WRNT is a 501 (c)(3) Corporation
"Taken before her time"
As many of you may remember, Izzy was brought to the attention of WRNT as a home-2-home adoption. Izzy's owners could no longer provide her the medical care she needed because of her Stage 1 diabetes. As a result of the diabetes Izzy wasn't able to control her bodily functions as well as necessary and was required to live outdoors, in the back yard.
Westie Rescue spent several months searching for the right home for Izzy, a place where her medical needs would be top priority and where she could be loved and fussed-over - befitting any Westie. In March, 2007 we were contacted by a wonderful lady in Florida who was interested in Izzy. Now, as we've stated over and over, long-distance adoptions are exceptionally difficult to manage and we really prefer to keep our placements local. In Izzy's case, however, we were willing to do whatever it took to find her that special home.
Our volunteers and Izzy's soon-to-be Forever Mom worked diligently to make this adoption happen. One of our volunteers was slated to drive to Lubbock to pick up Izzy for transport to Dallas. Another volunteer, a flight attendant, was online to transport Izzy on a flight from Dallas to Tampa, where she would meet Izzy's new Forever Mom. We also had backup volunteers who would purchase a red-eye ticket in case our flight attendant volunteer couldn't make the journey. As a last resort, we were working with other Rescue agencies to arrange a car caravan to transport Izzy if necessary.
Literally hundreds of emails and phone calls flew back and forth as we hammered out the details, worked on getting the prospective adopter "approved" and the host of logistical issues that come with transporting a dog with health issues. Needless to say, there were an awful lot of people working extremely hard to make Izzy's life a better one.
Unfortunately, two weeks before Izzy was to be whisked across the Friendly Skies to her new home, she was taken to the emergency clinic with some serious problems. Every possible treatment and diagnostic was performed to figure out why Izzy was so ill. Ultimately, Izzy's adoption was not meant to be. We at Westie Rescue were contacted with the terrible news that Izzy had passed away during the night.
For the most part, the people who work in Rescue are a very pragmatic group. We realize that we can't save every dog, but we also don't give up easily. There were tears aplenty at Izzy's passing: her current Family, her future Forever Family and our volunteers. It hit everyone quite hard that, right on the cusp of starting a new life, Izzy would pass from this world.
After the fact we found that Izzy had apparently been poisoned. Having spent months in the back yard it's difficult to fathom what she could have been exposed to, and speculation seems fruitless.
Westie Rescue extends our heartfelt thanks to Izzy's first Family for seeking to find her a new home, her future Family for extending their love and compassion to such a sweet little girl and to the many volunteers who came together to form the safety net that was leading Izzy to a new life.
Rest well, our little princess - we'll see you at the Rainbow Bridge.
As a measure of our thanks, here's a picture of Izzy's wonderful future Forever Family.
Note: The Bichon pictured here has passed since this photo was taken.