MARYSVILLE, Wash. — Hair clippers and soap just gave dozens of dogs – rescued from squalid conditions in Marysville – a fresh look and a boost in spirits as they await adoption.
42 West Highland terriers, commonly known as Westies, have spent weeks recovering at the Everett Animal Shelter, and that included some badly needed baths and haircuts.
Marysville police rescued the matted, frightened creatures, along with two other dogs, from a van in August. Their owner faces 43 charges of second-degree animal cruelty, and one related to breeding.
“Some of [the dogs] had like six plus inches of hair,” said Jennifer Brent, with Groombar. She was one of several volunteers who spent an entire day removing matted dog hair, covered in urine and feces.
“They weighed it at the end of the day, and it was 14 pounds of matted hair that we ended up collecting,” Brent said.
The dogs all got tidy haircuts and thorough wash-ups, which, according to Brent, appeared to not only take a weight off their bodies, but their souls.
“A lot of them had way more energy afterward and were really more spritely. It was really, really nice to see all the energy change in them.”
The Everett Animal Shelter told KIRO 7 they are no longer accepting offers of adoption for the Westies because they’ve had more than 300 applications. But they point out there are plenty of dogs and cats in the region’s local animal shelters who are looking for their forever homes.
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