SE Michigan Rescue

Are you looking for a dog and considering a mix such as a "Westiepoo"? Wondering why you should think twice about this? Please click HERE and read more as part of your research. If you decide on a Westie, www.westieclubamerica.com or www.westieclubmi.com will lead you to breeders who are National or Local Club Members and who have signed a "Code of Ethics". If you are interested in a rescue, continue reading below.

OUR PROGRAM: The West Highland White Terrier Club of Southeastern Michigan, Inc. includes a "Rescue" branch. Starting in 2003, we have made every effort to foster each and every dog before placement. This was possible through the volunteer efforts of many foster homes. There may be times when we are forced to place a dog through the referral method, but fostering is now our normal mode of operation.

This means that when we get a call, we take the information on the dog and start searching for a foster home for that dog. Living with the dog for a while, in a normal home situation allows us to get to know the dog and work on the dog’s issues, at least to some extent, before placing the dog. When a dog is fostered, the adoption is "blind". That is, we do not give the adopter details about the original owner and we do not give the original details about the adopter. The dog is adopted out of the foster home and Michigan Westie Rescue takes on the responsibility of doing a home check before placing the dog. Note: We seldom place a dog outside of the state of Michigan.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON "HOW MICHIGAN
WESTIE RESCUE WORKS", PLEASE CLICK HERE.

COSTS: We request a donation of $25 with the application. This is not a fee and does not "buy" any special consideration. It is just a donation to help the Club with our work. When we find the right dog for you, we hope that you will consider another donation. Some dogs cause us minimal expenses, but some are very expensive. A donation from everyone helps with the costs of all and no dog loses out just because he has bigger medical problems than another dog. We also hope that you will consider sending in a donation once a year. Some people do this at Christmas; others on the anniversary of a loved dog’s birth, others on the anniversary of the day they got their rescue dog. We also support the rescue work through sales. See our "fundraiser" and "Shop and Benefit" sections as well as CafePress Westie Rescue

DONATIONS TO RESCUE: MAKE OUT YOUR CHECK TO W.H.W.T.C.S.E.M.

Send this to:
Westie Rescue
1371 W. S. Blvd.
Troy, MI 48098

This Club and its Rescue are incorporated in Michigan as a "charitable organization" however Dog Clubs are not recoginized by the IRS as a charity which can give a Federal Tax Deduction. We regret that your donations to us are not tax deductible.

WHERE DO THEY COME FROM? They come from everywhere!! Sometimes there is a death or illness of the owner; sometimes the family isn’t financially able to keep the dog; often the dog isn’t doing well with young children; sometimes they come from shelters; occasionally we get an abused dog; Look at our "Photo Album" to get an idea of what we see.

HISTORICALLY:

Of the dogs we get, about 2/3's are Males.

We get all ages BUT everyone wants the young dogs; PLEASE CONSIDER TAKING AN OLDER DOG (age 6 or more); they need homes too!! Our oldest adoption so far was a 13-year-old girl.

Because so many Westies have allergies, we don’t consider these a major medical condition; we simply pass the information along.

Some dogs come into rescue with more than minor medical problems such as diabetes, Addison’s disease, or other illnesses that may require ongoing medical care. Please consider these dogs too.

Click on the photo to see our Rescue Parade, 2002.

WE ARE ALWAYS ESPECIALLY LOOKING FOR
ADULT FAMILIES WITH FENCED YARDS!

Children: We do not adopt to families whose kids are under the age of ten because many Westies do not do well with young children. Note that we are not saying that the children do not do well with the dogs. Many Westies will not do well even with the most gentle and well-behaved children. Consider that Westies are bred to "go to ground" and kill small, scurrying animals. With many Westies, the activities of children simply turn on their natural instincts. And many rescues have had bad experiences with children or were simply not socialized with children when they were young.

Retirement Homes: There is a generosity of spirit in those who provide retirement homes for the old ones. We sometimes get requests to place an older, double-digit aged dog. This is always difficult. Especially since they are also often the ones who have the various problems that come along with old age. If you can provide a "retirement home" for an older dog, we would love to hear from you.

Fences: We prefer fenced yards or pens (a pen which is around 25’x25’ gives a Westie a lot of room to run.) If this cannot be provided, the adopting family must commit to keeping the Westie on leash at all times when outside, no exceptions. Westies will run when they see a squirrel or rabbit and most cannot be trained to obey boundaries 100% of the time. Ninety-nine percent is not good enough.

The “Ellen” clause DOES apply: If you adopt from us and can no longer care for that dog you will be legally obligated to return the dog to us. No SHELTER, No other RESCUE, No giveaway to a FRIEND or RELATIVE. NO SELLING THE DOG. If the dog isn’t right for you, we want it back. We encourage you to make plans for the dog’s care in the case of your illness or death and will honor your wishes BUT the new caregiver will be required to apply with us for the right to adopt the dog; we will screen the person just as we screened you. If they pass the screening, they will be given priority to adopt the dog. If they do not pass the screening, we will take the dog back and place with a family who does meet our requirements.

If you are interested in adopting a rescued Westie, please read the information behind each of the buttons on this page and then print the application, fill it out and send it in.

Contact Beth Widdows at 248-879-2479 if you have a Westie who needs assistance from Rescue.

Dr. B. Theodoroff & Dr. Saxton Animal Medical Center Rochester Hills, MI 48307 248-852-9800 website	Dr. Ebinger Oakland Animal Hosp. Rochester, MI 248-651-0303
Dr. McKee Southpointe Vet Hospital Allen Park www.southpointevet.com 313-381-7180	Larry Letsche DVM Remrock Farms Veterinary Services Plymouth, MI 48170 734-665-0731
Dr. Sharon Lawrenchuk Westland Vet. Hospital. 7610 Wayne Road Westland, MI 48185 734-261-5900	Dr. C. Mehne Animal Clinic Kalamazoo Twp., MI 49004
Dr. Morris Morris Vet. Hospital. Detroit, MI 313-537-6100	Dr. Roggenbeck Veterinary Health Center Saginaw, MI 48603 989-793-2490
Dr. Turkal Animal Med-Sur Critical Care Center Clinton Twp., MI 48035 586-790-7146	Dr. Maves & Dr. Holmstrand Village Clinic of Dexter Dexter, MI 49004 734-426-8550
Dickman Road Vet Clinic Battle Creek, MI 49015 269-963-9347	Dr. Ben Turner Vet. Clinic PC Battle Creek, MI 49017 269-962-9955

Visit Reggie's page, in honor of those whose
donations helped care for Westies in need.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A WESTIE PUPPY,
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO LEARN WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A BREEDER.
THIS LINK WILL GIVE YOU A LOT OF HELPFUL INFORMATION.

If you have a rescue Westie from us and would like add a photo to the
Photo Album, please email Beth for further information.