42 rescued Westies recover in Everett as calls to adopt them pour in
Leslie Wall and the team at Everett Animal Shelter are caring for 42 Westies rescued from a cramped utility trailer in Marysville. The dogs need medical attention, the shelter is stretched thin, and the sweetest part of the story arrives at the end.
1. Leslie Wall's shelter team is now caring for 42 rescued dogs
At Everett Animal Shelter, assistant animal services manager Leslie Wall is helping coordinate care for 42 dogs rescued in Marysville. All of them are under medical care, and Wall said it takes a village to look after a group this large.
Volunteers have been essential, and two veterinarians are tending to the animals as they recover. The effort goes beyond exams and treatment. Staff members are also working through dozens of dishes, a great deal of laundry and the rest of the daily shelter workload that comes with so many dogs arriving at once. Wall said staff are working very hard, are very tired, and are getting through it.
2. What officers found inside the trailer was grim
The reason that work is so urgent is the condition the dogs were found in. City officials said the West Highland Terriers were rescued from a utility trailer where they were kept in stacked kennels separated by makeshift partitions. Puppies were also found in a plastic storage tub.
Many of the dogs had medical issues, and some had matted hair with feces and urine covering their fur. Officers described the setup as extreme breeding and hoarder conditions. Marysville police are investigating what happened, and the owners could face animal cruelty charges. Officers recommended 42 counts of second-degree animal cruelty.
3. The rescue is straining an already busy shelter
The rescue has also tightened space at the Everett shelter. Wall said 128 animals are now on site, while another 103 are in foster care, so fitting in 42 recovering dogs has put pressure on an already busy operation.
That is one reason the call for help is broad. Wall urged people who can volunteer to give time, and people who can foster to step up. Monetary donations are welcome too, along with supplies purchased through the shelter's Amazon Wish List. Wall also said Marysville animal control has been very active in checking in on the dogs as they settle into care.
4. Helping does not have to mean waiting for a Westie
For people following the story closely, one important detail is that support does not have to be limited to this group of Westies. Wall said anyone thinking about adopting any type of animal from the shelter should consider doing it now. The shelter's available animals are listed on its website.
That means families interested in helping do not need to wait for the police process around the rescued dogs to play out before adopting another animal. It is a practical ask from a shelter that is managing a heavy workload while a large, medically needy group continues recovering.
5. The happy twist is how many people already want them
And then there is the part that is likely to stick with dog lovers. Even before any of the rescued Westies are confirmed as adoptable, the shelter is already hearing from large numbers of people who want them. Wall said Everett Animal Shelter has received 70 to 90 applications and taken 120 phone calls about the group.
If the dogs are eventually cleared for adoption after the investigation, Wall said there will be plenty of potential adopters waiting. People who want to apply are asked to go to the shelter's page, fill out a dog questionnaire and put "West Highland Terrier" or "Westie" at the top.
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