Luna, aged seven, and Casper, aged four, lived happily with their owner until one day the owner decided to move and could not take the two Westies and that turned out to be a life-saving event for Luna. Enter Sunshine State Westie Rescue.
“Miss Winkles”…A distinctive name, for sure! Named in recognition of David McDonald’s adorable yet mischievous West Highland Terrier, Miss Winkles. She and her brother Rocky were ever-faithful companions to David. Though Rocky is still an ever-present friend, David made the generous decision to celebrate Miss Winkles’ short life by supporting the amazing, state-of-the-art, Miss Winkles Pet Adoption Center.
Jackson came into rescue as an owner turn-in. Despite the owner’s claims that she had been treating this now six year old Westie since he was a puppy, he was in about the worst shape that Aggie and her colleagues at Sunshine State Westie Rescue had ever dealt with.
Colin came in to Sunshine State Westie Rescue (SSWR) as a puppy and the poster child for the evils of puppy mills. Though he didn’t have any physical issues, as many puppy mill dogs do, his pronounced psychological and behavioral issues were severe.
Originally bred to flush badgers and foxes from hiding places in the rocky terrains of Scotland, the Westie came in all colors. However, multi-colored dogs were sometimes mistaken for the game they flushed. They were then bred to be all white for their own safety. The dogs were named for the areas in which they lived such as Pittenweems, Poltallochs, and Roseneaths. In the early 1900s the breed was officially named West Highland White Terriers.
Shelby was an owner surrender to Sunshine State Westie Rescue (SSWR), a relatively new rescue organization in Florida.At eight years old, Shelby had a number of medical issues including a severe yeast infection (Malassezie Dermatitis), an associated ear infection and an eye infection. Plus, she felt so bad, she showed no energy or interest in anything, but, most shockingly, Shelby was a certified therapy dog. The owner’s story was that she had broken her arm and could no longer take care of Shelby.
Enzo was near death when he was dumped in the woods. Fortunately a woman walking through those woods, found him, and just as fortunately for Enzo, his rescuer called Sunshine State Westie Rescue (SSWR).
Bella was picked up as a stray by a Florida shelter. It was immediately clear that she did not have the use of her back legs and that the shelter was not equipped to handle such a significant medical problem. This is where little Bella’s life took a significant turn because the shelter, instead of putting her down, sent her to a vet.
When Toni got Riley from Westie rescue, she had been looking for a companion dog but, with her hectic work schedule, knew she didn’t want a puppy. Riley at eleven months old proved to be even more than she had hoped for.
Prince George and Gordon, two Westies nine and thirteen respectively, came into Scottie Rescue through a number of mishaps and misconnections.
