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.