Hello every one my name is Mac.
My story begins in 2006 when I was born in a puppy mill near Los Angeles. I was to live my life in a tiny, filthy cage as a “prisoner for profit”. I was no good as a stud dog and was sold to someone in New York City. I made my trip across the country flying as cargo from LA to NYC. I was happy to be out of the puppy mill and thought my future must surely be better than my past!
I dreamed of my new home, a soft bed, good food and my own person that loved me.
When I arrived in NYC I was brought to “The Doggie Gym” in Manhattan, there were other dogs, it was clean, there was good food and the people were friendly. Many different people came to the Doggie Gym, some of them took dogs home with them and then the dogs came back. Soon I started leaving with different people and coming back. I realized I was something called a “Flex Pet”. It was a doggie rental agency, I was once again a “prisoner for-profit” UGH! I hated being a flex pet, I was sooooo nervous and couldn’t adjust. I was found to be “unsuitable” for the program and was to be euthanized.
A lovely couple that had been renting me and taking me to their shore house for weekends adopted me to save my life. They took me to their luxury Manhattan apartment. For the first time in my life, I had my own people and they loved me! The downside is they had another dog, a Doxie that bullied me and beat me up every day that my Mom & Dad were gone to work. I lived on West 57th St, the city noise was constant, the sirens, the crowded streets, the elevator in our building with strange people popping out of it…it was more than I could take, I became so scared of everything and everyone. Mom & Dad took me to a wonderful doggie psychologist that worked with me and put me on anti-anxiety meds, I was diagnosed as agoraphobic (afraid of the outside) but it was so much more than that.
My health quickly declined, I was rushed to the Emergency Vet, I was having something called an “Addisonian Crisis”, I almost died. Addison’s Disease is when your adrenal glands don’t function correctly and don’t release stress hormones. In short, I can’t handle stress! After a stay in ICU, I went home with my Mom & Dad, I was put on Prednisone and was getting a monthly shot of Percorten for my Addison’s and continued on my sedatives and anti-anxiety meds. As time went on Mom & Dad realized that I was never going to be able to relax and be healthy living in the city, especially with my nemesis the nasty Doxie. In May of 2009 Mom & Dad made the heartbreaking decision to give me to rescue. Mom called a few small dog rescues but nobody would take me. Mom called Westie Rescue of New England, they said they would be happy to take me and find a wonderful forever home for me to call my own. Mom & Dad drove me to MA to my foster home in the country. When I arrived it was a nice place but it was scary for me, there were two resident Westies, Zoey & Miss Kate, two young boys that were happy to see me and of course my foster Mom & Dad who told me it was all going to be ok.
I was super nervous but as time went on I started to come out of my very tight shell, I liked to sit with my people and always come running when its time to eat. I found out what it was like to stand in the grass, here I could be outside in my fenced in yard with no scary sirens or crowds of people. I went from NYC to a town that doesn’t even have a traffic light, life in the country is for me!
I have a team of vets both traditional and alternative that helps me stay strong and healthy. After a year of monthly blood work, it was determined that my Addison’s Disease was stable – such a relief! My foster Mom thought perhaps I was ready to find my forever home. My foster home is a bit hectic at times, the kids have friends over, lots of big family dinners, revolving door of short term and long term foster furkids like me and Dad even plays in a band. Mom thought a quieter home would be more my preference so after much thought I was placed on a trial basis in a home with a new Mom, her Westie had died and she was so happy to take me home, I jumped into her fancy convertible car and zoomed off without looking back. Her dog had lived many years with a heart condition so my Addison’s was not so alarming to her (most qualified adopters would not even consider me because of the life long meds and big expense). It was just the two of us in a beautiful home by the beach, I had cozy dog beds all over the house and my new Mom’s undivided attention, we were two peas in a pod.
My foster mom thought this was the perfect placement and I was not too far away so I could still be closely monitored. Well, it wasn’t long before I became very ill, I went into an Addisonian crisis and almost died. The emergency vet said I should be euthanized because I was unstable and would never stay stable. My crisis almost wiped out Westie Rescue of New England, almost every dollar they had went to save my life. It was obvious that the stress of the relocation was more that I could handle, the stress was too much and almost killed me. That’s when my foster family came to take me home, back to the house in the country. Mom arranged for me to speak to a gifted pet communicator, I told them that I didn’t ever want to leave my family or the house in the country, that I loved being part of the pack with Zoey and Miss Kate (even though she was a bossy old diva with ample Westitude), I loved the routine and didn’t ever want to live anywhere else. I didn’t need to find a home I was already home, I’m safe here, this is my family, they love me and I love them. That is the day I became a forever foster for Westie Rescue of New England. That was over three years ago and I continue to thrive. My Addison’s Disease is well controlled. I am still a nervous little man but live a happy life in the organized chaos that is my chosen forever home. I will be celebrating my 8th birthday next month. Mom says we all end up exactly where we belong, I know that is the truth!!
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you WestieMed for your tremendous support!
Our gratitude is beyond words!
Westie Wags,
Mac & Westie Rescue of New England