Monday, April 14: I called Russ and Donna for an update. They chose to keep the one called Gracie and have renamed her Lacey. They are very, very happy with her. In one day she has really come out of her shell even more. When she left our house, she couldn’t go up and down the stairs but she learned that skill on Monday. She spent all day playing with Logan, the resident Westie, and neither one had trouble adjusting to the other. When I called, she was standing on the couch beside Donna barking at the TV.
“Hi! Everyone. Just thought I could pass on some news on Lacy. She and Logan are just the best of friends already. She is doing stairs, playing a little. Follows Logan everywhere. She is eating well. Sleeps a lot, loves outside (thank you for the weather). Don't know what else right now, But she's wonderful Russ & Donna “
Lacey is on the right with Logan, and Donna and Russ.
Thursday, April 17: Poor Lacey has not been lucky. She stopped eating and was taken to the vet for evaluation. There was no reason to suspect that she had something which was really serious. She was put on intravenous but then on Friday, the vet had to do an emergency surgery At first, he wasn't sure whether it could be a pyometra. It revealed something unbelievable under the circumstances since she had, at first, rather seemed in good health. Lacey had a tumor in her stomach which the vet removed as well as a part of her stomach as the tumor was attached to the inside of it. She is in intensive care over the weekend. The vet told me this afternoon that the tumor was encapsulated (a rather good sign, though we don't know yet whether it is malignant or not), she is responding well to treatment and has started to eat tiny bits of food; her vital signs are good. She has severe anemia: her blood cells are dangerously low, and her albumin is also low. This could be due to a hookworm infection for which she is being treated. If all goes well, she might be able to go back to her foster home tomorrow morning though we don't know yet whether that will be possible and what the recuperation will be.
Sunday, April 20 :
I spoke with the Emergency Clinic where Lacey spent the weekend. Clinically, she is stable, eating well and is responsive, and her color is much better. The albumin count has gone up to 17; her red blood cell count is still 12 but she shows no clinical signs of anemia so this may be the effect of the hookworm for which she has been treated. Russ and Donna are scheduled to pick her up this evening at 8:00 pm. We will not know her long-term prognosis until the results of the biopsy are known. We expect to find out the results on Wednesday.
Monday, April 21:
We had an update from Russ & Donna: "Hi Brigitte I thought you would like an update on Lacey.She is doing great eating and drinking really well. She is walking around a lot, sleeping a lot,up and down stairs(on deck). She is very content, likes to be close to us or Logan whoever is there. Doing Great I think for what has happened to her. She & us send our Love and thanks to everybody who has helped. Thanks again Russ & Donna"
Lacey and Donna
The cost of Lacey's opperation reduced the rescue budget to zero. A plea went out to the membership and here is a list of those who made donations. There were much appreciated!
Peggy Geall
Tamara Chipperfield
Helen Gardiner
Michelle Swoboda
Lindy Barrow
Terry Stokes
Susan Coombs
Owen Bradley
B.S Downie
Chris Wheeldon
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Ann Camilleri
Jean Northrup
Phyllis Provost
Anne Wilson
John Cerniuk
Gaby Schlachter
Spencer Tucker
Nicole St-Maurice
Sandy Boothman
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Tuesday, April 22: I just had a call from Russ. They got the results of the biopsy and it was very good news. Lacey is going to be fine. She had a huge ulcer which had been bleeding. She likely had this ulcer for years. This explains the lack of apetite and the anemia like symptoms. She has been eating much better since the surgery and is enjoying going out in the yard. She follows Logan like his shadow and they both enjoy being brushed. We are so thrilled that Lacey can expect to have many more happy years living in her new forever home.
Here is are recent pictures of Lacey and Logan
Early in May, Brigitte spoke to Russ and he reported that Lacey is doing very well. She actually outruns Logan now and initiates playtime. Russ and Donna are very happy with Lacey and are very thankful for all that the CWHWTC Rescue has done for Lacey. For the rest of her life, Lacey will have a loving forever home after being rescued from the puppy mill.
Here is the article Russ wrote for the Westie News:
My Name is Russ Brown and I would like to tell you a little story about the last few months. I was watching the Oprah show and saw all these animals that were raised in puppy mills and how bad they were for the animals. I look at my dog Logan and kept thinking he has a good life, and wondered if I could do something to help. I proceeded to check into the different rescue agencies and found out that there is a Westie Rescue agency.
The next day we had called to find out more information of what we had to do and was told that it might be a few months before we would be able to rescue a Westie. We were also told that we needed to fill out some papers and also become members. Once we were approved, then we would get first call on the next rescue that either needed to be fostered and/or adopted.
In the morning the phone rang and it was the lady from the rescue and she told me they were doing a rescue this week and would need to get prepared to be foster parents. We were both very surprised to get a call so soon, but were excited to say the least. We knew that our dog, also need to have a friend. Then came Sunday, we had to have a home visit before picking up our foster dog, that went very well. And then we got the call to go get Lacey. We were so excited about seeing her. We drove all the way to Guelph, to pick her up along with the other puppy that was rescued. When we got there she was already to go and seemed very happy to have people around her. When we arrived at home we then introduced our dog, Logan to her and she seemed to like the idea.
The next few days were wonderful and she was learning so much with Logan, and being able to relax on the couch with everyone around her. On her 4th day with us she took a turn for the worst and had to have major surgery and hospital care for 4 days. We went to see her, a couple to times in the hospital. We felt so terrible and helpless for her. She has had such a horrible life living in a puppy mill and having puppies all the time, not knowing how to walk, play, and enjoy being loved. And now, finding a new home with another dog to learn from and play with, this had to happen when she got a second chance in life. After we picked her up from the hospital she spent the next few days taking it easy. Everyday, Lacey seems to get better and better after her surgery, and now it has been a few weeks and she is doing amazing. Lacey now can go up and down any stairs, eat and play when she wants too. Lacey also now runs faster than Logan. Lacey’s favorite thing to do is lay in the yard, and watch us do what ever it is that we are doing.
Well that is my story, and I am so glad that I watched Oprah that day and able to also do some good. We would like to thank all the people involved with the rescues, for all their help and support. It is the most wonderful thing that you all are doing.
Thanks again
Russ Brown
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