Paula, of Great Lakes Westie Rescue (GLWR), received a call last April from a shelter that had a year-and-a-half old Westie. “He has awful skin issues,” the shelter told her. “Will you take him?” Skin issues with Westies are fairly common, so Paula was not put off and agreed to take the young dog.
Dallas, a ten-year-old Westie, was surrendered by his owner to Lone Star Westie Rescue (LSWR). His family had come to Texas some years prior, and when his owner had to move to a senior apartment, she could not take Dallas. As is so often the case, no one else in the family wanted him.
We all saw the horrifying pictures of pets being abandoned, some tied to trees or poles, while major hurricanes bore down on first Houston, then Florida, and finally on the American territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Many senior dogs come into shelters or rescues because their owners have become ill or have died. Some are simply cruelly discarded from the only home they have ever known because they have committed the sin of getting old, and their families can’t be bothered carrying through on the bargain all dog parents make, or should make, when taking on a canine companion, i.e. to care for them throughout their lives.
Ziggy and Elly are two-year-old Westies, sisters from the same litter. They are a bonded pair that came to Sunshine State Westie Rescue (SSWR) in Florida as owner turn-ins. Due to family issues, the owner felt she didn’t have enough time to spend with these girls. Because they are a bonded pair, SSWR wants to place them together. They need a single person, couple, or family that has patience and is willing to finish the Westies’ training and socialization as both are quite shy.
Daisy at nine and Charlie at six were owner turn-ins from the same home, though they are not related. The owner felt with family and work demands she could not give them enough attention, so she did the right thing and contacted Sunshine State Westie Rescue (SSWR).
Nicole, a little Westie girl, was brought to a local shelter to be euthanized. She was suffering from severe skin issues that had gone untreated, and although the owner’s vet recommended a number of meds, the owner refused them. Consequently, the skin problems had gotten way out of hand.
Sophia and Spencer, two senior Westies, had spent their lives since puppy-hood in a stable home with a caring owner. Then, their world was turned upside down.
The Westies’ owner had gone on vacation leaving the pups with a responsible pet sitter. Unfortunately, the owner was killed in a freak accident, and, with no one in the family able to take the Westies, the sitter called Sunshine State Westie Rescue (SSWR) who then took both dogs.
One day, Paula of Great Lakes Westie Rescue, received a call about a Westie with health issues that the owners wanted to turn over to rescue. The situation seemed a bit dodgy, but when Paula learned the Westie couldn’t walk and was most likely in pain, she made immediate arrangements to meet the owners and take the Westie.
About a year ago, Josie of Westie Rescue of NY received a disturbing call from an area veterinarian. Rory, a senior Westie, had been dropped off by owners who could no longer care for his many health issues. The vet told Josie, “If you can’t help, we’ll have to euthanize him.” Like all dedicated rescue volunteers, Josie couldn’t say no.
