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Hi Gwen,
It's been six wonderful years since Rory and Chex (formerly Mulligan
and Cosmo) came into our lives. Interested in the breed, we
stumbled onto WIN online on a Wednesday in early summer 2003,
submitted an application that evening, and got a call the next day
about these two (Cosmo, age four, and Mulligan, age six) who had
just come into foster care. We went to meet them in Northern New
Jersey the following Saturday, and decided we would commit to being
their new family. We had just gotten married the year before. Kids
were planned eventually, but not for awhile. And while Rory and
Chex were given up because of difficulties with a young child in
their first home, we figured that by the time we had kids, age would
have mellowed the dogs, and that we would work hard to manage the
situation.
So, we spent the next few years as young marrieds with two terrific
dogs. In '05 we got a job transfer from suburban Philly to Austin
TX and made the trek halfway across the country with the dogs. The
time since has flown by. We welcomed our first daughter, Maggie, in
August '06 and another daughter, Elliebeth, in July '08. Any
concerns about these two dogs and their compatibility with kids were
unfounded. They have both been so gentle and sweet, and
sneaky/enthusiastic lickers of tiny fingers covered in sweet
potatoes, bananas and other squishy first foods.
 In six years' time, both dogs have aged and slowed. We were
shocked when Rory reached 12 in April that we were at about the
average life expectancy in what seemed like a flash. She recently
developed vestibular disease (vertigo) that the vet attributed to an
ear infection. She was treated with anti-inflammatories and
antibiotics and made a quick recovery. A second episode came on
about a month later. Thinking perhaps the ear infection hadn't been
resolved the first time, the same course of treatment was followed
and she recovered again. But a week and a half ago, she had another
onset of terrible dizziness that wouldn't abate. Her ear was clear
of infection and the probable diagnosis was a tumor causing
inflammation that was reaching the nerves affecting balance. We
waited to see if she would improve again, and it wasn't happening.
On June 21 (Fathers' Day) we made the hard decision to let Rory go.
She had been hospitalized the morning before, and they let us bring
her home for her last few hours that afternoon to say goodbyes. It
was incredibly hard to see her go, and the permanence of her absence
is hard to grasp. Our daughters have adjusted in stride. The baby
seems not to have any idea, and Maggie doesn't understand enough to
be very upset. She knows that Rory can't come back because she got
very sick. We're grateful that the loss is no harder for her than
it's been. Chex has been doing OK too. He's a little mopey and
subdued, but he's getting a lot of attention.
Anyway,
we wanted to let you know how much we've benefited from WIN's work
as a rescue organization, and to thank you for keeping it up and
running. These dogs have meant so much to us as members of our
family; we can't imagine not having had them. We're sending a few
pictures of Rory and Chex over the years with us, and we will be
making a contribution in Rory's memory. I hope that the account of
our success with adopting Rory and Chex encourages thinking of
adopting a Wheaten to take a chance on a Wheaten in Need.
 Thanks so much,
Stuart and Lisa Weikel
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