This has been one insane weekend. I'll start at the very beginning for everyone's benefit. I was contacted by Ann P. of the Maryland Westie Rescue through our own Linda L. Ann's group, MWR, was pulling 25 Westies from a puppy mill in Iowa and needed some help placing these dogs. The puppy miller was going out of the Westie business, no doubt to breed something else. He saved money by giving the dogs to rescue rather than paying for a vet to euthanize the leftovers. CARA took up the challenge and was able to get three dog fosters (two of whom had never fostered for CARA before!) and we promised to take three Westies. ("Westies" is short for West Highland White Terriers.)

The Westies were supposed to get to Maryland around 5 PM Saturday, but due to rain, snow, and freezing conditions in Ohio and Pennsylvania, 18 arrived at midnight and the rest arrived at 1:30 AM. KJ (one of our seasoned fosters and dog training extraordinaire) and I ventured to Greenbelt, Maryland, in the middle of the frozen night to assist our new friends at MWR. We were warned about what we might see.

Upon entering the backyard we saw a couple Westies sniffing the perimeter. Then we saw some hiding Westies. Then we saw Westies who refused to leave their crates. Once we walked into the house, we were immediately hit with the smell of 18 poorly cared for creatures - and then we saw them - 18 grey dogs. Some were surprisingly resilient and happy. Others were frozen with fear. They all were a mess of matted fur and dirt with nails so long they could barely walk. Ann told us we were lucky they were of a healthy weight... it's possible that none will die this time. And an extra surprise - four extra eight-week old puppies that were thrown into the van at the last minute. Mixes that wouldn't sell, they were told.

Knowing full well that we would be bitten at least once, our little CARA team immediately got to work cutting out the worst mats and washing each dog in Dawn dish soap -- the only thing that would cut the grease and oil on the dogs. It was an interesting experience for all of us - the Westies had never seen water not in a drinking bottle. They were certainly unsure about being covered in it. And soap? What is soap? It certainly doesn't taste very good, they noticed. We separated the three boys from the rest of the unaltered girls. We moved the ones in heat to separate pens. We started categorizing the dogs by personality - ones that seemed happy, others that were calm and just watching, and others who were so terrified they would pee anytime you touched them. Surprisingly, no one was bitten that night - the dogs were too scared to do anything. We worked until 4 AM, after which we got 5 hours of sleep.

Bright and early the next day, KJ and I, with our 3 CARA Westies, began to clean them up further. None of them had accidents in their crates, but the first bath only barely diminished their lifelong stench and they still couldn't walk well. But first they needed names. We named them by the color of their collars: Red, the outgoing girl who is up for anything and can sneak out of any enclosure; Green, the well adjusted girl who is quite the lover; and Blue, the terrified girl who is very cautious and very sweet once she feels comfortable around you. My husband donated an old set of electric razors from his Army days and we got to work. KJ held the pups (who by this time were slightly OK with this high degree of prodding) and I gave them an embarrassing hair cut. My first time as a dog groomer turned out OK, as the pups could move with such ease, even if they do look like a blind person groomed them. Then they got their second bath in 24 hours - probably even their lifetime. Once we were done, they smelled like vanilla frosting and looked like it too.

Then we went outside to explore. Red and Green marched right over to the crunchy leaves my husband was supposed to rake in November and sniffed around with such wide-eyed curiosity. Blue froze on the grass. Having never seen grass before, it was all very overwhelming. KJ's dog Cutter came along for the fun of sniffing and showed his new lady friends the ropes. Pee here, and here, sniff this, and then pee on it. They were all learning quite well. Cutter and Red even got into a good game of wrestling. The others just watched with awe.

Then it was time for our vet visit. All three ladies rode very well in the car and all but Blue walked themselves into the vet's office with confidence and pride, despite the awkward attempt at walking on a leash. The ladies put on quite a show in the waiting room, sniffing and hiding, Red climbing over everything like a spider monkey. KJ and I spoke to the other waiting patrons about their past, the horrors of puppy mills, and how far these girls had come already.

Red, our 5 year old, showed feet that were inflamed due to a severe yeast infection and cysts. She had another cyst on her back. She needs her teeth cleaned badly (from long term drinking from a water bottle) and she will need to be spayed. Green, the oldest at 7, will need to be spayed, dental work, and her feet are infected with yeast and a bacteria-infected boil. Blue, also 5, will need to be spayed, dental work, and medicine for her severe ear infection. Our bill came to one thousand dollars and that doesn't include any surgeries yet. Red's surgery, undoubtedly the worst off medically, will cost us $750 (spay, cyst removal, cyst lancing, and dental work). I'm hoping to schedule Blue and Green for surgery and dental work for less than $400.

So that brings us to today. KJ and I are exhausted beyond belief but relieved that our girls are doing so well. And the most important thing is that they no longer have to live as a puppy factory again. That sentiment is so bittersweet, in that we know the puppy miller will not face criminal prosecution, as his establishment met and in some cases exceeded state minimums for the State of Iowa. These dogs had some vaccinations. They always had food and water. They had a heated barn. We were lucky. The dogs were lucky.

Red, who has the super classy name "Bella", is now sharing a home (her first home!) with Lisa, a new foster to CARA in Ellicott City. She went on her first walk today and really enjoyed herself. Green, now named Starbuck, is living with KJ and Cutter and had an uneventful first night in Pikesville. Blue is living with Rosslyn, another new foster, also in Pikesville. Blue is currently frozen with fear but seems calmed by the presence of Rosslyn's other animals. She will come around and be a great companion for someone.

These girls have come so far, but still have more to conquer. They will make their debut as "Westies with Funny Haircuts" at our Petco Glen Burnie show on March 16th. I hope all of you will stop by to meet them. They will certainly warm your heart.

UPDATE March 25: All the Westie girls have been adopted! (However we still need help to pay their vet bills.)