A Voice for the Good: Wags & Wiggles Pet Rescue
3Rivers is proud to support so many of the non-profit organizations that are committed to making our community a better place to live, work, and play, and we want to help spread the word about the difference they're making in our region. We’ve teamed up with 97.3WMEE to bring you A Voice for the Good, a series in which we feature local organizations on our website in the form of an informative articles as well as on-air segments highlighting the non-profits’ missions.
This article features Wags & Wiggles Rescue—a local non-profit on a mission to “reducing [the] overpopulation, abuse, and neglect of domestic animals.”
We talked with President, Jenni Daley, and Vice President, Suzi Werling, to learn more about how Wags & Wiggles is making a difference in and around Northeast Indiana.
How did Wags & Wiggles come to be? What’s the history/story behind how the organization initially got started?
Wags and wiggles came to be after my friend and I saw the great need for special needs rescue. So many shelter dogs are overlooked by other rescues if they have medical needs due to the cost. We both loved special needs cases. Our president, Jenni, has worked in veterinary medicine for several years and has a passion for mending sick and injured pets.
What is the official mission of Wags & Wiggles, and how is it currently being put into play?
We are dedicated to rescuing dogs left homeless for whatever reason – dogs in public shelters where they are at high risk of euthanasia due to pet overpopulation, dogs given up by their owners because of difficult circumstances, and those in danger of abuse or neglect. We are here to help the underdogs!
We are currently working with Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control, along with several other shelters in the surrounding area. We have started to help the community more by providing temporary housing for pets whose owners struggle with homelessness or addiction. We are here to help keep pets in their homes by providing training advice or medical assistance so they can avoid surrendering their pets.
How do you see the mission and vision of Wags & Wiggles evolving in the future in the Northeast Indiana community? Where do you see your organization a year from now, or even five years from now?
Wags and Wiggles is growing more and more each year! We have built an amazing team of volunteers who are committed to sharing our mission. We plan to start more educational programs for the youth in our community. We also plan to open a facility in the near future to not only house dogs, but to offer training and resources for owners to utilize so they can provide the best care for their pets. The possibilities are endless with the dedication of our team.
Are there any exciting new developments, updates, or changes that have recently taken place at Wags & Wiggles?
This year, Jenni took over the role as president of the rescue. She has 16 years of experience in animal welfare and dog behavior. A lot of changes happened this year with providing more education on dog health and behavior not only to our adopters but to our volunteers as well.
What kind of impact did the global pandemic have on Wags & Wiggles, and how did the organization pivot or get innovative in response?
The pandemic was great for the rescue community, initially. Everyone was adopting and we were seeing record high numbers each month. Sadly, that is no longer the case. Since most people are back to work, we have been seeing a large increase in owner surrenders. Shelters are filling up so quickly that they can’t keep up. Our email is overflowing with people needing to re-home their pets. The rescue community is struggling to keep up. This has played a huge role in our new approach to helping owners keep their pets in their homes.
Could you share a standout story or two that really illustrates the impact Wags & Wiggles and/or its programs has on people or pets in our community?
We recently had an owner contact us to surrender their pet due to medical issues they couldn’t afford to manage. Their dog was a pit bull with a horrible skin infection due to allergies left untreated. After reading the email from them, it was very clear to us that they loved this dog. They just needed help. We asked them if we could have the dog seen by our vet and they were overjoyed. It was better for everyone if the dog stayed in her home instead of being taken away from the only place she ever knew. After several months of treatment their dog was good as new. She is currently happy and healthy with her family, where she belongs!
Another story that comes to mind is a backyard breeding situation we became involved in. we initially took three puppies from a man who “couldn’t sell them.” Upon arrival to the property, we quickly realized it was a hoarding situation. We started a discussion with the owner, which lead to spaying and neutering the remaining dogs in his possession and nine more dogs being surrendered to us. Thankfully, with the help of another local nonprofit organization in town, we were able to put an end to a horrible inbreeding situation that produced hundreds of puppies over the course of several years.
This is why education and accessibility are so important to us. So many people just don’t know how to get help. We want people to know that there are solutions out there and we aren’t here to judge them. We truly just want to help!
How can those interested in your services go about getting started or getting in touch?
We can be reached on Facebook and Instagram, and by email.
Are there other local non-profit organizations that Wags & Wiggles works/partners with to enhance their programs?
We have been working with Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control, and more recently, Lost Dogs of Fort Wayne.
Are there opportunities for community members to volunteer at Wags & Wiggles—and if so, how can they go about learning more?
Absolutely! Fostering is always a great way to help, but we also have an event/fundraising committee that helps us raise funds and come up with ideas. We’re also always in need of extra hands at events.
In what other ways can community members support Wags & Wiggles—be it through monetary donations, material donations, education, etc.? Do you have an itemized wish list of any kind or utilize options like AmazonSmile to raise funds?
Kroger Community Rewards or Amazon Smile are great ways to support us! We also have an Amazon wish list full of supplies we regularly use. Sharing our adoptable dogs is a free way to help us, as is simply starting a conversation with a friend or even a stranger about the importance of spaying and neutering.
Where can our readers learn more about Wags & Wiggles or about getting involved?
Visit us at our website, wagsandwigglesfw.com, or on our social media!
Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about Wags Wiggles?
We want the community to know we are here for them. We know that times are tough and sometimes people just need help. We may not always have the resources to help every person that contacts us, but we will always try!
Interested in featuring your non-profit on our website and on 97.3WMEE’s A Voice for the Good? Text "VOICE" to 46862! Please note that this may lead you to incur standard text messaging rates or other applicable charges consistent with your wireless carrier/mobile phone plan.