Page One    Page Two    Page Three    Page Four Page Four Posted April 11, 2008 These are the dogs rescued from a puppy mill. Gracie is on the left and Millie on the right in both pictures. Friday, April 13: We went to Tillsonburg to pick up Gracie and Millie; they were rescued by Nancy from a puppy mill. From what Nancy told us, we were expecting to find two dogs in very poor physical condition. However, she had had them groomed and spent a lot of time with them, so by the time we got there we thought they looked pretty good. They are clean, perky, friendly and affectionate. They have no signs of external parasites, their ears are clean and their eyes shiny. Gracie is quite thin and may have a urinary infection as she pees a lot. Millie seems quite plump. They may need some dental work; their teeth are quite yellow. People are so kind once you tell them you are involved in this kind of work. I needed an extra crate and mentioned it to a few people and had a couple of offers to lend me crates. But when I went to pick up Pearl (our westie) from her puppy day care, the owner told me she had two brand new crates that I could have for free. So that took care of the crate problem. But then we needed some sort of enclosure to keep them contained in the garage. We have a puppy pen but we had lent it to some friends in Montreal who were expecting to have poodle puppies. No way we could get it back in time. So as I was pondering the problem and not wanting to spend any money on another puppy pen, I thought bales of straw. We have a large vegetable garden and can always use straw for mulch in the summer. So I contacted a neighbouring farmer and he brought over a dozen bales of straw the next morning. So we now had a straw enclosure for the two girls. The girls were really good on the way home; they just snoozed in the crate and did not fuss at all. We took them for a good walk and then settled them into their straw enclosure. I proceeded to cook them up some supper. Nancy had told us that they had been fed only soft food, i.e. bread mixed with cheap canned dog food and they did not like anything hard. So I cooked them up some rice and mixed it with organ meats, egg, olive oil and some kelp and alfalfa. Millie ate it all up but Gracie actually decided she would eat a bit of kibble. We let them have a bit of a rest after that and Paul went to get Pearl at her doggy day care. Pearl wasn't too pleased at the intrusion on her territory. We took them all out for a short walk and Pearl settled down. After awhile, we fed them again (only small amounts at a time) and this time Gracie did like my home cooked food. We played with them some more and took them out again and then settled them back into their straw pen. That's about all we have to report for now. Tomorrow we have an appointment with the vet so will have more to report on their state of health then. Saturday, April 12: So off we went to the vet. They were both very good at the vet. Gracie weighed 8 kg and Millie weighed 9.2 kg. He checked them over carefully. They didn’t have any fleas or lice. He vaccinated them and gave them pills for worm treatments. Gracie has a urinary infection and Millie has an ear infection. They will both need to be spayed and have dental work. Their breath is less than fresh. Gracie did not flinch when she received her needles; Millie wasn’t quite as brave but still a very good girl. Back home, we went for another walk, played with them and fed them. They were pretty tired by the end of the day, as they are not used to walking. So they were quite happy to curl up in their crate and go to sleep early. Sunday, April 13: Up early for food, play and walks. They are really starting to come out of their shell. On our walks they are starting to sniff things and explore a little bit. It is so nice to see. Arrangements have been made for the home inspection of Gracie’s foster family and they are coming to get them late this afternoon. But before Gracie and Millie could go, they had to be micro-chipped. So back to the vet we went. This time we also took Pearl with us as she had gotten quite used to them now. All three rode in the back of the car together. We made quite a stir as we all arrived in the vets waiting area. People always want to see the “Westie” but to see three together is even better. Russ and Donna arrived around 5:30. We had some getting to know each other time and then they took the girls away. They are dropping one off with Jan and taking the other one home. We were very sad to see them go. Posted April 12, 2008 Gracie on the left, Millie on the right. The groomer put bows on their foreheads. Out for a walk on the farm. Brigitte is passing out treats. Millie left, Gracie center, Pearl right. More treats being passed out. Here is the overall setup of our straw enclosure. The large crate on the right accommodates both dogs. The tires hold the mesh door in place. Posted April 13, 2008 That is Millie walking towards the camera in both the above pictures. Pearl, Millie and Gracie. The grirls meet Donna who is taking them to new homes. For more information on how Millie and Gracie are doing click here. Visit the Canadian West Highland White Terrier Club Website. Send us an e-mail. Visit Asta's web site. Page One    Page Two    Page Three    Page Four