February of 2017, I went to the Humane Society of Broward County and laid my eyes on the cutest white Westie-mix. I knew at first contact I had to rescue him from possibly being put down.
After getting him home we voted as a family to name him Sonny because of his bright personality.
After a few months of having him, I noticed that Sonny walked to the left and then started to limp a little. It wasn’t until after I took Sonny to see the Vet a few times we came to the conclusion that x-rays were needed to be done to rule out cancer and get to the root of the problem. I agreed and even though they ruled out cancer they informed me that my son Sonny has Hip Dysplasia, a torn CCL, and Arthritis. The doctors felt like Sonny suffered from these conditions for a while and without surgery or intensive rehab he will become lame and damage his good limbs.
Sonny has a true Westie spirit and loves to play and be active, but with those types of injuries, he had to stay medicated and sometimes restrained to help the healing.
Although Sonny is a rescue dog he was the one who truly rescued me. Being diagnosed with Lupus three years ago my world seemed a little overwhelming and I felt alone in this process. Sonny came into my life this bubbly and loveable creature that stayed by my side during terrible Lupus flares, I would be remiss if I was to give up on him when he never gave up on me. As the cost of Vet visits added up and now the new cost of treatment I was at a loss.
Only with the help of WestieMed, I am able to move forward in Sonny’s intensive rehabilitation so he can be that typical over-active Westie that he was designed to be.
Thank you so much for assisting us with the care of our family member SONNY!
Missy was found wandering on a golf course in coyote country by a Good Samaritan. She had no identification or collar, so they took her to the shelter. She was microchipped and the shelter called the owner.
The owner stated he did not want the dog back. Because of her multiple issues, a huge growth on her inner thigh, mammary tumors, and bleeding from the rectum, the shelter deemed her unadoptable.
They called Westie Rescue of Orange County (WROC) as a last resort and, of course, we took her.
The growth turned out to be a giant wart, the mammary tumors were fatty tumors, and the bleeding was caused by a non-cancerous polyp. Our vet removed the wart, fatty tumors and the polyp which took 3 surgeries. Missy never complained and remained her happy sweet self. She has recovered beautifully and is now available for adoption.
Thank you for your consideration.
Kay DeLoach Westie Rescue of OC & Beyond
Update August 14, 2019
Missy learned that life is full of wonderful second chances. She was adopted by a lovely couple and they think she is lovely, too. Missy found a new beginning and a great Mom who tells us they are honored to have a girl like her join their family. We are all so happy!
Kay DeLoach Westie Rescue of OC & Beyond
Update November 20, 2019
Missy continues to thrive with her family. She is a very happy girl and they love her to pieces.
On December 16, 2017, I drove to Houston to rescue a Westie brother and sister.
We named the girl Charlotte Rose and decided to name the boy George Bailey after the film “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
I later learned that George had a severe ear infection and will need surgery. The doctor, or dog-tor, feels that has infection was neglected for a very long time, which contributed to his being deaf.
While he also doesn’t bark, he has no trouble making his needs known. He is the sweetest and most gentle dog. George has adjusted quickly and happily to his permanent home.
It’s difficult to know how much pain this infection causes him. With WestieMed’s help, George will be able to have the TECA surgery he needs.
Adela
Update July 2019
George Bailey experienced complications from his surgery. He passed to Rainbow Bridge the day after surgery.
When Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Gulf Coast late last August, we had no idea what the floodwaters would bring. People and animals lost their homes, and many lost their lives. Some “lucky” ones who did not suffer total loss were either evacuated from their homes or stranded and, as the waters receded and damage assessed, emergency shelters were overcrowded. One of the problems that soon surfaced was the inability of some people to continue to provide for their animals as they pulled their lives back together and Beaumont came from one such situation.
On Sunday, September 3rd, Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston was contacted by a local shelter to ask if we had room for a family of nine Westies surrendered by a local breeder. The breeder’s son had convinced them to give up the dogs because they were unable to take care of them and had been for some time. All nine dogs were filthy, covered in fleas and mange, full of worms, and none had been spayed or neutered. The son told shelter workers that they had been unable to sell the last few litters of puppies so kept them and some had bred together. At least five of the dogs we took in that day were products of inbreeding, including Beaumont.
Beaumont had skin issues that needed to be addressed before we could do surgery for his neuter and hernia repair. Our primary vet had determined Beaumont had cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy, a genetic disease, rendering him completely blind. While we worked to clear his skin infection, we took Beaumont to the eye specialist to determine if there was any way to help him and she ran various tests which showed he had bilateral retinal detachments and no recordable retinal function. There was no surgery that could restore his vision but the eye doctor prescribed eye drops to reduce the inflammation and pressure in his eyes.
As time went by, each of the other pack members met prospective families but Beaumont did not have any interest due to his blindness. Beaumont’s foster mom worked to improve his adoptability by taking him through training classes and he achieved his Canine Good Citizenship certification. When it came time for his six-month visit at the eye doctor, we found that the pressure in his left eye had increased so the decision was made to surgically remove the eye to eliminate his pain and the need for ongoing medication.
Beaumont is a healthy, happy dog who does not seem to know he cannot see. The surgery and care obtained with WestieMed’s assistance will definitely improve the quality of his life.
Maggie Escriva Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston
Update November 7, 2018
Beaumont – WestieMed Recipient
Shortly after relocating to Houston in Aug of 2017 I began volunteering with WSRH, a wonderful organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming Westie, Scottie, Cairn and special blend terriers. Hurricane Harvey had devastated the area, countless pets had been lost or left behind in a desperate and tragic situation. A group of nine young Westies came into WSRH, thereafter known as The Harvey 9. In sad shape, with open skin wounds, patchy balding and one little guy blind, the result of backyard breeders. All were named for cities in Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey. Eight of the pups were brought to good health and adopted.
Sadly, Beaumont remained. He’d been seen by eye specialists, but, there was nothing to be done for his blindness. I took him home to foster and mentor with my fifteen-year-old semi-retired Cairn terrier, Miss Ellie, a therapy dog. Though Ellie passed shortly after his arrival he maintained his enthusiasm for learning and completed obedience school.
In March of this year during a routine eye exam, it was found that the pressure in one of his eyes was at fifty with the normal pressure being fifteen. He had had a bleed in that eye and was undoubtedly having pain though he maintained his stoicism. Insult to injury his eye would need to be removed. The dedication of WestieMed to the welfare and health of Westies cannot be lauded loudly enough! Beaumont is a different little dog after recovery, free of pain and eager to plow into every day with abandon and blind joy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I would like to share our story of how this little monster rescued us. My name is Scott and my girlfriend is Millie. We were out on a little road trip on a Saturday afternoon and decided to stop by a local rescue shelter. While we just walked around “window shopping”, I noticed Millie was nowhere around.
The shelter employee and I went looking for her and we found her kneeling down at one of the kennels getting friendly with this little white monster you see here. I quickly told her, “We are not getting a little dog” as she used to raise Boxers and I raised Akitas.
Well, to make a long story short as possible, Kobi now owns us.
His first daddy passed in November and his children surrendered Kobi to the Open Door Animal Sanctuary in early December. He came to live with us in February. We quickly found out these little monsters have a lot of health issues that have to be addressed.
Millie went online trying to figure out what to do and she found WestieMed, Inc. After multiple emails back and forth, they were the saving grace.
With all his issues, I was concerned about the vet to pick as Kobi’s new doctor. We got lucky and a vet from Animal Medical Center in Park Hills, MO, which is about an hour and a half from our home, came to volunteer at Open Door. Dr. Harding is a specialist with Westies and owns them as well.
She wanted us to bring him by Open Door so she could take a look at Kobi. After about thirty minutes of looking him over, she told us what needed to be addressed. We had been doing everything we knew to do but she filled in the blanks.
The last thing we wanted was to surrender Kobi back to the rescue shelter. I know his skin condition is not as bad as some, as you can see in these “before” pictures. We got lucky finding people who helped us take the needed steps.
Thank you to Dr. Harding, Open Door Animal Sanctuary, and especially to WestieMed to not only give Kobi his forever home but to give us one great little monster. We will send “after” pictures soon.
Davey is a 14-year-old Westie that came to the shelter at the request of the police due to gross neglect. We called every day for 6 weeks to inquire about his possible release date. We were desperate to get him to WROC knowing that a little senior boy of his age would fail to thrive in the shelter environment.
Unfortunately, animals are legally classified as property in the United States, therefore Davey was being held as “evidence”. Our wish finally came true when an officer from the shelter called us on a Tuesday morning, May 8th. The officer handed Davey over to us that very afternoon with tears in his eyes.
Davey was taken to our vet immediately where he was treated for ear and eye infection, received a complete blood panel, clipped his extraordinarily long nails that curled inward making it very difficult to walk, and we scheduled a dental for later in the week. Davey would nip when anyone would get near his mouth so we knew he had a lot of issues going on with his teeth.
Davey – WestieMed Recipient May 2018
We took him home, bathed and shaved out all of his mats, including rock hard feces stuck in between his pads. This was very stressful for him and he was given many breaks throughout the ordeal.
He later received his dental where fifteen abscessed teeth were removed. We were shocked that all fifteen were accessed and worried about his dental recovery. A mass was also found in his mouth which was removed and sent out for biopsy. Davey has five teeth left. The rest must have fallen out at one point.
He is now receiving antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and immune building supplements and his skin have improved quite a bit from the sores the mats left behind.
We were in for a huge surprise! In just one week in foster care, he is recovering beautifully and his personality is really beginning to shine. He no longer nips when we touch his head or mouth. His recovery is something to behold. Davey is happy and we are so grateful we got him when we did so we could treat the pain his infections caused. He is turning into a very happy dog!
Karen Simondet Westie Rescue of OC & Beyond
Update July 2019
We knew we would have very little interest in Davey due to his age but that would never stop us from helping a senior boy. Davey is officially a WROC Forever Foster dog, and making that decision was not a hard one to make at all. Being deaf with limited eyesight, we felt it was in his best interest to stay with us since he had been through so much. This little fellow loves to be loved, eats like a horse and snores like a lumberjack. He is gentle, feisty, grumpy, loving, and quite bossy. Our favorite kind!
Angus came to Westie Rescue of Northern California (WRAP) from a northern California shelter on 12/2/2017 after several people contacted us on Facebook about him. Angus was a stray, that the shelter said was about ten years old. Angus was fairly blind only seeing some shadows with cataracts in both eyes. His dental condition was poor. He had early renal disease and was mildly anemic. In addition, he was hard of hearing and had ulcers in his eyes which were discovered later. As the WRAP volunteer was sitting in her car to leave the shelter, Angus began to throw up. That set the tone for the weeks to come. He didn’t want to eat and when he did he was sick.
Angus was very dirty and matted on arrival so he was groomed within days. He looked beautiful when done. Angus was a very good boy for the groomer.
His loving foster mother took him to the Veterinarian almost immediately (and often) to start to deal with his medical issues which were many but most importantly his nausea. Multiple labs and testing over the next months were done along with teeth cleaning. He saw three different Veterinarians (including an Ophthalmologist) over four and a half months for various issues.
Angus was a loving boy who had clearly been loved at one time. He got along well with the others dogs in the foster home and became very bonded with them and his foster mom. Angus blossomed with some love and medical care. After over four and a half months Angus was finally cleared for adoption.
Angus was adopted by his foster mother on April 20, 2018.
Thank you WestieMed for helping us provide for Angus.
Update July 2019
Angus, my little man of the house went to Rainbow Bridge on Thursday, November 1st, 2018. We knew he was going to be a tough case because he was very ill when he first came to rescue and us. In spite, of his poor beginnings, Angus was a very sweet boy, enjoying his time snuffling around in the yard, lending affection whenever and wherever he could, and enjoying his food.
We think he was about twelve but he had had a very hard life and ultimately his kidneys failed him. Though he was blind and deaf, he really did manage to get around just fine and would meet me at the door with the rest of his pup siblings.
He was a beautiful little Westie and had the most expressive tail. A great lover of cuddling, he just loved to be around others and made friends easily with the rest of my crew. I love my girl Westie dearly, but oh how those little boys break my heart every time. Angus will be greatly missed.
In early April, we were contacted by a lady that had taken in five Westies from a family member that had become ill and couldn’t care for them. When she found out the owner would not get well enough to ever be able to care for the dogs, she decided she needed to re-home them. We were told that the dogs were acquired for breeding purposes. We arranged for the arrival of the five dogs and settled them into foster homes.
We were told the dogs were all healthy and sweet. They all are definitely sweet, but right from the start, foster mom noticed that Chloe, was not well. She was very skinny, lethargic and just unwell.
She arranged for the vet to see the dogs first thing that next morning and that is when we found the extent of the problem with Chloe, a bad case of Westie Jaw known as Craniomandibular Osteopathy (CMO). They gave care instructions to the foster mom which included processing soft food with water or broth into a thick soup, which she eagerly lapped up. She was able to start gaining weight and her energy increased every day. We were referred to the specialists at the University of FL Veterinary hospital who said they had never seen this condition in such an advanced state. They advised that the best hope for this little girl was an extensive and dangerous surgery. We are very concerned about this, but we know her options are limited.
Our goal for this incredibly sweet little girl is to provide her with a more normal life that will allow her to be happy, healthy and for her to enjoy her life to the fullest.
Aggie Latyak Sunshine State Westie Rescue
Update August 14, 2019
I am not sure if the last update included the immediate aftermath of her surgery. Her condition was so far advanced that they could not free her jaws. Fortunately, she doesn’t seem to be in too much discomfort and she does have pain medication on hand if she should need it. The few interested parties that initially acted like they were interested in adopting her no longer expressed interest when we couldn’t correct the problem, so she is being cared for by our foster. The other thing is that she and her sister are very bonded. Foster mom decided to adopt her sister, Panda, so they could stay together. They are having a great life. Chloe loves to run outside, play in the mud and swim in the pool. Feeding time, as you can imagine, is very messy because of the way she has to eat, but foster mom has it down to a science now.
Thank you so much for helping us with our really difficult cases. Aggie Laytak
We lost our little Westie Man in December of 2017 at the age of fourteen. Our hearts were broken We went back and forth discussing if we wanted another dog or to wait. Well after a few weeks we both decided that we had a huge void in our lives without our Little Man. Nothing beats coming home from work and having the little guy coming running over with unconditional love.
My husband started tearing up the Internet looking for another Westie to rescue as we had with Westie. Yes, our little Westie was named Westie by his previous owner. In the middle of January, my husband came across Bella which was in a Rescue in New Bedford and had been surrendered by her elderly owner. The Rescue was nice enough to keep her for us as we had a trip planned in early February. The day after we got home, we rushed off to pick up our new little lady, Bella. When we picked her up she had this awful cough which we were told was being treated with medicine and she would have to be on it for life. This cough was so horrible that we called our Vet who took her two days later. We were also told by the Rescue that he felt she had been neglected and it was apparent by her not being groomed.
Our Vet thought that it was probably Kennel Cough and put her on a round of Antibiotics. After the round of medicine, it appeared that the cough had stopped and that we were out of the woods. Two weeks later we ended up rushing Bella into the local emergency hospital with severe vomiting and diarrhea along with some shivering. I became very concerned as she was also lethargic and just seemed to be slipping very quickly. Even after only four weeks, this little girl had already grabbed my heart.
After three days in the hospital, we were able to bring her home and start from scratch again. Bella came to us underweight and very timid. We had basically gone back to the start again. We went for our follow-up with our own Vet after the hospitalization and the cough was back again. Our Vet had us resume the heart meds and referred us to an internist. The Internist found after an EKG that Bella’s heart was not pumping properly and referred us to a cardiologist.
As I write our story tonight, it is after her cardiology appointment today with still some unanswered questions. At this point, Bella is being treated for Chronic Degenerative Valvular Disease with further testing ahead of us We just want Bella to be healthy and happy. Over the last two months, Bella has become the little lovebug and just can’t get close enough to you. After just eight weeks, Bella has stolen both of our hearts and we will continue to get Bella the best treatment that we can.
Thanks to WestieMed, it will assist us to go a little further with Bella.
My two sons are 21 and almost 19. They are fine young men growing up and pursuing their lives. As such, it left me and my husband with more alone time than we were prepared for. I found myself feeling like another dog, a Westie, would help fill the void.
We already have one Westie boy, Harley, whom we rescued almost ten years ago from Westie/Cairn Terrier Rescue of SW Ohio. He is the apple of our eyes and we thought a new addition would be nice for our family.
Enter Chloe. She’s such a boisterous little lady, who captured our hearts right away. The boys love her and she loves them. More than anything, Chloe is a “daddy’s girl”. She follows my husband around the house constantly. I am her back up, parent.
We are lucky enough to know her prior story before coming to Rescue or to us. Her owners were an older couple. They were advancing in age and health problems. The Mrs. was becoming increasingly allergic to Chloe. They had to make the difficult decision to rehome her. I had just called Carla from the rescue and told her to keep an eye out for another Westie. A week later we get a call saying she had a Westie for us to look at.
We picked up Chloe on February 24th and all of us fell in love with this silly girl who captured our hearts with her sweet face and her antics. There was much to do to help her to adjust to her new home. That first evening, however, I noticed her left eye was not looking quite right. That very first night, we took her to the vet to have a look. The vet told us she thought it was a possible cyst and referred us to an animal ophthalmologist.
Two weeks later we saw the specialist and were given the bad news. Chloe has cancer in her left eye and it is not just a small spot but a large one and the docs are unable to “repair” it to keep her vision; they can only take the eye out. I was devastated to think of my little girl losing her eye. However, the doc tells us that dogs are way more adept at changes like this than humans. In fact, he thinks she has not been seeing very well, if at all, with the left eye-so this won’t be a huge change for her. All four of us were so overwhelmed that we were in such a whirlwind after just getting Chloe.
I am so glad that WestieMed is helping us with her surgery and we don’t have to worry about all the finances of this. We can help our new little Westie girl recover and adjust to her new normal with all the love we can give her.
