From Elizabeth Pierce:
Hope came in to rescue on March 6th, 2009 from a puppy Mill release located 3 hours North of Montreal.
She arrived together with another female Westie and 57 various breed dogs, when she arrived she was still a lactating Mom I am told by the inspector that she had her litter taken away from her and that however hard the SPCA inspector tried to plead with the puppy miller, she would not release her puppies, she planned on force feeding them to plump them up and then sell them to a pet store, poor little Hope, we placed her in our ICU room and had the veterinarian administer her medication to dry her milk up, she sat there in total shock in the back of her cage and would not eat or drink volunteers took her out and cuddled her.
CWHWTC president Monique Courtois was called immediately to see if she could take both the Westie rescues without any hesitation she informed me she would come and get them ASAP.
Hope has since had surgery to remove large stones in her bladder and have dental work done to improve her health conditions and is awaiting a new forever home.
From Monique Courtois:
When I first saw Hope on March 7th in the early afternoon, she was crouched in the back of a crate, in shock, not daring to move, shy and afraid of us and of any human contact. She was thought to be about 2 to 5 years old.
Her hair had never been cut and was matted with feces, urine, whelping matters. Her mammary glands were full of milk. Her teeth were in horrible condition: they were crusted with thick tartar and the root of one molar was exposed because of severe periodontitis despite her age.
She smelled so bad that it was unbearable. Because her nails had never been trimmed, her feet were splashed and she could hardly walk. The toenails dug into her skin. She was too much in shock to be groomed the first day, so she was left to rest, given water and moist and appetizing food over some kibble to entice her to eat. She refused it the first night after her arrival, but the next morning accepted to do so. This is when she was groomed for probably the first time in her life. The hair was so bad, tinted and burnt with urine, that she had to be clipped to about ½ inch long. She was then washed with soft soap and dried. Throughout all this, she stood still, patient and grateful, still trusting us despite the terrible conditions she had been kept in.
She had 2 luxated patellas for which the vet didn’t recommend corrective surgery at the moment.
The worse was that she was peeing blood every five minutes. She was in obvious pain and made efforts to urinate a few drops at a time. The vet at the SPCA wasn’t sure whether this was due to a mass in her abdomen (tumor?) so she was taken to a vet hospital where a clinical exam and x-rays show 2 large stones the size of small prunes in her bladder. She was scheduled for surgery (cystotomy) in a week and given antibiotics and some medication to reduce the inflammation. The vet preferred to wait until the antibiotics were effective to operate to reduce the risk of contagion to the abdomen during surgery.
After a few days of rest in a calm environment with classical music and with frequent but short positive interaction and social contact, she began to respond by slowly approaching us by herself instead of hiding in corners.
On March 11th, she had her surgery: teeth cleaning and tooth extraction, cystotomy and spaying. She received new antibiotics and some more anti-inflammatory medication. She will have to be on a special diet all her life to prevent the reoccurrence of stones in her bladder.
She came back to her foster home on March 13th. Free from pain for the first time in months, Hope was a completely different bitch. She could now pee normally, without pain, and she showed her contentment and her relief by happily greeting me each time she saw me, standing on her back legs to be petted and licking my hands. She is starting to learn how to walk on a leash, and is now ready to have a loving forever home.
Update September 26, 2009: Hope is now named Bonnie.
Bonnie (formerly Hope) is doing wonderful. She went to the groomer a couple of days ago and looks so beautiful. Her Dad just came back from the doggy nutritionist and the nutritionist says that Bonnie has to lose a few pounds. She’s a little on the pudgy side. She’s had to have her food and treats cut back because she tends to pack on the weight.
Bonnie now has a big fenced yard to play in and goes out for regular walks. Bonnie walks really well on the leash. She still has some shyness issues and doesn’t like to be away from Dad when she is in new areas and with strangers. She tends to be very clingy with Dad in such situations. With time, hopefully, Bonnie will forget her previous life at the puppy mill and feel more confident.
She truly is one of the most beautiful looking and best tempered Westies Dad has ever had. Bonnie was very fortunate in that her owner adopted two Westies from the same puppy mill. The other one, Braiden, is about a year old now and the two are good company for each other. Here they are shown with their Dad (Bonnie in pink and Braiden in Blue).
Brigitte Dimock
Update March 4, 2010
Just a little email to let you know that Bonnie Bundle and Brady Bundle are doing very well. Today is March 4th and yesterday was Bonnie’s seventh birthday. A year ago Bonnie spent her 6th birthday at a puppy mill in Quebec. Unlike her 6th birthday, this year Bonnie had a wonderful day. Both she and Brady got a nice long soapy bath the night before so that they were fresh and clean for Bonnie’s big day. After their baths they got towel-dried and blown dry and brushed. Brady isn’t a big fan of baths but Bonnie is an angel. She loves human contact even if it is kisses while getting her bath. On her birthday we went for Bonnie and Brady’s favorite activity – Walkie Walkie. When we got back after lunch they both enjoyed some nice white mozzarella cheese for a snack b4 resting for a while with their Dad and cuddling and getting lots of cuddles, loving and kisses. Because it was Bonnie`s first birthday out of the puppy mill we celebrated with a bbq. Brady, Bonnie, and their Dad had a beautiful beef tenderloin each. Bonnie and Brady had theirs done blue rare, just the way they like it. Both little munchkins appreciated having Dad cut up their steak in very small pieces for them. For dessert, they both had some fresh baby carrots and organic plain yogurt (Bonnie`s favorite dessert). After an hour or so we had a bit of nightly fun time with ‘Ballie’. Brady is a bigger fan of playing ball than Bonnie, however. Bonnie does play a little by herself with the ball, She is so cute to watch playing with the ball. She always seems so amazed at how the ball rolls when she pokes it with her nose. Bonnie continues to come out of her shell, a bit every day. Brady doesn’t know what shell means, he’s such an outgoing little Westie and so full of self-confidence.
Bonnie and Brady continue to exhibit lots of signs of happy healthy little Westies. Carolanne, their canine nutritionist, continues to be very pleased with their weight, health, and socialization. This weekend is my weekend off and Bonnie and Brady and their Dad are going to visit Bonnie and Brady’s nanny and poppy. That’s always good for a few extra treats for them. I haven’t taken any new pictures of them in a while but will try to get some in the next few weeks. Will forward them when I get them.
Hoping this email finds you and all your Westie Bundles healthy and happy as we are.
We remain eternally grateful for helping us find each other.
Bonnie Bundle, Brady Bundle, and their Dad…Des.