Mia Grace Arroyo began her life as Mary. She was one of several Westies in a loving home in New York. Her owners were active in the show dog community. Her dad was a well renowned Westie judge and her mama was once the president of The Chesapeake Bay West Highland White terrier club. Her owners have since passed away.A very kind and generous caregiver for the last five years of her owners lives inherited Mary. Mary was stricken with a very severe case of pyometra. Her new owner, being retired and on a limited income, could not afford the $6500 surgery to save Mary’s life so she signed her over to Maryland Westie Rescue to have the surgery and almost $3000 worth of aftercare follow up visits.Out of respect for her new owner and former owners, I fostered Mary and cared for her. Because Mary is nine years old and has lost her original parents and, unfortunately lost her second owner due to financial circumstances, I did not feel that it was fair for her to go to a new environment where no one knew her. My husband and I decided to adopt her.Mia means Mary in the Bible and because she started a semi new life with us, I decided to give her a new name. She became Mia Grace Arroyo. She took to the name very quickly without missing a beat. That’s how I knew I had made the right decision in keeping her, renaming her and welcoming her to our little pack of two Westies, now three.Mary has suffered ear infection, her whole life that went unnoticed because it was not coupled with the regular symptoms of food allergies so her food was never changed. Her ears were just constantly treated. It has since been discovered that her ear Is causing her extreme pain. It is not able to be treated any longer because the ear canal is so tight that medication and ear wash is just being trapped in the ear and hence she needs to get surgery. Without the surgery she could die a very slow and painful death.She is an absolutely delightful little dog with a big personality and strong spirit and will. She fits in very nicely at our home. Unfortunately, due to the current political environment, I have lost my federal job of 20 years and I am unable to afford the surgery to correct Mia’s ear condition and so I reached out to WestieMed for help.Lynn
Update July 14, 2025:
Mia is a resilient little soul wrapped in a snow-white Westie coat, whose spirit refuses to be dimmed by the trials she’s faced. At just ten years old, she has already endured more than many dogs do in a lifetime. After losing her original family when her owners passed away, Mia landed in the care of their kind-hearted caretaker, one of seven dogs trying to find stability in the wake of so much upheaval. In June 2024, her life hung in the balance when she needed an emergency pyometra surgery—a fight she won with quiet courage and a tail that never stopped wagging. On February 3rd, 2025, she officially found her forever home with us, and we promised her she’d never be alone again.
Though she finally had a safe place to land, Mia’s battles weren’t over. Chronic ear disease left her in relentless pain, and on May 6th, 2025, she underwent a total ear canal ablation (TECA) on her right ear to bring her long-overdue relief. Even as she recovered, her gentle, hopeful spirit never wavered. At her second post-op follow-up on July 10th, I asked the vet tech to clean her left ear, assuming her discomfort was just seasonal allergies. The news that she would need a second TECA was a crushing blow. But Mia, ever the brave little fighter, simply looked up with her bright, trusting eyes, ready to face whatever came next. She is sweet, loving, kind, and so much stronger than any hardship she’s endured. She deserves a future as bright as her spirit—a life full of comfort, safety, and all the love she has given so freely.Lynn Wiley-Arroyo
