the veterinarian on September 5th for shots and a general physical and blood work. On September 7th, 2017 she was spayed (no longer in heat), her teeth were cleaned, treated for hookworms, and she had six extractions due to bad or damaged teeth. She also received a microchip. On September 21. 2017 she made a follow-up visit to the Veterinarian. We are hopeful that Christie will be adopted by her foster in the not too distant future. Her progress has been remarkable and we anticipate she will go on to live a full and happy life. She is house trained, walks on a leash, seeks out her foster for petting and contact. She sleeps in the big bed with her foster Dad and Westie sister. She is starting to play with toys and her new sister, She is good in public with other dogs and people. She is becoming more trusting every day.
We are grateful to WestieMed for the support they provide to rescue organizations that enables us to help more dogs than we might otherwise be able to help. Christie thanks you too.
Barbara Mordy
Westie Rescue and Placement (WRAP)
Update June 2018
Remember Christie?
She’s the puppy-mill breeder girl, rescued last August by Westie Rescue and Placement of Northern California.
Christie was scared of everything and didn’t know even the most basic things about living indoors with people to love her.
Well, not anymore!
Now she loves to be petted and plays with toys enthusiastically. She even rolls over on her back sometimes while playing tug with her Dad and she’s a good fetcher too. She sleeps in the big bed with her Dad and older sister Terry. And, she even relaxes for a while in Dad’s lap when she’s in the mood to let him pick her up and put her there. She’s one smart cookie!
This is all thanks to WestieMed and their generosity in helping to get the medical care she needed
Lucky
Lucky is a six-year-old Westie that ran in front of our van, sat down and stared at us. My husband opened the door and he jumped right in. It was obvious he had been on his own for a while. His fur is severely matted and even after a professional bath, he is still brown with dirt. We immediately took him to a vet and had them do a check up on him and check for a microchip. He was hookworm positive and we treated him for that ailment. He is also heartworm positive. When we got the estimate for the treatment, we were heartbroken. We knew we couldn’t afford to pay for it. Our kids were devastated, as they had already fallen in love with him.
We brought Lucky home and after he was cleared of the hookworms, we introduced him to our Foxhound, Scout. She needed a friend and they quickly became just that – friends! They run together, play, chase rabbits and even eat together. Lucky fits into our family immediately.
We reached out to the San Antonio Area Scottie and Westie Rescue (SAASWR) and told them our situation. They directed us to WestieMed and thanks to this wonderful organization, Lucky will have a second chance at a healthy and loving life! Thank you!
The Robledo Family
Update November 22, 2017
Lucky is doing great!! We took him for a haircut and found out he was mistakenly listed as a Westie and is in fact a Schnauzer!!
He is older than we originally thought also but he loves living with us. He loves my daughter and follows her around. He also sleeps with her.
He has a “sister” named Scout that is a Foxhound mix. I am including a picture of them both. They get along well and play most of the day.
We really appreciate your assistance with Lucky’s medical bill and mostly for your patience through us figuring out which treatment was best for him.
You are a blessing!
Lydia
Dutchess
December 2007:
After the death of my Westie Mr. Magoo at age 17 years, 2 months, swore I would never get another Westie to add to the two I still have. And then it happened! This beautiful little Princess caught my eye and I had to have her for my own.
Westie Rescue of Missouri (WRM) stated that Dutchess was turned in by an elderly woman in her 80s who could no longer care for her. The woman said her grand-daughter owned Dutchess. However, when the girl went to medical school, she gave Dutchess to her grandmother. We know the woman also had a male Westie who recently died. After his death, Dutchess had to leave. Perhaps it was out of grief…but, nonetheless, she was surrendered to rescue.
Everyone at WRM who met Dutchess LOVED HER. Her foster home was very smitten with her and said Dutchess was going to be awesome pet for someone. Dutchess works the pack like a grand, seasoned matriarch with gentleness and accuracy through looks and playfulness. Her foster mom, Lynne Black said Dutchess is perfect.
After dealing with stormy weather trying to transport her to me, Dutchess finally arrived on Thanksgiving Day via airplane thanks to the Farris family and their “Pet Taxi” as well as WRM.
The next day I took Dutchess to the Vet for a check-up. I found out she had hookworms and a urinary tract infection (UTI). She also had numerous cysts and tumors on her body. The Vet treated the UTI and hookworms right then and there. We were to return in a week for cyst and tumor removal.
This photo shows Dutchess barking to go ‘bye-bye’. Little did she know she was going to have her cysts and tumors removed. After a week of nail biting and stress, the Vet reported her tumors were benign and her blood work was perfect. The Vet also stated Dutchess was “OLD” – very old! He estimated that she is at least 13 years or older. She appears to be very young and acts as a pup. Who cares about age? Not us!
Miss D. is adjusting well to our home and my other two Westies. She gets along just fine with her brother Rocky MacDuff:
(https://westiemed.org/stories/2004/rocky/).
However, her sister Miss Sophie Rose is another story. Sophie is our resident Alpha Diva and thinks she rules the world. Slowly, the girls have come to a truce and are learning to get along.
Thanks to WestieMed and their generosity, Dutchess now has a clean bill of health. She a fine old lady and we love her dearly!
Thanks again WestieMed for all you do to assure the health of these little Westies!
Update June 14, 2008:
Hi all! It’s me the Divine Miss D. Boy, did I ever hit the Jackpot! My Mom thinks I am the Cutest Thing that hit Harrison. She tells me I am a female Mr. Magoo. (That was my 17 year old Bubby that went to the Bridge.) I am so Sassy, Bossy and Demanding! I tell my Mom when I want to go outside and I don’t stop barking until she opens the door. I bark for my meals and again I don’t shut up until I get them and Mom is always on time believe me. I even bark until Mom gets up and gives me her chair.
have a clean bill of health and Mom just had the last of my Booboos removed. Big old thing on the back of my neck. It didn’t bother me but Mom is always doing a search looking for stuff. And of course, it has to go! I’m perfect and Mom helps me to stay that way. Not bad for a 14 year old.
My Sister Sophie Rose is acting better but not perfect. Sometimes she forgets and plays with me. My Brother Rocky is a gentle Giant. He’s good to me! My Bestest Friends Winnie and Elvis come to visit all the time. We get along GRAND.
Thanks to WestieMed I have a wonderful healthy life and thanks to WestieMed I have my friends Winnie and Elvis. Life is great! And I am so very happy!
Love, Dutchess
Sammi
September 2007:
Age of Dog: Two years Rescue State: Georgia Medical Condition: Degenerative Joint Disease and Legg-Perthes
Synopsis: Sammi was encouraged to be surrendered by a good Samaritan who knew the owner was handling the dog irresponsibly in that she would let the dog run loose and it was frequently being lost. She wasn’t getting any attention and had been neglected in the sense of any grooming or hygiene. One of our members worked with one of the wonderful regular vets of the West Highland White Terrier Club of Greater Atlanta (WHWTCGA). WHWTCGA took Sammi into the rescue program called upon this vet to assist us and Sammi. She was a scruffy mess that desperately needed cleaning up. She was given a general physical and was treated for hookworms and spayed. She was anemic and not very playful at that point. She was then placed in foster to recover and be evaluated. When she became comfortable in her foster home, she started snapping and biting particularly when approached from the back or picking her up. It was initially thought that she needed behavior training by the club’s trainer, but prior to sending her there, we thought it was best to have a vet re-check her for any other medical issues. It was determined that she was in pain from her left hip because she had extreme degenerative joint disease (Legg-Perthes) and possible spine problems. The treatment of choice was an FHO — femoral head ostectomy — which was successfully performed. But the surgery would have to be followed by several weeks of therapy to get her to exercise and use her leg.
Sammi has made great strides thanks to our loving foster home. From what we can tell the pain is gone! She will let you pick her up although she reverts back to her alpha habits occasionally so we have continued her in a foster home that has another Westie and an older cat. She goes on walks daily and uses her leg more each day. After two surgeries, multiple x-rays, some medications for the pain, and physical therapy she has now participating in some training classes to assist in the bad behavior habits she has developed through her medical issues. If it hadn’t been for the good Samaritan’s knowledge of Westie Rescue and the lady surrendering her neglected Westie who knows how long poor Sammi would have suffered leading to an inevitable biting incident.
From her picture you can also see what basic grooming, proper hygiene, and diet with a little TLC will do for the looks too – isn’t she adorable? It will be several weeks before she will be ready for any forever home placement, but she is definitely on the right road to a great Westie life thanks to our volunteers, caring vets, and the support of WestieMed!
–WHWTC of Greater Atlanta
Update March 1, 2010:
We have not heard anything since early 2009 from the forever home. At that time Sammi had well recovered from her surgery and was enjoying life healthy and happy. She won’t set any land speed records but her mobility was excellent.
We will call her again just to see. The adoption home had not renewed her membership with the club for 2010 and we didn’t see her at meetings in 2009.
Kristine Tarrer WHWTC of Greater Atlanta
Lucy (Formally Iris)
August 2007:
Hi-My name is Iris and I want to tell you a story.
It was summer and I was so hot. I had long, matted hair. I didn’t realize that I was actually a white dog. I heard some people that came up to my fence one day say that it made them sad because I was so dirty. The lady said that she wished she could put me in a nice, cool bubble bath, whatever that is. I knew that I was covered in ticks and that my feet hurt so bad I could hardly walk. But I didn’t know that I was dirty. But then I heard her say that we were all dirty. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but I knew I was like all my friends that I lived with. We were all dirty! But when I saw the lady get water in her eyes and then grit her teeth like she was upset, I decided that dirty was a bad thing. But she leaned down and told us that we were all beautiful under that dirty hair and most important–we all had a beautiful Westie spirit!
One day she came back and put me and all my friends in her car. She still had water in her eyes, but I also saw something they call determination in her eyes. I soon learned that determination is a good thing! The lady and the man drove us straight to a place called “The Vet”. I heard them talking about the vet being on standby and open late just to see all of us. They seemed concerned about how they, along with some special ladies, were ever going to get the vet paid off. They had to pay to rescue me–whatever that means. I heard them say that the vet was going to give them a rescue discount, but they knew it was still going to cost a lot to get us in healthy Westie shape. They were very happy because the vet lady had a lot of “vet techs” waiting for us to arrive. I soon learned that vet techs like to cut the mats out of Westie hair and also shave them if they must. They were mad at someone though. His name was the breeder. They were mad because he had let me become covered in ticks and have kook-a-burros between the pads of my feet. They said things like “How can you even walk-poor baby?” I guess that is why my feet hurt so badly and I didn’t want to move along when I was told to. After they cut my hair with scissors and shaved a lot of me, they got those nasty ticks off. There were three people at one time trying to help me. I felt so special for the first time ever. But what came next was a little scary. They put me in a big sink and sprayed water all over me and rubbed me. It was all new to me, but I behaved the best I could. I heard them say “now you’re a white dog!” It wasn’t hot in the place they let me rest until my turn with the vet lady. It was cool plus they had soft towels to lie on. One by one they put my friends in the doggie suite with me after baths. I was the last one to go see the special lady called “Dr. Franks”. My buddies gave me good and bad reviews as they returned one at a time after seeing her and her helpers. They all said that she was very nice, gave hugs, and spoke so softly and kind to them, but she also poked them and put things in places they didn’t like. I understood what they meant after my turn. Her voice was the kindest voice I had ever heard. She helped me relax and I did pretty well until she started removing those things from between the pads on my feet. I had been giving all kinds of kisses until then. It hurt so much. I wanted to tell them that I had been hurting for so long, but that I had to walk if I wanted to eat or drink any of the hot water that sat in the sun. They told me that I had severe dental tarter, two kinds of worms, lots of tick bites, and pododermatitis with yeast on all four feet. Dr. Franks wrote on my paper that she thought I seemed older than two and half years. I wanted to tell her that I sure felt older than that! I think she decided it was because no one had ever taken good care of me. She also wrote on my paper that I had a beautiful, soft hair coat. I’m glad everyone can see it now. Her helpers gave me lots of shots including one called rabies. Yikes–it hurt! But only for a moment. They gave me antibiotics and some pasty worm medicine that made my mouth feel yucky. She also sent some to my foster Mom for me to take again in September. Maybe my new Mom will forget. I hope so! She also put special shampoo and some spray stuff in my bag of medicine.
I stayed in the doggie suite for a few days and then the rescue lady came back to take me to a place called foster home. She took one of my friends along also. My foster Mom, Michele, was so kind to us. She loves all animals and has big ones called horses. It was like going to Doggie Club Med. There was a big house with a fenced yard to run in, a fountain with water to splash my sore paws in, a beautiful covered porch with my very own crate on it to rest in whenever I wanted! I worked out an arrangement with a mother duck and her babies. I wouldn’t chase them if they let my buddy and I get in their baby pool filled with water in the back yard. It was great. We learned to share. I will include a photo of the Mommy duck asking me to share it with her babies. I got along great with P-Nut and Jake, two of the dogs that live there all the time.
Then one day, two of the nice rescue ladies came to take me to my furever family. They live in Mississippi. They have a Westie older than me named Sugar Baby. My new name is Lucy. I think it fits me perfectly! I still have to go to the vet for my left paw and take antibiotics. I love hanging out in the kitchen at my new home. I have a doggie door and my own crate that I can go in and out of any time I want. One of my favorite things to do here is follow “Tiny” the cat. Tiny likes me a lot! It’s great! Tiny, Sugar Baby, and I have full run of the house when Mom and Dad are home. My human sister has 2 large dogs and I get along great with them when they visit. Life is wonderful and I am so happy. Thank you WestieMed for helping me get healthy so I could move on to my new life. It was well worth the road I traveled to end up in such a great place. I am so thankful that you love Westies so, so much–cause now I’m a Westie girl with the world on a string!
Love, Lucy
Update January 2008: Iris now called Lucy
Update March 3, 2010:
Lucy is wonderful, she is loving and spoiled. She sleeps with us every night. She and her sister Lilly are the loves of our lives. Both of these rescue dogs are happy, lovable, and spoiled. They have a big back yard and have a doggie door where they come and go every day. We are so GRATEFUL for them. They make me whole.
Cindy Edwards
Colby
July 2007:
Colby was a stray who ended up at an animal shelter in Bedford County, Virginia, in early May 2007. He was suffering from a nasty head wound, along with hook and tapeworms. The shelter staff thought he might have been shot with a BB or pellet gun. Because they did not have the funds to treat him, they wanted to find a Westie Rescue group to take him. Ultimately, they found Maryland Westie Rescue, which is a service of the Chesapeake Bay West Highland White Terrier Club. A call went out to all club members, and a Virginia member’s daughter immediately drove across the state of Virginia to get him. Since he didn’t have a name, she named him Colby. He was checked out and xrayed by a local vet. The x-ray showed nothing. Later, other volunteers drove him from Virginia to Greater Annapolis Veterinary Hospital (GAVH), in Annapolis, Maryland, for further treatment.
While no object was found in the wound (according to the original Xrays and additional X-rays) the wound was very deep and the infection reached into his sinuses. It drained constantly. The staff at GAVH cleaned his wound multiple times a day. The wound took several weeks to apparently heal. However, just when the wound seemed better by early June, it began showing signs of infection again.
It was determined that an MRI was needed to get to the bottom of what was going on. The MRI showed a deep infection, including a foreign object in his sinuses, and he would need surgery. A few days later, he went to have his surgery, and the surgeon not only removed a mass, but there also appeared to be signs of previous surgery. A biopsy of the mass (which included something that was black on the outside and gray on the inside and friable) showed the mass was a granuloma caused by a fungal infection in his sinuses. While recovering, he had to be kept cool so as not to pant–not easy for any dog.
Colby did well in surgery and has been recovering nicely. He finally got well enough to be moved from the hospital to a foster home!
Despite the extent of his medical issues, Colby is such a friendly and affectionate Westie. The staff at GAVH has been amazed at how tolerant he has remained through all of the cleanings of the wound. He never seemed to mind.
He is still undergoing treatment for the extensive infection, and probably will be for some time because the infection did affect the rest of his body. Although his prognosis is technically uncertain (can we ever really be sure about anything), he has proven to be a fighter over the past two and a half months.
Winnie
August 2007:
My name is Winnie. I have recently lived in three different foster homes. Not because I am a problem Westie, but because everyone wants me to stay with them for a while. I’m a hit. There just isn’t enough Winnie to go around!
I was a professional Mommy dog. I am so glad to be retired now. I got to retire at the age of three years young. The day I retired, some nice people took me to a doggie doctor’s office. She wondered if I might be expecting puppies again. She told my rescue angel that she sure hoped not, because I had three different kinds of worms. She wrote hook, whip, and threadworms in my special folder. She also found that I had dental tarter build up. Sorry, they didn’t provide toothbrushes where I came from. I also had sores on my upper lip. I weighed in at 18 pounds. I am not overweight, just big-boned. I heard the word “chunky” at the doctor’s office, but I know they weren’t talking about me. I got several shots that day. That rabies thing really stung! What’s that all about?
I got a little bag with several kinds of medicine just for me. The bag had my name written on it. It made me feel special for people to be fussing over me like that.
I wasn’t able to have much fun at the first foster home. I had to be isolated due to a specific type of worm I had. Ten days of that. Whew! I started to miss the four-legged friends, even though I thought I would never miss them when I left the breeding kennel where I used to live. There were so many of them. Too many for me to get the attention I needed and deserved. The second foster home was nice. Foster Mom Teresa gave me lots of love and attention. When she went on vacation, I went back to my first foster home. It was much better than the first time. I could go upstairs and play with the Westie that lives there all the time. She was a young little toot and worked my nerves from time to time. Where does she get all that energy? I got to stay in the sunroom, watch Animal Planet and sleep on the sofas. Foster Mom gave me good treats and chewies every day to try and help my teeth. I went to a place called groomers. I came out of there looking like a million bucks! Just look at my photo taken on the way home. Foster Mom said that I was so white she had to put on her sunglasses!
I loved lying on the deck in the sun. Foster Mom would put a bottle of frozen water in my water bowl outside. It made the water soooo cool. It was like a giant ice cube! She said I deserved some special attention since I always had to drink water that sat in the sun at the kennel where I worked. Yuck! When I came in, I would lay with my tummy on the cool tile. I loved getting up on my foster Dad’s chest and making him keenly aware that I intended to be petted and praised even if his favorite show was on. He would pretend to ignore me just to see how far I would go. A few times I crawled on up to his face. He would laugh and act like he was spitting my hair out of his mouth! He would say what a sweet and funny girl I was. Then I went to my third foster home. Foster Mom Lynne says that I am eager to please and love being with the older Westies in my foster home. At first, I growled at all of them, but with guidance from my foster alpha, I know I’m safe. What a relief! I don’t feel like such a wallflower now. I’m even inviting the other Westies to play with me. Foster Mom hasn’t allowed me full run of the house yet, but I just got here and we are working on potty training. I really enjoy the crate–a great place to nap. I like walking on the leash and am doing very well at sitting as well as gathering my composure before diving into the delectable kibble at each meal. I think I will be happy in any home, just as long as everyone continues to guide me and I am one eager learner.
I am very thankful for WestieMed. My foster Moms told me how WestieMed paid for my special trip to see the doggie doctor. I had never been to a doctor before retirement day. It was nice to know that people cared so much about me. The doctor and WestieMed wanted me to feel good and be well. I have lots of guardian angels and the special people at WestieMed are definitely wearing wings in my book!
Love and good health to all my Westie friends, Winnie
Update January 2008: The Poobies
What did I ever do before Winnie and Elvis came to live here? I have no clue, but it must have been boring. Life certainly isn’t boring now! Elvis and Winnie are known as The Poobies. An old friend of mine called her little dog a “pooby” for some reason, and the name just stuck with me. We have really had a very easy transition, and there have been only a few bumps in the road. It took us all awhile to get used to little things, like climbing stairs. Winnie was always more adventurous, hopping up on the furniture and racing up steps. Elvis was much more cautious, and it took a few weeks and much encouragement for him to handle the steps. We were all learning so much that it took me a while to really grasp that he had no sight at all in his left eye. It was obvious that he had lived in an enclosed area – he truly had no skills at navigating around furniture, and it was frustrating for all of us. He would bump into things (he still HATES my glass sofa table) and then growl at them.
I live near a huge park in Cincinnati, Eden Park. We started walking three to four times a day, and they wore harnesses because I thought it would be easier for them to learn to walk on a leash. They still wear them today! They immediately fell into step together, with Winnie always on Elvis’ left side, kind of steering him around. Elvis would bump up against Winnie constantly at first, but they developed their own system and now we patrol the park constantly! I lost thirty pounds walking around the park, and they each gained two. Turns out, they’re eating a little better here than they were previously. We’re now on weight control food, even though Winnie insists she is just big-boned. Their little tails are just so cute walking side by side, one lady in the park told me, “they’re as cute coming as going!”
Elvis definitely has short dog syndrome – the bigger the other dog is, the more he barks at it. Winnie chimes right in, and we don’t socialize too much with other dogs at the park. Elvis told a police dog and a cop on horseback exactly what he thought of them, and they both totally terrorized a pair of Scottie dogs at a park festival. These two do just fine on their own and keep each other company. We have met a couple of other sets of Westies, but none of them are as cute as these two.
Our first trip to the vet was uneventful. Our vet, Dr. Bob Biederman, who took care of a past pet of mine, is a neat guy. He can’t walk and uses a wheelchair, and puts the animals up on the examining table so they look down a little at him. He’s great and was very patient, allowing the poobies to check everything out, especially since their only other trip to the vet was after their rescue. Winnie was an angel; Elvis was not as agreeable, but he did ok. The vet confirmed that Elvis was blind in his left eye. After MUCH encouragement from Bette, I took Elvis to an eye specialist, who said there was nothing that could be done.
Elvis puts his “good eye” to good use by patrolling and monitoring Eden Park from his perch. He has a big comfy chair that overlooks the park, and he monitors the activity of his arch-enemies – SQUIRRELS. They’re everywhere and the world is a safer place due to his constant vigilance.
These poobies have been to the groomers, and look just adorable, at least for a little while. They’ve even stayed at the kennel twice, and all reports are good! They’ve not scared to go in, but always happy to come home. Elvis is extremely grumpy when it comes to his rest – he growls and grumbles when he is sleeping. He needs a DO NOT DISTURB sign hung on him! Once he wakes up, he’s fine, but do not interrupt his beauty rest.
We try to visit the Harrys on Hairys every week or so. The Poobies took a little while to warm up to them, but now they play like old friends. They run around and share toys, they visit with Rosie, the doggie next door, and they have contests to see who can pee on the most things. Thanks so their Ant BB (Bette Heidorn) for all her patience and her carpet steamer! Ant BB also gives the best toys. Both like to play, but Elvis really likes his toys. He destroys tennis balls at a high rate of speed and is very protective of his toys. He has a habit of just picking it up and leaving the room as if to say, I am OUTTA HERE!
The funniest thing that I’ve discovered is that these two are the dance patrol. Anytime someone starts to dance or even moves their arms around, these two go wild. They bark and run to you, ready for play! My sister visited a lot over the holidays, and never realized how much she danced around during the day, but these two reminded her constantly!!
So, all in all, we are doing great! These two are so sweet and I just can’t imagine what I did before they were here. We travel well together in the car, with little white heads popping up in the rearview mirror. They always bark at the cashier at a fast-food drive-through, but never at the person who hands us the food. Funny how that works!
Thanks to WestieMed and all the wonderful people who helped Winnie and Elvis make it to their new home. We’re all just wonderful, and they’ve surely rescued me too.
Love,
Jen, Winnie, and Elvis
Erin
Hello Everyone-
I am a sweet little Westie girl named Erin. I have a wonderful life. It wasn’t always so wonderful, because you see, I was a breeding dog. Even though I am only two, I worried about my babies not having fresh water and being in the heat and cold. I did my very best to take good care of them, but I didn’t have much to work with. Now I never have to worry about having puppies again!
When I was rescued, I was sick. I had severe yeast infections in both my little ears. My teeth weren’t very healthy. I had worms. Since I am so small, I seemed to get the short end of the stick most of the time. I only weighed eleven pounds. There was never much to eat and my water had green yucky stuff on top of it. I kept trying to tell the breeder that I didn’t like bugs in my water, but he never understood. The day I left that awful place, I didn’t know what life held for me, but I knew it could only go uphill.
When I made it to the dogtor, I was shaking and really afraid. There were people running around taking care of other dogs and cats. It seemed like a big place. A very nice young man took me under his wing. He didn’t talk like the other people there. I heard someone say that he just moved here from Cuba. He is lucky like me. We both got to go to much better places to live. He got all the nasty, matted hair off of me. He tried not to shave me, but he had to. My coat was just too matted with nasty things. He left me a little bob on the end of my tail and some hair on my face. He told me that he understands how we girls like to look our best, even when we feel bad. The doctor lady and her helpers were so kind to me. I had to stay there a few nights and then the rescue lady took me and my sister to our foster home. She told us not to worry about our bill because she was in contact with a wonderful organization called WestieMed. She said that she was sure the people at WestieMed would want us to concentrate on getting well. The place I went to is called a farm. But this was no run of the mill farm. There was a nice, big house. The rescue lady mumbled something about a place called South Fork that was on TV a long time ago as she drove up the driveway. A pretty lady named Michele came out to greet us. Michele helped pay for me to be rescued. She has lots and lots of animals. Horses, pigs, chickens, guineas, cows, goats, lots of dogs, and all kinds of animals. I laugh to myself cause where her horses live is larger than the breeder man’s house!! Now my foster Mom has decided to keep me because I fell in love with her two little girls. I’m sure they love me back.
I love to run and play now, but when I first got here, I was too sick to enjoy all the amenities. I had something called loose stools and really bad skin irritations. Mom said that I was scared and in poor condition. I love the scrambled eggs she makes for me each morning. I think the good food that my Mom Michele feeds me has helped me get stronger. My chicken friends give them to her every single day like clockwork. She says that I am timid but have the sweetest disposition she has ever seen! My Mom adores me and hates that I had to suffer before I came to her and her family. But that is in the past. Now I run around the yard and play with my chickens and my new dog friends. I don’t exactly know how to thank the kind-hearted people at WestieMed for paying my doctor bills. Rescue lady told me the best way to repay them is to be a good little Westie and always, always enjoy my life. So that is what I am busy doing.
Love and Licks to you,
Erin
Update January 2008:
My little Erin is a wonderful, happy little girl. She is a strange little girl in that for a small little one, she thinks she is larger than life and bulletproof. She would rather be outside watching over her chickens than be inside with the others.
When Erin first came here she was very sick and “terrified” is the only word I can use to describe her. But her Alpha side is here now. She is very protective of her backyard. I often foster dogs here and most recently we fostered four eight-week-old Pyrenees puppies. They weighed almost thirty pounds each but she still bossed them around. When it was time for a little mothering she did that, too, constantly cleaning them and protecting them from even their own shadows at times (yes, they would chase their shadows).
But aside from her chewable wormer and a monthly Frontline, Erin is off any medications she was once on. She is every bit the delight I have insisted to everyone that a Westie would be.
I appreciate all you have done. And I still insist that Sherry Moore is the true reason my little Erin is alive today. For if not for Sherry and her “I will never stop looking for Sweetie or helping every Westie I find along the way” attitude, these guys would have never survived their past living situation.
Thank you for all you continue to do.