How our adoption/ fostering process works at Westie Lifeline Rescue UK

Sept '25

Lovely Barney came into rescue when sadly his owner passed away. Despite being stressed initially, he went into foster with an experienced family of westie owners and has now been adopted. He is 12 years old.

Update: Oct '25 Barney was settling very well into his new home, however he took a dislike to one of the other resident dogs. Whilst he is very friendly towards humans and other dogs outside, we are looking for a dog free home so that Barney can settle in.

Oct '25

Alfie (number 2!) has come into rescue due to his owner passing away. He is 8 years old, castrated and on initial assessment a very friendly little chat. If you are interested in adopting Alfie, please make sure you have sent in an application to adopt form which is on this website and should you be found to match Alfie's requirements you would need to be able to travel to Lytham St Annes to meet him. 

Sept '25

Lovely Alfie has come into our care as his previous owners were struggling with some aspects of his behaviour. He is 5 years old and castrated. He is currently being assessed at WLRUK HQ so that we have a clearer picture on what is being some of his issues.    

UPDATE: 

Alfie is a very complex little westie, who has the sweetest nature for the most part, however, something in his background brings out unacceptable behaviour, that could deter the most devoted westie lover. He needs a patient and very experienced terrier/westie foster home, that is not intimidated by what appears to be, unpredictable aggression. But there is always a reason for aggression, and it may be Alfie had been allowed to become dominant in his previous home, at an early age. This in turn has developed into “trying it on” in the home. We do not know what the triggers for it are but he certainly appears to have a perceived view of his status within the household. There could also be genetics involved and his basic character/temperament. 

When he is behaving, he works well with commands and loves his walks. He walks well on the lead. He appears to be dog friendly, and people friendly for the most part. It would appear that his problem is mainly in the home. Outside he seems to behave in a normal friendly happy way. His previous owner could even take him to coffee shops etc. It is inside he starts to occasionally show aggression.

UPDATE: 

Alfie continues to have unacceptable behavioural issues, however we are hopefully getting to understand the reasons why because as previously said, there is always a reason for aggression. After numerous vet visits and tests, including full blood tests which showed everything ok, he had some x-rays done on his rear end which showed a problem with the base of his spine and top of his pelvis, which is the result of some trauma at some point in his life.

He is now on pain medication to hopefully help him feel more comfortable. We will be having further MRI/CT imaging done so a more detailed look can be taken with a hope/view to operating when possible. The behavioural issues will not disappear overnight, but we are hopeful that once Alfie is fully pain free, he will settle into the loving sweet dog that he can be - full time!

If you feel you could foster Alfie, with a view to offering him a forever home, and would like more information, please contact Janie on 07751 025868.

June '25

Shug is a 6 year old neutered male westie whose elderly owner is no longer able to meet his needs. There are some medical issues that need to be assessed, however we believe he is good with other dogs. He will be travelling down from Scotland to WLRUK and we are happy to discuss his situation with anyone interested in fostering or adopting Shug after an assessment is done.

July'25 - great news, after a successful foster, Shug has landed on his paws with his new family and happily settling into his new home.

June '25

Bella is a 10 year old spayed girl who is coming into rescue due to a family bereavement. Whilst we have a potential home identified for Bella, please do make an enquiry if you are interested in adopting/ fostering a westie in the future. As you can see from this page, we regularly have westies needing support and coming into the rescue and it is useful to understand your circumstances so that we can make the perfect match if it happens.

July '25 - Bella settled well into her foster family finding herself living with her new Westie brother and great news is that she has made her permanent home there - well done Bella x

May '25

Molly is 8 years old. She was found straying on the streets. She did need some immediate medical attention when she arrived with us, however that has happened and she is recovering well.  She has a very sweet natured. Whilst she is being assessed if you believe you could offer a home to Molly please send in an application to adopt form which can be found by clicking the link below. 

Update: July '25 - after a successful time in foster, Molly chose to stay put and happily live out her many years ahead with her new family - great news.

May '25

Monty is 15 yrs old and his owner passed away sadly. He is coming into WLRUK shortly but we are keen to settle him as soon as possible into a loving home for his senior years. He is due to be assessed by the vets on arrival so anyone interested in fostering/ adopting Monty please fill in a form and we can provide further information.

UPDATE: Monty has arrived! He has a very sweet nature and is settling in. Off to the vets for a general check up on Tuesday.

April ' 25

Charlie is 15 years old and sadly coming into rescue from a loving home due to a change in the owner's circumstances. He will be assessed at WRLUK and we will provide a further update once an assessment has been made.

UPDATE: May'25

Charlie has arrived at WRLUK and settled in well. He is a sweetheart and gets on well with the other dogs, however he has poor eyesight so will sometimes bump into the others (not on purpose!). There are, and will continue to be, some health issues to resolve/ manage and therefore we are looking for a long term foster home for him where his owners understand that there will be some time and financial investment needed in him, supported by the rescue. There are some immediate things that can be done to ease some pain and discomfort for him and ensure he has the best quality of life. Please get in touch with the rescue if you think you can support with fostering Charlie.

UPDATE: MAY'25 - great NEWS! Charlie has joined his furever home surrounded by love and plenty of brothers and sisters to play with. So happy for you Charlie!

Feb ' 25

We were contacted by another rescue to see if we could help with a group of westies needing to come into rescue due to a change in home circumstances. Abby, 7, is at WLRUK HQ currently being assessed. 

Abby is settling well into foster and is a lovely natured girl. Once she gets over her nervousness she is interested in everyone and everything. She is a real lap dog and loves attention and cuddles. She is fine with other dogs so could be rehomed with another dog, or would be just as happy as the only dog. She will be 8 in April.

Feb ' 25

We were contacted by another rescue to see if we could help with a group of westies needing to come into rescue due to a change in home circumstances. Milo, 10, has joined a family in Nottingham to be fostered and assessed. He is doing very well in foster. His sore and discoloured skin is now clearing up well. He loves walks and walks well on a lead. He socialises well for the most part with other dogs but can be nervous of some. He is quite a character. He will be 11 in May.

Feb ' 25

We were contacted by another rescue to see if we could help with a group of westies needing to come into rescue due to a change in home circumstances.  Amber, 4, has joined a foster family, already with other dogs, and she is settling in well. She is receiving a lot of love and cuddles.

Jan '25: Rosie has just joined us. We don't know a lot about her background other than she is 18 months old. She was subdued and quite smelly however is now safe at WLRUK HQ. We'll update and let you know how she gets on, however looking for some foster options for her if anyone is interested.

UPDATE: well things move fast! Rosie (which wasn't her initial name) has now been renamed to Ivy. Due to our experience of dealing with Westie Rescues, it was felt that the right place for Ivy to go was to join an already established group of Westies. In under 1 week, Ivy went from a timid, sweet little dog who was scared to go outside with other dogs to bounding around the garden with her new family of brothers and sisters, playfully interacting - what a change and delight to see. How fantastic - enjoy your new home Ivy! 

Shortly Skye will be joining us. She is an 11 year old girl (not spayed) with up to date vaccinations. There are some medical issues being assessed currently which can be discussed, however keen to get her settled in and support her. She is ok with other dogs. Please make enquiries if you are interested in adopting Skye.

Update: She's arrived! Although Skye was known to be ok with other dogs, she is currently very timid and stressed, so a dog free foster has been found for her whilst she undergoes medical assessments to get a clearer picture on her health. Welcome Skye x

Update: Having now spent more time with her as she is with her foster home in Kent, we can see that Skye is a very sweet dog, however she needs to be in an only dog household. She enjoys her walks. There are some health issues that are being addressed currently: she will be spayed at the end of December, she has cataracts in both her eyes and sadly she has what we think is the start of westie lung, however currently that is not affecting her. However with the right care and love, Skye has the opportunity to bring great love into her future home. Skye would be available for adoption in January and anyone wanting to find out more about her, please don't hesitate to get in touch for a chat or fill in an adoption form.

UPDATE: Another failed foster! Congrats Skye on your new home!

Bobby is 14 and has just come into foster after a change in the owner's circumstances. He is being assessed for behaviour and medical needs currently as is always the case when we first take in new dogs, however if you might be interested in adopting Bobby please make enquiries.

UPDATE:   

Bobby “Bear” (so nicknamed because he has a fabulous thick silky coat everyone wants to snuggle him up and he looks like a little polar bear), is an adorable little boy with a really lovely temperament. 

Sadly due to an untreated ear infection Bobby is now deaf but it does not spoil his enjoyment of life. Although he is 13 years old he is still lively and alert and very curious about things.  He is a quick learner and loves to be involved in everything that’s going on, both inside and out.

He is a real character and likes to help with all the household chores whether it is helping clean the garage, finding something at the back of the cupboard (you never know where you may find an old biscuit) or sitting on your feet to keep them warm while you are washing up.

Bobby loves his walks and gets very excited when he sees his coat and lead.  On vet’s instructions he is limited to short, regular walks as he also has arthritis and a partial tear in one of his cruciate ligaments neither of which seem to hold him back or make him grumpy. 

He is always enthusiastic about making new friends and is a very sociable little man with the usual Westie traits, always pleased to see visitors, loves to snuggle on the sofa and watch tv (animal programmes & movies with Harrison Ford are his favourite).

Bobby Bear has a VERY big heart and lots of love to give. His ideal companion would have a degree in tummy tickling (or a willingness to learn), love short (10min), regular(3-4 per day) walks in the park, meeting other doggie friends and their humans and enjoy snuggling up on the sofa.

I cannot stress what an adorable little boy Bobby Bear is. He is currently in foster in Lytham St Annes. Please read the below relating to his health.

BOBBY’S HEALTH 

Bobby’s untreated, (in the vet’s opinion over several years), ear infection has left him deaf and with considerable scarring in his ears but this does not seem to bother him.

The vet has treated his ears but advises that Bobby will need ongoing treatment as they are permanently damaged. He is currently on 1 x Medrone V 4mg table every other day.

Bobby was very overweight when he came into Rescue. We have changed his diet and he is now losing weight steadily which has greatly helped his arthritis. When he came into Rescue, he weighed almost 16kilos. An accurate weight could not be established as he would not stand on 4 legs and could not walk properly. As a result of a change of diet he is now down to just over 14kilos. He still has quite a way to go but is a very different dog following the treatment for his ears and weight reduction

He is stiff in the morning, but gets more flexible when he starts to move around which is why regular walks are important. He still walks with a strange gait but he bounces around in the house and in the park and is now walking on all four legs and enjoying the exercise. We even had a “Westie zoom” in the house yesterday.

The vet advises that he would not consider operating on the cruciate ligament because of his age. It is the vet’s opinion, however, that with ongoing care Bobby’s health will be greatly improved and he can lead a happy and pain free life. 

UPDATE: Great news - after a successful meet and greet, Bobby has picked his new family - we are so delighted for you Bobby!

Ozzy is 5 years old and came into rescue due to a change in circumstances for his owners. He is settling well into his foster family - he is well trained and obeys simple commands. He travels well in the car and likes his walks and LOVES his food, but burns off all his energy by running round the garden! When chilling, Ozzy is gentle and loves having his belly rubbed and snuggling in. He is a loving, trusting dog who is looking for his furever home. Welcome Ozzy!

Click on the button below to see all the dogs that have been supported by Westie Lifeline Rescue UK and moved into their furever homes.