If you've adopted from Wisconsin Westie Rescue and would like to share your story, please email it to westies@new.rr.com

"Elvis" 

We adopted Elvis on December 26, 2006. Since then he has endeared himself to everyone that he meets: he is such a friendly outgoing wee dog, greeting everyone with enthusiasm and a wagging tail.  When family and friends come to visit he becomes a Lap Dog  and drapes himself on them, waiting for treats, walks or playtime.

One of his favorite treats is string cheese and whenever anyone takes one from the refrigerator he assumes it is for him and, of course, it becomes his!  He has a box full of toys, but prefers to have them scattered around on the floor and NOT in his box.  He has enjoyed many new experiences this past year—swimming in Lake Michigan, family picnics with other pets, leaf-blowing fun, snow ball fights & playing ball for as long as anyone will play with him.  He gets so excited at this game that we must be the ones to stop and calm him down. 

During the day he keeps track of activities in the front yard and street, barking at squirrels, rabbits, cats, dogs, garbage men, mail trucks & UPS trucks! I think he truly believes this is his job to keep me informed of these things. He loves to be up high to relax, on the back of the couch or recliner—a true Westie trait.

The high light of his day is when my son arrives after work to take him to the parkway for his REAL WALK where he can run through all the trails and follow the many great smells and perhaps see deer and other dogs to run with.

He loves bed, and at the end of his busy day, races to be there first and take over his favorite spot on the pillows.  When asked to move, he stretches out and becomes a dead weight with a wagging tail and we must move him! He makes us laugh and has brought us lots of joy since he found his forever home with us.

Thank you Wisconsin Westie Rescue. – Christine Sorger 

"Our Izzo" 
by Michelle Robinson

We have been blessed for the second time with a wonderful Westie from the Wisconsin Westie Rescue! This past December, our beloved Pearl, passed away. We adopted her from WWR in 2005, and had two wonderful years with her. Laura Stafford, President of WWR, knew Pearl had passed and mentioned to me that she was fostering a wonderful, lively Westie. He had terrible skin issues and had chewed off about half his hair. We had been through this before with one of our other Westie’s, Lucy, so we felt comfortable dealing with it. So, shortly after that conversation, and the pictures that followed, Izzo came into our home and our hearts. He is a wonderful, spunky, fun, naughty addition to our family. He is fantastic with my children and Lucy adores having a playmate. Laura’s vet had diagnosed him with a bacterial infection. Our vet also diagnosed him with a severe yeast infection. We treated both infections, added in another medication for itching/allergic dogs. We also changed his diet to a very restricted more non-allergic type food. I am also pleased to report that he is now free from his infections and itching. His hair has grown back and he is a “normal” Westie. We are so thankful that Pearl sent Izzo to us, to fill our hearts with joy. We also are also so thankful to WWR for once again saving a Westie that needed to be saved, so that he could be adopted and be part of a family who loves and adores him.

"Frosty's story" 

by Jill Markgraf

Coming to us from his infinitely kind and helpful foster family--Kris, Tom and Wilson Thommesen--Frosty’s new life was sure to be very different from the one he had always known. Having spent his first seven years with recently deceased septuagenarians, life with an active, busy family of four was sure to be a new adventure.

We will never know what Frosty’s life was like before, but we are guessing that in his previous life he never:

 But those are some of the things he's doing now. Whatever Frosty’s past, we are pretty certain that he was adored. A dog with such a sweet, affectionate and friendly disposition must have grown up with a lot of love.

Frosty has been with us since the end of July, and in this short time he has won over not only our hearts, but those of our friends and family. Grandma, who previously declared that no dogs would be allowed in her house, made an exception for Frosty. (“I think he likes me,” she said.) The neighbors, who have long watched our daughter Alida gush over every dog in the neighborhood, are delighted to see her finally able to gush over a dog of her own. Frosty and Alida are thick as thieves, and the thing Frosty seems to hate most is the school bus that takes Alida away every morning. Despite his frantic barking and warnings, she still climbs aboard that evil bus day after day. As agitated as he gets in the morning, he knows no joy greater than when that school bus brings her back in the afternoon.

Frosty is not the only one adapting to change. We are too. Those cooing baby voices we haven’t used since our children were toddlers have re-emerged. Even our teenaged son, who mocked us for being smitten with this dog, caught himself “talking baby-talk and asking Frosty questions he can’t possibly answer.” There is, quite simply, no maintaining one’s cool when in the presence of a charmer like Frosty.

"Tasha" 

by Jerry & Dianne Poe

Tasha, aka Betsy, aka Bertie became a part of our family in August of 2005. We’d never been involved with a rescue organization, never even heard of one for that matter, and after all the paperwork and the home visit we were finally blessed with a call saying that there was a dog available at one of the foster sites that we could visit to see if she met our needs and we met hers. I must say I was very impressed with the care and concern for these animals that had already been through so much. I cannot begin to say enough about what a great organization this is.

As you may have guessed “Tasha” returned home with us that afternoon. It was a change for her, for us and for our four cats! She adjusted better than any dog we’ve ever had before. After a few months she started to play with some toys, something that I’m sure was new to her. She even plays with our youngest cat as long as she doesn’t feel that he threatens her place in our lives. She’s not always real good at sharing but we continue to work on this. I’ve come to the conclusion that if anyone should ever break into our home we wouldn’t be able to hide and go undetected. She’s quite the barker and growler when anyone comes into the house.

"Gurt" 

by Annitta & Bob Wosniack

Dear WWR
I received your newsletter today and it reminded me to send my annual thank you for our dog Gurt. Gurt was formerly known as Bitsy and is a mixed West Highland White with a Border terrier. She is now 4 years old, and has a "sister" named Pip who is full Cairn. These two are quite a pair. Gurt is short for Yogurt- when we adopted her she wouldn't eat well so we put yogurt on her dry kibble to entice her. It worked. Our family grew around her. We now have three children and Gurt has adjusted well. We are thankful to have her and tell everyone we know to call WWR if they have an interest in an amazing dog like our Gurt. Thank you for your work and love of animals.

"Ozzie" 

by Ozzie with help from Karen Stephenson

My name is Ozzie. They used to call me Buddy, but my boy Mikey is a big White Sox fan and there is a guy on that team named Ozzie.  
I am a big white socks fan too, but Mom always takes them away from me when I take them out of the dirty laundry! I live with my Mom, Dad, and Mikey.  I get lots of treats and walks and Mike and I like to play chase a lot, but my favorite thing to do is go to class. There are a lot of other dogs there and we get to do fun things like go through tunnels and over jumps.  Mikey says I will make a great agility dog because I'm so fast! I'm not sure what that is, but it sounds like fun. I love to play, but at night I like to cuddle up on my bed and take a rest.  I sleep in my crate in Mom and Dad's room (sometimes Dad let's me lay on the big bed). I have a nice yard with lots of bunnies and squirrels and my friend Bogie next door.  I also have a friend named Emma, a big yellow dog, who I visit sometimes and we play together in this fluffy white stuff they call snow.  At first, I didn't know what it was, but now I really like to go out and play in it. Well, it's time for my third nap of the day: I'm still a puppy, you know. Thanks for taking good care of me so I could come home to my family.  Love, Ozzie

"Marlee" 

by Dick & Judith Wagner

We lost our Westie, Mopsa, after 11 ½ years when she developed pneumonia and even after a valiant fight she developed complications and lost the fight. She was our first Westie and she imprinted herself in our hearts as well as the hearts of our children and  grandchildren. She was not without complication, as she had Addison’s disease for 9 years and required a monthly injection as well as careful attention, but the joy she returned was immeasurable.

When she died we had a ceremony at our lake home, where she was buried under a large oak tree. The grandchildren were there as well and this truly left an imprint of the meaning of  love and loss. My husband wanted to get another Westie immediately, but I felt we needed time. During this time, I had remembered talking to someone about Westie Rescue and thought I would look on the Internet for information.

My husband kept checking the paper for Westie Puppies, but I kept saying we needed to wait. We decided to fill out an application for the Westie Rescue. We were not going to insist on a female, but in my husband’s heart he really wanted a female. He had even picked out a name. He had read the book Marley and Me and decided if it was a female he would call her Marlee.

Life went on and he kept watching the paper. One Sunday he said, “You know I have not seen any Westies for sale in the last 4 weeks.” I knew he was keeping vigilante watch in the Want Ads and he needed a dog back in his life. So Sunday evening I checked the WWR and there was a “new addition” on the webpage.

It was a female Westie, approx 7 months old, who came to the Westie Rescue from a puppy mill having a head tremor, which the veterinarian thought might be White Dog Shaker Syndrome. She was treated for this condition, the cause of which is unknown, and the tremors were relatively minimal after treatment. But due to this, she would be in need of a home where owners had experience with special needs.

I emailed the Westie Rescue that very evening and heard back Monday Morning. I was put in contact with Anne Plouff, a most dedicated Westie Rescuer. Anne invited me to come to see this “sweet little treasure” at her home. Her name at that time was “Sweet Pea” and sweet she was. That night my huband and I returned to Anne’s home so he could meet Sweet Pea. She immediately was on his lap and the rest is history.

Our references and home were checked and by Thursday night Sweet Pea, now lovingly known as Marlee, became part of our lives.

She is a total joy and she has adapted to her new family and new surroundings quite well. She has a few housetraining issues, but as she adjusts to the new surroundings there are less incidences. She is very bright and is learning quickly. She loves to go for walks and does very well on leash. We have taken her to the dog park near our house and she loves to socialize with the other dogs. She is quickly adjusting to routine and has made our house her “home” We could not have asked for anything better.

She occasionally has what we describe as a “head bobble” but this is rare and seems to be so occasional that we rarely notice.

She is great with our grandkids and her personality is quite calm and loving. The only time she barks is when she hears the dogs next door, the doorbell or a dog on TV. She wants to be near us most of the time and comes when called-most of the time. She knows her name as Marlee, but she really is a “Sweet Pea” She loves to play, does chew her toys, but she does not pick up items that are not hers. This takes time and effort to work with her to correct behaviors that are not in her best interest or ours, but she responds very well to positive praise. A training class is on her agenda as well.

It is hard to believe she has so quickly become such a part of our lives. My husband does not compare her to Mopsa, but is grateful to experience the joy of a Westie once again. To watch the Westie enjoy life, romp through the tall grass or roll in the snow is to smile. They are little balls of energy and love and spunk as well.

We owe this pleasure to WWR because without giving of themselves to take in these Westies into their homes and stabilize them to be adopted, we as owners could not experience the end result.

WWR works to make the transition to new homes more comfortable for the Westie. Our Westie came with her blanket, a special toy and a strong bond of hope for a future in a loving home. WWR makes sure that each Westie goes to a loving home and experiences what every dog deserves; a loving home and safe environment for life. We have given Anne several polar fleece blankets for the next rescue Westie, so they will have a blanket to take to their new homes.

"Geoff (Gee)" 

by Bingay Fastino
aka Felix, a Thorp auction Westie!

(WWR has rescued numerous Westies from such dog auctions. Please visit this Web site to find out how to stop the atrocity of these auctions)

A lot has happened since Geoff has joined our family. He has adapted very well. Nuk, our American Eskimo dog, and Gee play all the time. They love to chase (mostly Gee chasing Nuk) all over the house. Mikki, our Westie, would rather not be part of the rambunctious antics of the younger ones. Gee graduated from Puppy Obedience class with flying colors. I gave him his first haircut about 3 weeks ago. He looks older now that he has the Westie cut. He was very good about it. He just sat down and let me do whatever I wanted. 

"Emma Rose" 
by Mary Kay Schilling

If you’d have met Emma Rose before we adopted her, you would not believe this is the same Emma Rose today! We also have Mickey, a Shih Tzu, who has really helped her along, and last March my sister in law found two male Jack Russell Terriers roaming the country side and long story short, they were probably abandoned. She called the humane society, police, etc. and no one claimed them. 

She could not keep both of them and we adopted one of them. His name is Louie.  It was then Emma started changing; when Mickey and Louie would run and play she got right into it. Now it's just a ritual, now they play, play, and play all the time. And boy do they RUN through the house...it's absolutely hilarious.  My husband also put up a huge fenced in area and they run wild out there also. If we ask her if she wants to go out, she'll come to the door and if the other two are going towards the door, she's following along. 

 It is so wonderful to look at her and especially watch her. We can see it on her face and in her eyes. She prances all over, gets down on her front paws and puts her wiggling rump in the air. We started noticing that she and Louie are buds. They sit/sleep close a lot. I think between getting Louie and the new dog pen she's really opening up. She is even barking at people coming in to the house a little less too. She's so beautiful.

"Sparkle"

by Elizabeth Arron

Whenever a new issue of the Wisconsin Westie Rescue newsletter arrives, I think, “How I love reading about other rescued Westies; it’s almost like hearing from ‘white dog’ family members!”

We adopted Sparky, who we renamed ‘Sparkle,’ almost three years ago, on his first birthday. We already had an aging Westie mix, Molly, and felt that she could use some youthful energy in her life – plus we thought a younger dog would ease the transition for us when she died. We were right about how good Sparkle’s energy would be for Molly – we have yet to endure the transition of her death. (Picture 14-year-old Molly turning in place in the front yard while Sparkle knocks himself out running in ever-larger circles around her!)
Because Molly is a mix, she’s not quite the clown that Sparkle is. We realized early on that having a real Westie is something like having a toddler in the house! He needs to be ‘supervised’ and engaged a bit more, making him an endearing ‘interactive’ little guy. Not a day goes by that we don’t enjoy a belly laugh over something Sparkle does – or gets into. Now and then, with Molly looking on in distain, he even does something he’s been forbidden to do, stealing a ball of yarn from Mom’s knitting basket, for instance. It’s impossible not to laugh when he’s caught, yarn-in-mouth, oh-so-sorry (again)!

What fun Westies are! Whenever, on walks, we run across other Westies with their owners, it’s like a little reunion. We ‘network’ about foods, vets, groomers; we compare colors, sizes, personalities, differences and similarities. Our dogs always connect and so do the people in the ‘white dog’ family.

Life would be very dull without our little Sparkle in it now, I’m convinced. Thanks, Wisconsin Westie Rescue!

"Josie and Tucker"
by Annette Nichols

Editors note: Josie (aka Susie) and Tucker were two of the 9 Westies turned over to WWR after the Thorp dog auction last March.  Both deal with extensive fear issues because of their time in the puppy mill but their stories have a happy new beginning in their forever home together. Here is a wonderful update on their progress and a big reason why we at WWR volunteer our time and resources helping changing lives one Westie at a time.

Here is a picture of the kids Tucker and Josie (aka Susie) and Toby. Tucker is doing great! He is still leery of men, but not afraid to up and smell them and get petted!! Josie is making progress, but still has her "safe place" on the corner of the couch, and as you can see, she doesn't care if there is another dog in "her spot" or not.

Return to Homepage