Written By Sandy Vander Weele
Our story began November 25, 2011 on the way home from the Harbor Springs, Michigan Holiday Tree Lighting. I was listening to the John Tesh Radio Show. He started talking about the National Mill Dog Rescue located in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the work they do rescuing and rehabilitating commercial breeder dogs from puppy mills. Being an advocate of animal rescue for many, many years, I found it so gratifying that a group not only did rescues but rehab these poor innocent creatures. I didn’t even have my coat off and was on my computer to research the organization. NMDR has a tab “adoptable dogs available.” I looked through all the dogs and this little face (Weechee’s) hit me like a magnet. Mind you, I had no intention of adopting a dog. For a few days, I kept going back to the site, looking at Weechee, reading his biography and I was hooked.
NMDR is over 1000 miles from where I live and has a good policy that all dogs fly in cabin. We scheduled several flights with Pet Airways and all were cancelled by them. My only alternative was to drive there or fly. I flew out from Detroit Metro to Denver Airport to get Weechee leaving, February 5th(Super Bowl Sunday) early in the morning and coming back mid afternoon. Southwest heard my plight, waived his fee & gave Weechee’s foster, Sara, a gate pass. She didn’t end up coming by herself to the gate but with a whole camera crew who captured our first meeting and interviewed us for over an hour. They were from TLC Network doing filming for a new series “On the Fly” which is featuring Southwest Airlines. TALK ABOUT A RED-CARPET SEND-OFF! The cameraman and “mike”gentleman came on the plane as I was buckling up and did another 10 minute interview.
Coincidences? 1. I wasn’t planning to go to the tree lighting and, if I hadn’t, I’d never heard John Tesh talking about NMDR; 2. According to his foster, Weechee’s picture was put on the NMDR website the very day I looked at the site for the first time and; 3. By Pet Airways “bad behavior,” I was directed to Southwest who were so kind to us. Weechee was meant to be here in his Forever Home & I love him more each and every day.
Weechee has his own Facebook page and together our goal is to be ambassadors for animal rescue. Also I would like to have Weechee trained for certification to go to our local care facilities for the elderly.
Here’s his page; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Weechee/357065564330725?ref=hl
Weechee’s foster mom’s (Sara) husband, Lt. Col Eric K., got killed in Iraq by an IED leaving a wife and 4 children. Sara, in her loss, is filling her heart by being a volunteer for National Mill Dog Rescue as a foster. To honor Sara’s husband, I asked to use the name “Eric” as Weechee’s middle name and she and her children were delighted.
