Week of Online Giving 2015
April 19-26
The 2015 Givin’ Where I’m Livin’ (GWIL) campaign provides support and publicity for local non-profit charitable organizations competing for GWIL matching funds during the campaign’s Week of Online Giving, April 19-26. Around Dripping Springs is pleased to feature this series of GWIL non-profit profiles to help publicize their unique missions to the community. We invite you to get to know these wonderful organizers and learn more about the important work they are each doing to enrich our community. Please share their stories, and be sure to donate to your favorite during the Week of Online Giving! Learn more at: http://www.GivinWhereImLivin.org
NOW MEET WAGS, HOPE AND HEALING:
HOW AND WHY WAS YOUR ORGANIZATION FOUNDED?
Wags, Hope and Healing incorporated as a 501c3 nonprofit in January, 2012.We have been rescuing, rehabilitating and finding loving homes for local rescue dogs since the Fall of 2011. In June 2012 we relocated our operation to 5 acres of rolling hills in the Hill Country between Dripping Springs and Johnson City on Highway 290. Our organization is led by Jennifer Carroll, Founder, Executive Director and Mary Beth Ansell, Co-Founder, Accounting Director.
Video of Birdie’s Rescue: http://youtu.be/bEcPKWrcH_E
WHAT IS YOUR PRIMARY MISSION?
We rescue, rehabilitate and find loving adoptive homes for dogs that were the victims of abandonment, abuse or neglect. Through leadership, behavioral conditioning and love, we help them become balanced and healthy in mind, body and spirit. We take time to facilitate a perfect match between our adoptable dogs and their forever family and offer a support system for adopting families. We promote kindness, leadership and responsible pet ownership and advocate for the prevention of cruelty to animals including preventative measures for overpopulation. 
Our vision is to facilitate permanent, healthy bonds between pets and their families. Wags partners with law enforcement and animal control officers to assist with neglect, chaining, hoarding, cruelty and dumping cases. We play an active role in these situations so that these dogs have a safe place to land. When local rescue efforts don’t keep us full, we pull from euthanasia lists across Central Texas.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH YOUR EFFORTS?
We have drastically reduced the number of homeless dogs by partnering with local law enforcement. Through education and support we have helped surrounding communities to euthanize fewer dogs that are homeless. We have provided rehoming consultation to families that are no longer able keep their pets due to difficult circumstances. We work with Dogs of Character to participate in school programs and have brought a rehabilitated “bait” dog to one such program. This was aimed at helping children that are the victims of bullying and was at the Dripping Springs Elementary School.
WHAT ARE YOUR ORGANIZATION’S PRIMARY GOALS IN 2015? WHAT EVENTS OR ACTIVITIES WILL YOU BE DOING TO SUPPORT THOSE GOALS THIS YEAR?
This year, Wags, Hope and Healing is starting a spay/neuter assistance program, more rehoming consultation, education on low cost medical care, heartworm and Parvo education including Parvo vaccinations to underserved communities. Your donation will help us save these deserving dogs and offer the community assistance with many of the situations that cause canine homelessness. We will continue to work with law enforcement and animal control officers to assist in the issues of strays in the community
1. MEDICAL CARE: We spend between $150 – $1000 per dog. We have exceptional veterinary partners that work with us to treat anything from broken bones to heartworm treatment to congenital defects to Parvo. They keep our costs low but this is by far our greatest need. The more funds we have available for medical treatment, the more deserving lives we can save.
2. SPAY/NEUTER ASSISTANCE: In 2015, Wags started to offer this critical service to underserved communities believing that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
3. PARVO PREVENTION: Wags will help provide Parvo vaccinations to unwanted litters and spay mother dogs for free. Puppies still die from this completely preventable disease.
4. BEHAVIORAL & TRAINING CONSULTATION: Wags has partnered with Tara Stermer of Training by Tara to offer Behavioral & Training consultation to our rescues. She spends a day at our facility every month to evaluate our adoptable dogs, work with them and teach our staff to better rehabilitate dogs that are feral, shy, have guarding tendencies and more. This is a huge help to our dogs, their adopters and the community.
HOW CAN FOLKS CONTACT YOUR ORGANIZATION TO DONATE OR VOLUNTEER YEAR-ROUND?
Anyone in the community can contact our organization by going to our website: www.wagshopeandhealing.org or by emailing us at wagshopeandhealing@gmail.com. We also have a community facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AustinAreaAnimalRehabilitationAndAdoption
We keep an updated list on our website of donated items needed for different times of the year. Also on our website will be planned volunteer days available for the community to participate in several time during the year.
Supplemental Information:
Wags Video: http://youtu.be/5ZdXa4x_g18
The dogs at Wags receive all the medical care they need including spay or neutering, Distemper, Parvo, Rabies vaccinations, microchips, heartworm test and immiticide treatment if needed, heartworm preventative, flea and tick preventative, and deworming at a minimum. We take in quite a few complicated medical cases and have successfully treated and found homes for dogs suffering from mange, infections, broken bones, missing limbs, blindness and deafness, heartworms, cancer (skin and internal) and trauma from abuse and vehicle injuries. We also take in hospice dogs requiring end of life care when needed. Some before and after pictures below:
Butterscotch before Butterscotch after FHO surgery, heartworm treatment and physical therapy – walks on all 4s now!
Carly attacked by a pack of dogs and found by Good Samaritan Carly healed, happy and forever home in Dripping Springs.
Cherry hiding in her crate after we found her in a hoarder backyard. The individual had passed away and their son found a pack of starving, unsocialized dogs in the back yard. We took two. Cherry wouldn’t walk on her own a month. Everything terrified her.
Cherry a year later with her new family.
Left – Lady Bird the day we found her. Right – Lady Bird months later after heartworm treatment and 4 different surgeries to remove cancerous tumors. She was a $1500 dog and worth every penny.
Around Dripping Springs 