After our Daisy girl died unexpectedly on Jan 17, 2025 from a spleenic tumor, I knew Doogan needed a companion. Doogan will be twelve this year and a puppy would be a disservice to him in his Senior years.

 A house is not a home without a Wheaten in it and we enjoyed having two!

I considered adopting from Wheatens In Need (WIN). We have two small children, so I assumed getting a foster would be a longer wait, so while I wasn't exactly ready for a new dog, I put in an application. The pain from losing Daisy was still fresh when we got matched with a female that was one of 30 being released from puppy mill. I will admit that this wasn't an easy decision. So many unknowns with mill dog. I was told this was a six year old female with a good temperament that would be good with children and an older male dog. I thought about her and worried about what I was getting myself into. Ultimately, the mere thought of what her life was like and what the life we could give her outweighed all those fears.

 Love and patience. 

The popular saying of "Adopt don't Shop" wasn't a mantra of mine. In my adult life, I have owned four dogs, all pure breeds coming from reputable breeders. Two pomeranians my mom adopted from me in my 20s and our two Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, Doogan and Daisy. 

A rescue dog is a new experience for me and I hope to document our experience: the good, bad and ugly to help others considering this too. 

On March 8, a volunteer from WIN will pick up our girl from the mill in Nebraska and drive her to Illinois, where I will meet to bring her home. 

I hope you follow along with our journey!