We first saw this little Westie girl on a Facebook “found dog” post after she was found as a stray on the side of a country road. She was well-groomed, happy, and appeared to be healthy so we were certain her people would come looking for her. The finder had her scanned and she was microchipped but the chip had not been registered. When we reached out to the finder to help, she indicated she was not able to keep the dog so we offered to hold her in one of our volunteer foster homes while continuing to look for her owners. Our volunteer picked her up and called her Gladys. Within a few days, someone reached out to us claiming to be the owner so we requested proof. Then Winter Storm Uri hit the area and our attention was drawn elsewhere.
Once the storm passed, we reached out again to the person who claimed to be Gladys’ owner and she confirmed it was indeed her dog, sending copies of vet records and the microchip number as proof. She told us that she had been giving it more thought and she had decided to rehome the pup. She told us she had a special needs child and it was getting to be too much to have the dog as well. While we were disappointed to not reunite them, we were able to learn more about Gladys’ personality and received all of her medical history so could set about finding the best furever home for her.
Gladys has a unique, spirited personality. She has an opinion on everything – either she loves it or she hates it and there is no real in-between. While that is helpful with things she loves (tennis balls and treats!) it makes things she hates a little more challenging. In one of her foster homes, we noticed that she flinched a lot when approached on the right-hand side. She also hated being petted on the head and being approached from behind. A trip to our veterinarian determined that she had an unusual- shaped oval cataract on her right eye. Gladys was referred to a doggy ophthalmologist where they determined she was an ideal candidate for cataract-removal surgery. While we were happy to have a definite diagnosis, we were also concerned about preparing Gladys for surgery.
If Gladys didn’t like her head touched or being approached from behind and flinched constantly, how were we going to give her all of the needed eyedrops without her snapping out of fear? We knew this was best for her and so the work began. Gladys’ foster mom practiced taking a muzzle and e-collar off and on and practiced administering saline and anti-inflammatory drops. This process took several weeks and once we felt Gladys trusted her foster mom enough, we scheduled her surgery.
Thanks to WestieMed, Gladys had successful cataract-removal surgery on Monday, October 4th. She will continue to get 12-14 eyedrops a day for the next several weeks which requires the muzzle, e-collar, and a lot of patience. Gladys also has at least four additional follow-up appointments to ensure that her eye stays healthy during recovery. Once fully recovered, Gladys will be matched to her furever home, one that understands that trust is gained over time and one that will play ball for hours on end.
Maggie
Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston
Update July 21, 2022:
It has been a little over six months since Gladys successfully had her unusual cataract removed and life has changed in many ways. Still spunky and sassy, Gladys has been busy exploring parts of life that were previously unseen. Squirrels are no longer safe in the backyard and she regularly hunts bugs on her nightly walks about the neighborhood. Earlier this year, Gladys helped foster a pack of puppies and enjoyed evening playtime where she could be a puppy again.
Gladys has been busy looking for her furever home. While many have applied for her, none has been the right fit for her unique personality. We know her perfect furever home is out there. In the meantime, she enjoys cuddling with her foster mom, bossing around her foster siblings, serving as copilot for car rides, and learning what it means to be a loved dog.
Gladys has completed her follow-up doctor appointments with flying colors and continues to take her eye drops without any complaints. Although she has been cleared from the eye doctor, she will continue eye drops for a year to make sure the healing is complete.
We are grateful for the help WestieMed provided to allow us to give Gladys the gift of full vision and improve her quality of life. Thank you.
Kind regards,
Maggie Escriva
Volunteer, Intake Coordinator
Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston
Update November 9, 2022:
It has been about a year since Gladys’s surgery and life could not be better!
Gladys found her furever home!She found the perfect furever home, complete with a patient mom and feisty fur brother (WSRH Alum Travis). Gladys now enjoys daily walks, lots of playtime, and more ball time than she ever could have imagined.
Gladys still takes her eye drops without any complaints and recently got a good follow up report from the eye doctor for her one year check up, but this time with her MOM!
Happy Tails, Gladys!