Happy Endings From Wire Fox Terrier Rescue Great Lakes
To see and read about additional past "Happy Endings" placements, click the link below.
Angel was surrendered by her family. She spent a few months in foster care crated because she doesn’t get along with other dogs at all. Just before Christmas we found a wonderful home from our rescue colleague in Iowa, Cheryl Collins. Angel was adopted by a woman in Coldwater who is Wire experienced, and was very lonely after her last Wire died at age 17. She has given Angel a loving home and even got an in home trainer immediately to work with her. We pray for homes like these! Her new mom writes, “I think she will be the bestest doggy I have ever enjoyed! We are already buds and she is so much fun! We have l...o... n...g evenings of enjoying each other's company mostly Angel sitting in my lap sleeping contentedly. The dog trainer says that Wire Haired Fox Terriers are the hardest breeds to train. No wonder unprepared owners give them up. Once you achieve success in a training area....they are sooooo wonderful. She actually appreciates the training attention and the praise is sooooo sweet to her. She just eats up the praise when she gets it right”
Scout was re-homed because he was too much for his big sister Wire. Being a puppy, he is pushy and needs limits. His elderly Wire companion couldn’t handle him so he went back home to stay with his mom for awhile. He has been adopted by Joe and Beverly who also live in Milford and have one of our Wire Fox females Lily. Scout moved a few short blocks away from his last home! Lily handily puts Scout in his place when he gets out of line so it’s a better match for both homes. Joe and Beverly are delighted to have Scout in their home and a new puppy in their bed.
Taffy is a great young Welsh Terrier who ended up in an Ohio shelter. She was adopted to an elderly woman who, although Terrier experienced was unprepared for a puppy. Our friend Kim in Ohio assisted and we obtained her. After several months in rescue she went to a home in Ontario. Taffy had issues. Her new home has worked with her and has taken her through obedience and consulted with a behaviorist. We only dream of homes like these!!!
Rudy, is Lucy’s brother. He was adopted by a dog loving couple. Rudy has 2 female Cairn Terrier sisters. They compete in agility. Rudy will someday, but for now he just watches because he is still too young. Rudy’s mom is a veterinarian technician. We were very lucky to have found such a great home for this beautiful poster boy!
Our female puppy has been named Lucy and she has found a home with our longtime friends Patty and Ken Eisenbraun. She joins brothers Buddy and Toby all from our rescue! Buddy the Wire isn’t so sure he enjoys sharing attention with Lucy, but she has been good therapy for Toby who was abused. A puppy has been just the thing to bring him out of his shell! Our litter was brought up playing with our resident kitty and Patty’s cat just won’t cooperate with Lucy’s advances. Lucy doesn’t understand why this new cat won’t wrestle!
Kenna was our female Irish Terrier from the puppy mill. She suffered much more trauma than Clancy. She was terrified and untrusting of people, especially of men. She was not well socialized with other dogs. She had severe dental abscesses requiring 9 teeth extraction. We had limited success in housebreaking her. We found a wonderful couple who were willing to adopt her and work with all these issues. She has found a home of her own due to a wonderful couple. Kenna had a miracle.
Clancy was one of our Irish Terriers who came from one of the worst puppy mill situations ever. IT Rescue had too many dogs to cope with at once so we helped them out. He proved to be one of our favorite rescue dogs. Despite his cruel living conditions, he was a happy dog and smiled whenever you gave him attention. We simply fell in love with him. Our first ever foster home (25+ years ago) Bonnie Altenburg fostered him. After 6 months foster he has found a home in St Joseph with a pastor and his wife. They have done a lot of research about Irish Terriers and are very excited to make Clancy part of their life.
Asta was abandoned at a shelter in MI. A typical young unruly Wire Fox Terrier. No manners or obedience training. He has been adopted by a wonderful couple in WI Kendall and Richard. They understand Terriers and we are grateful for the exceptional home they have provided. “He's been terrific & we love him so much! I'm thinking he's loving us too because he's a velcro doggie wants to be where ever we are! He's been on motorcycle rides, to the beach, to friend's cabin on a lake, socializing with the neighbor’s dogs and kids and doing quite well”
Abby the rescue Wire fox Terrier fostered by volunteer Kim in Ohio. She has finally found her forever home!
Asta (who was Spike) came from a collector in TN along with Cammie and Zoey. He landed in a home that rescue groups dream about! This special boy now lives in Niagara Falls Canada along with 2 other Wires with a full time stay at home dad! His other dad works on a cruise ship so is gone for months at a time. He has come a long way from living outdoors on a cement pad! Our thanks go out to this wonderful home, Sandy & Bill Jackson for fostering Asta, and all the rescue people who helped Asta find his way to safety.
Cammie, our senior TN rescue Wire found a wonderful home with a Wire experienced couple They live in Portsmouth VA, They have always had wires and have rescued many. In the past they have done foster work (for AFTR). The lady’s mother used to raise wires. They happily drove the 9 hours one way to get her. Cammie will get to go sailing, if she wants to.
Letter from her adoptive home below….
Dear Kim and Henry,
What a bundle of joy you have allowed to come into our house!!! Cammie is just perfect---well close to perfect anyway--we did have one fight but it was my fault between Cammie and Tornado. Tornado has a pull toy he used to love to play with Jack. I let him and Cammie play with it and it got out of hand but no puncture wounds, no blood and no hard feelings. They have been fine for the rest of the day. YES CAMMIE IS THE ALPHA BITCH>!!!! but she listens very well and is corrected every time there is a growl. Of course the others are corrected as well if they growl so we are in charge.
Cammie went for a run and a walk today. She really loves Amanda and the feeling is mutual so I expect she will be dressed up and going to a tea party soon at Amanda's kitchen and doll house. I will have to send you pictures when the time comes.
I feed her with the other two and there have been no problems whatsoever. She is peeing and pooping like a champ. I only have to figure out her schedule but we are airing her often. It is Cammie's firm conviction that everyone in this house belongs to her. It is so funny to watch her with the cats. She doesn't know what they are and they scare here. She dearly wants a closer sniff but her courage has not gotten that big yet. Her nose is still a bit dry but she is drinking and peeing so I am too concerned. She is even sharing toys but if it squeeks she gets it first. She found the toy basket and dug to the very bottom. Great glory!!!. She starts her four mile walks tomorrow am with Nate. She has definitely been good for Tornado---his playful puppy side is showing itself.
Toby and Cammie are mutually sniffing each other--we do have to watch the jealousy factor. Everyone is just learning the ropes. They are always supervised and I expect things to go smoothly. The weather has been light jacket kind of weather since she has been here so we have not needed any jackets yet
There are tons of people here walking dogs. Cammie has been most gracious--she just wants to sniff and do a proper hello. We are working on socializing with other dogs and so far so good. Darn I don't want to go to work tomorrow!! I wanna stay home and play with my dogs.
Gizmo, (Now Oliver) had come to our attention in September of 2010. He was in an IN shelter where the shelter director and several volunteers identified him as a young Welsh Terrier. We arranged to have him picked up only to find he was a strong Yorkie mix. He is between 1-2 years old and had been posted on Craig’s list and had been through countless homes before ending up at the shelter. He proved to be unbelievably cute, 10# of dynamite, and extremely annoying to all the Terriers in his foster homes. After a very brief stint at the Dziedzics', he went to Fred & Cheryl Gee. They taught him some basic manners. We thought he had an adoptive home in Ohio, but he was too much for them so our tireless and patient volunteer Kim Zaborniak took him in. She had company for the holidays from overseas who fell in love with Gizmo. On the 1st of January Gizmo, (now Oliver) made his way to Germany to his forever home! This cute little guy has had more owners than we can count and is our 1st transcontinental placement. Our thanks to the Gee’s and to Kim for fostering and helping him find his way. Kim did an unbelievable amount of paperwork for the flight to Germany!
Russell is a beautiful Wire who lived in the Windsor area and had been passed around to more homes than we could count. He needed some additional training on his housebreaking and all his vaccinations and heartworm prevention was out of date. Previous adopters Sandy & Bill stepped in to foster this very confused Wire and were very patient with him. Not long after we got a great referral from our Milford friends and we had a match! Russell has found his forever home with Maureen who works at the Milford feed & seed store and has a Wheaten named Jeremiah. Russell and Jeremiah have become fast friends.
Maggie (formerly Ginger) has been adopted by Barb & Leslie who are a large part of our Rescue group and owners of Main Street Art in Milford MI. She fits in with their group of Wires well, and they took pity on her because she sat on the shelf unwanted for so many months because of her age. Ginger came to us as an extremely neglected Wire from a shelter. She was matted to the bone and was positive for heartworm. Underneath was a feisty character who still has lots of love to give. We can’t thank Barb & Leslie enough for opening their hearts to Ginger.
Abby the Kansas puppy mill Wire found her forever happy ending with her foster family. Tom and Mary who are Terrier experienced offered in a pinch to help out. Since we never have three new dogs at once. they immediately fell in love with this sweet shy girl who had never known life outside a cage. They have enjoyed seeing her explore her new surroundings. “Puppy mill” dog has such a stigma about it. Just a few minutes with any of these gems would wash all away all these preconceptions. They are the most loving, sweet dogs. Our sincere thanks to Tom and Mary for opening their hearts and home to Abby.
Lucy the Irish Terrier has also found her forever home with Dave & Mary. A couple long known to us who are both Airedale and Irish Terrier experienced. By coincidence their beloved IT had passed away a few weeks prior and they found Lucy on Petfinder. It’s been a match made in heaven! Lucy’s new name is Mystry and they describe her as the love of their life! She has come a long way from being heartworm positive to having the full attention of two loving parents! We are pleased as punch!
Pearl is a super GSD who was found by our primary foster home, Debbie & Joe. They live on the boundaries of hundreds of acres of state land. We believe she was probably abandoned to fend for herself. They first saw her during the winter lurking around their property. A fleeting shadow, very skittish. Debbie began feeding her. Pearl came to her food bowl in the evening and was very nervous. Several months later Debbie noticed Pearl was limping and decided she had to do something. She slowly began making contact with this frightened dog. She added heartworm prevention, worming medication, and pain meds to her food. After many months Debbie was able to touch and stroke Pearl. Eventually Debbie was able to slip a leash around her neck. Pearl was given a head to toe by their vet. After several months up for adoption Debbie decided Pearl is home to stay. The sun rises and sets on Debbie in Pearl’s eyes. This is not the breed Debbie would have chosen, but Pearl chose Debbie.
Kassie is a wonderful spunky Welsh Terrier who was dumped at a shelter. She was placed with a couple who had previously owned Sophie. Kassie proved to be more of a Terrier challenge and we soon found out why she had been abandoned. Her new parents persevered, and instituted the “rules” and increased her exercise. Kassie obviously ended up in the right home. Our sincere thanks to Lorie and Don for staying the course and giving Kassie the structure she needed to become a happy member of a family.
Elsie has found the home of her dreams. She came to us with allergies so severe she had lost much of the hair on her back. She had scratched giant bald patches in places and was a mess. She had been on toxic allergy medicine that was not working. After a couple months in foster care and with help from our wonderful veterinarians, Elsie’s hair is growing back and she is much more comfortable. She is taking less medicine and is on a better diet. She has found her forever home with a former Airedale owner who is giving her lots of training, walks and some excursions to the local dog park. Elsie is one happy girl! Our thanks to all the rescue volunteers who helped transport Elsie from WI and her foster mom. Many kind folks played a part in helping Elsie find her way to her new loving mom.
Danny was found running down a rural road. He made his way to rescue and several months later he has his happy ending in Cincinnati. He is a city dog with a young active couple who take him canoeing and exploring the city. He has the doggie home of his and our dreams!
Pretty Penny is now Ginger! She found the perfect home of her doggie dreams with Suzanne and family at Main Street Art in Milford. Penny has 2 new brothers who are Bichon’s and she loves playing with the youngest one, Harley. She felt immediately at home and bonded with the entire family. Ginger has a very special place in our hearts; she had been in rescue for many months. This is a perfect placement for her and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Thank you, Suzanne!
Tyler came to us from a puppy mill in KY. We had taken several Wires from the same mill years ago. Now National Wire Rescue was able to retrieve the final “stock” of Wires and they were taken in by rescue volunteers across the country. Tyler was really frightened by the transition to living in a house. Although he has a friendly social temperament, housebreaking proved to be a real challenge for him. Debbie fostered Tyler for a whole year before the concept FINALLY clicked! During that time she actually took him to obedience school hoping it would help him improve his skills. True to his Terrier stubborn ways… Tyler never saw the point of class, and only passed due to Debbie’s persistence and a kindly obedience instructor. Finally we met Nancy and Gary who have been owned by Westie Terriers their whole lives, and were just too heartbroken to consider adopting another. They were rescue people without a dog to love and fell in love with Tyler before they met him. We journeyed to the ends of our GPS to meet them with Tyler and we could see he felt at home immediately with them. He started pulling toys out of the basket and rested in the crate they had set up for him. They picked him up from Joe and Debbie the next day… Tyler takes the record for longest dog in foster care…. We take real joy in him finding his true home… We thank Joe and Debbie Fenech for being the best foster parents ever. And Nancy & Gary for adopting this very special boy.
Nora is a 4 year old Wire on the shelf for 6 months. Her family was moving to FL and they contacted us one day before moving. They brought her vaccines up to date but her teeth were absolutely brown. When we had them cleaned, she actually had bone loss because her teeth were so bad. She had never been given anything crunchy to eat. (Her brother had been given away free on Craig’s list so we have no idea of his fate) In 6 months we managed to take 5# off her weight with diet change and giving her veggies in place of 1/3 of her food and switching her to a healthy dry food diet… She has been adopted by the Brisson family. The extended family has a long history with rescue Wire Fox Terriers, Welsh Terriers, and Airedales. We are delighted with another great placement with this wonderful family…
Chuckie was tearfully handed over to our rescue because his owner is very ill and could no longer give him proper care. He was her beloved baby and this was a sad situation. The family members who surrendered him to us neglected to let us know he had significant issues, both medical and behavioral. He has severe allergies of unknown origin. A wonderful couple fell in love with Chuckie after only 2 days in rescue. They are empty nesters and Wire experienced so we placed him, only to have all his issues crop up immediately. Chuckie requires special allergy food and is very aggressive with other dogs on sight. He required an emergency vet visit on his 1st day in his new home for bleeding hot spots. Despite all his problems his new home has stuck with him. Wire Rescue has paid for an obedience class and his new dad has been attending religiously. Chuckie has no fear and has attempted to go after dogs much larger than him. He is wonderful and loving with people. This is a perfect example of a potentially great dog who really needs our help. His new home is working every day to make him a great dog.
Gwen is a spunky Welsh Terrier abandoned by her original owner. She was well cared and we can only guess what hard times or changes in life circumstances forced them to give her up. She has been adopted by a wonderful couple in Ohio who are just delighted with her Terrier ways. They have engaged a personal trainer to help guide them on walks and social situations, as she gets pretty excited when she sees other dogs from a distance. We are delighted we could find a wonderful caring home for another “cousin” to our Wire breed.
Toby has been adopted by longtime rescue friends and supporters Patty and Ken who thought they were scaling back to the little guys after adopting Buddy earlier this year. Soon after their beloved Maddy Airedale passed, we rescued a beautiful Airedale, Toby who had been in 4 homes in just 3 short years. He was bewildered and so very frightened. Patty and Ken soon found themselves opening their hearts and home to another Airedale. Toby and Wire Buddy have become fast friends. Toby is still very frightened but is in the best place to receive the special care and patience he really needs. We are very grateful for this special home for Toby. Someday soon he may start acting like a “real Airedale”.
Lily came to us after being in several homes. In foster care for months we could never totally solve her peeing problems. A veterinarian in WI applied to adopt her and assured us her problems would be no barrier for him. He was Wire Fox Terrier experienced and truly missed having one. We made a road trip and placed another dog along the way. Sometime later the good Dr. told us he has solved Lily's pee problems. She has Diabetes Insipidus which is a very rare disease and requires expensive medication to control. Someone was watching over Lily to place her in the hands of a Veterinarian.
Maggie (was Mattie) is a spunky, funny female who had been returned to Rescue. She is a lively "experienced" Wire who has found her forever home with the family of a well-known and respected Detroit area celebrity. Of course dogs don't care about such things, they only know they are loved! Maggie seemed to feel immediately at home with her new family and they fell in love with her too! We couldn't be more thrilled that Maggie has finally found her doggie dream home with brother Baxter to annoy.
Wally was one of the most neglected Wires we have rescued. He was full of ticks and was positive for heartworm disease. He had obviously not known any care or kindness in his life. He had turned up in a shelter in southern MI. After bailout from the shelter he was put on a month of antibiotics and double food rations before undergoing treatment for heartworm infestation. He had to remain quiet and essentially on "bed rest" for another month after treatment which is pretty difficult for a young Wire! Wally attended the Fall Frolic where he was visited by a Veterinarian from the Detroit area who had recently lost his longtime best friend. Soon after Wally became his new best friend. Our thanks to longtime friend Linda Cunningham and the Hillsdale Animal shelter for helping Wally find his way to our rescue.
Spike was Jim and Lynda's Welsh Terrier who had come into rescue as a puppy. He had pneumonia and took months to recover refusing to eat. He stayed so long we grew too attached to place him. Growing to adulthood, Spike became protective of "his" household and accepted our core dogs but soon began attacking any new fosters. His life became very small as he had to share time out with the consistent parade of foster dogs. The decision was made for Spike's quality of life, to find him his own home where he could shine and have the life he deserved. After nearly a year of searching, that home was found in CT with a Terrier experienced couple. Lynda flew Spike to CT and stayed several days to make sure all was well. Spike no longer has to share his home with any other dogs and is well loved. We will miss him always but know we made the right decision. We thank the Shay family for taking Spike into their hearts and home.
Abby the Lakeland Terrier was on the rescue shelf for a very long time. She had required bladder surgery for urinary stones. She needs expensive prescription food and she must go outside to potty often. On the plus side she is all Terrier attitude and the cutest 14# package you have ever seen. Her new mom had watched her on the website for a long time and had been drawn to her. Finally she contacted rescue and a meeting was arranged. Abby never looked back at her foster home! She has a new Lakeland brother, Grady and several cats in her new home. We can't thank Suzanne and Walt enough for opening their hearts and home to our special girl, Abby.
