SOW has done incredible work in the central Texas area for large breed dogs. Kathryn is amazing and thorough which is a nice change. SOW is an amazing rescue!
School of Wags has been in the mission of rescue for several years. They are the epitome of "non-profit." All members are volunteers, funds are only used for the animals and they have a 96% success rate for re-homing even the most difficult of dogs. They have taken in dogs no one else would handle and have either found wonderful forever homes, or kept the dog with an SOW volunteer until the dog passes to the Rainbow Bridge. there is no greater love for animals to be found than within the School of Wags.
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When they say "angels are among us" you need to look no further than School of Wags to know its true.. If its adoption, fostering, training, donating etc they are right there. Just a blessed group,
School of Wags saves the lives of big, beautiful dogs that others might consider to be too much work. They are a dedicated, hard-working group who fight for those who can't fight for themselves.
I have to say I have never met a more caring concerned group of people that I did at SOW, they are seconded to none. When we adopted our baby from her the process was impressively thorough. They take great care to find the right home for the dogs they save. They are there for you every step of the way as well as after the dog has been placed with life long training, boarding, and information and events. Once you adopt a dog from SOW you truly become part of the Family. If you are looking for a gentle giant to call your own I HIGHLY Recommend SOW. They are the best I have seen!!!
Found SOW quite by accident when searching for a rehome need for giant breed. WONDERFUL organization where the dogs definitely come first! Cant say enough about this excellent rescue & rehoming program. The people are just as great.
5 stars & a huge
My daughter adopted a dog from this rescue. To this day, they still help her with training when he has some behavioral issues. They are great at what they do, and they truly take their time to place the dogs in the right family for them. Would highly recommend this organization!
This is an amazing organization! I follow them on Facebook and some of the dogs they have rescued really pull at my heart strings. I can tell how caring and devoted this whole team of volunteers truly is. I've seen some people talk down on them in reviews, but it all seems to be about "he said she said" type of information. Saddens me that people can be so low as to put down a non-profit without truly watching what they do! Keep up the good work School of Wags!
They are not concerned about the dogs as they say or at least a senior dog that needs a routine and stability. If the best interest of a senior dog was their priority then removing a senior dog from a home that has shown her nothing but love. I wouldn't recommend this organization to anyone because they use their positions to hold a dog over a person and if the person speaks ill of them they find a way to remove the dog. Such a sad thing when shelters and rescues are overwhelmed with homeless pets.
I found SOW by accident but they changed my life. I had put down 3 dogs in less than a year from old age and cancer. Needless to say I was heartbroken. One of the dogs I had to send to the rainbow bridge was a mastiff and he was the sweetest dog ever. So when I was looking for a friend for my remaining dog Bonnie I knew I wanted a mastiff. I found my love Archie on pet finders and SOW had him. After a few weeks of the logistics of adopting Archie came home. He has brightened up our home and is spoiled and loved more than ever. SOW does good work with their dogs and I'm looking for another one to add to our family. I know they will help me find the right fit. Thanks SOW for all you do for these gentle giants
This is an amazing organization. I adopted a dog from them. When I originally applied, I had 1 in mind but it turned out not to be the greatest fit, instead I ended up with another and I am forever grateful!! They took the time to get to know me and figure out which dog would do best in my home. And let me tell yah, they know what they are doing!!! Lots of love to SOW!!!
Let me first start out by saying what an amazing rescue SOW is. I first started to volunteer with SOW and we ended up not adopting just one but 2 fur babies! We took Luca a Presa in as a foster but he knew he was at home before we did. He choose our son as his person. A bond that no one could break so we adopted him. Right after we got Luca in as a foster we got Jackson a boerboel. We took him In and he made himself home the second he walked through the door. We made the decision to adopt him because he choose my husband as his person. Mind you my husband does not usually connect with dogs quickly but when he walked in our front door after a deployment and meet Jackson they immediately connected. They have a bond that they both very much needed.. Both of them have been through so much in their lives that they are two peas in a pod!! I am so thankful for SOW for allowing us to adopt our 2 favorite fur-babies!!
School of Wags is an asset to The community. For myself they were instrumental in helping my wife and I deal with a dog we had adopted .. who ended up pregnant (from the pound). They assisted us with the birth, care, and adoption of the litter. Just before I had to deploy to Afghanistan. I wish we could clone Kathryn as she and School of Wags can only do so much. But with your Help ..
School of Wags is the gold standard of dog rescue. The woman that runs it is the heart and soul of the organization. She saves lives both the furry kind and the human kind by carefully placing pets in situations where the pet will successful. She gives everyone the tools to succeed and remains available to continue to help. School of Wags deserves all the assistance they can get to continue to successfully rescue mastiffs and bully dogs.
I cannot say enough wonderful things about School of Wags. I began volunteering with them a couple of years ago when another animal rescue closed its doors. I had large breed experience, but not mastiff specific, and they took the time to educate me on breed specific needs. They provided thorough instructions on conducting home visits so the dogs they adopt out go to the best families for them. They genuinely care about each dog that comes through their door and finding them the perfect home suited to their needs. I love being a part of such a wonderful rescue that saves the lives of dogs that are often overlooked because of their size.
Can't say enough about this organization. I have been to events where they bring their dogs and they are always so nice and respectful. You can also see the love in their eyes when it comes to the animals they rescue. Also, some of the best training around the area. Once I am able to move out of my apartment and own a Mastiff of my own, I will be putting in my application. Til then, keep up the great work!!!
What an amazing organization with a great group of volunteers by their side. I started working with School of Wags a couple years ago from my love of these giant babies! I fostered several mastiffs over my time there and Momma Kay was nothing short of amazing at helping with problem-solving and training when needed. She expects a lot but only in the best intentions of the dog in care!
Not only does School of Wags rescue numerous dogs in need, but they do so much more. They educate the community. They train dog owners. They host affordable vet and microchip clinics. Everyone involved with SOW genuinely cares about the future of our pets. Each dog they rescue is not just a number to them. They are a name, a face, a living soul. I'm so glad I got involved to volunteer with this organization!
When I began working with School of Wags, I wanted to help rehome Mastiffs into forever homes, offer training classes for pet owners to help keep their pets in homes, and offer services like microchips, first aid classes and community projects to enhance our communities and dog welfare in any way possible. Without any advertising, we've reached communities across state lines and for that I feel blessed knowing that we're helping more than just our local community. School of Wags is more than our local volunteers, fosters and adopters - it's a state of mind in everyone who believes in our cause and that's not something one person can do. Being a "Wagger" means you put good energy into everything you do for the dog world and your community. I'm proud to be the Dean of Wags, trusted to steer this non profit in new and exciting directions while fulfilling our mission on a daily basis. Thank you for your support and feel free to join us in any way you can. Wag on!
School of Wags gave a English Mastiff a home that had been running loose for 3 years in a inner city neighborhood in Houston. She was in very bad shape with scars and would not let anyone near her. A kind lady started feeding her and earned enough trust from the Mastiff to at least go in her backyard for food. We were then able to catch her and send her to School of Wags. None of this would be possible if School of Wags had not offered to give her a home. I will also be so grateful to School of Wags for rescuing the Mastiff. The Mastiff was named Angel by School of Wags, the Dean of the School of Wags is the angel! I have keep up with School of Wags and it a great organization.
Below is a photo of Angel after we captured her and before School of Wags gave her love and attention - today Angel is a permanent member of the School of Wags and she looks great.
Elaine Hime
School of wags has been a great go to source with my pups misbehavior. They were very hands on with different training techniques and advice. I love all the classes they give on different topics regarding pups. I'm very thankful for school of wags and all they offer
School of Wags was there when I rescued a mastiff, and needed guidance with her behavior problems. I was so impressed with them, that I decided to volunteer my services in return, and I've been working with them for over 2 years now. Not only do they rescue the giant breeds, but they offer training classes and discounted chipping.
We adopted our dog Brinks from SOWs. We were impressed by their drive and desire to not place the dogs in just any home, but the best homes. They truly care about the dogs well being not only under their care but for the dogs life. It's been two wonderful years since we adopted Brinks and they still follow and keep tabs on him. True commitment to the lives of the dogs in my eyes. We will only adopt from SOWs for the rest of time. I'd add photos but apparently mine are too many MBs.
My family and I first met Momma Kat (Kathryn Lesinger) and School of Wags back in 2012 when we adopted Bagger, our now 4 year old Saint Bernard/Mastiff/Great Dane. At that point, we were part of one of the best families we could have ever been bkessed with...the School of Wags family!
Fast forward 2 years later. My husband, Robert, and I took a weekend visit back to Killeen, Texas from where we lived in Moore, Oklahoma, for our Uncle's surprise 60th birthday, from the time we adopted Bagger. While out and about we "happened to" run into Miss Kathryn, which my husband thinks he was setup and we rigged the running into one another lol, and she invited us to come see all of the new School of Wags family members. When we arrived and started talking, Miss Kathryb said she has someone she really wanted us to meet. She sauntered over the this enormous cage, opened the door, and slowly and delicately this amazing, gorgeous, sad looking Presicanareo Mastiff came walking straight to me and Robert, sat down, and just looked at us. It was at that moment that I think Miss Kathryn knew that our Duncan (a/k/a Dunc-a-Lunc) had chosen his forever family. So after spending a couple of hours with him we headed back to our hotel.
I couldn't get Dunc-a-Lunc out of my head and I could see through Robert's hard exterior, he couldn't either. I called Miss Kathryn and I think she already knew...she asked if we wanted to take him for a few hours as a home visit, and see if we all got along. When we pulled up to SOW, Robert had barely had the Traverse in park, and I was halfway out the door when Miss Kathryn opened the front door. I shut the Traverse door, Robert made it around the side, and when we looked up, out the front door and down the sidewalk Duncan went hiding his teddy bear gently in his mouth. I walked over to him and told him hi as I loved on him, and my husband had the Traverse rear passenger door open doing something. Duncan kept walking passed me, nudged passed Robert, and stepped right on into the Traverse, still gently holding his teddy bear, and laid down like, "ok guys, I already chose yall last time, are we going home now?!" I think all of our jaws hit the ground. So, the next day on our way back to Oklahoma, our weekend vacation of two turned into a weekend vacation of three and back to Moore we went with our newest family member asleep in the back.
All the way from here in Oklahoma I can tell you that SOW, Miss Kathryn Lesinger, and all of the SOW volunteers are the most amazing, truly caring, loving, hard working, and selfless human beings I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Our family feels and knows how blessed we are to now be a part of the SOW family.
We highly, highly recommend SOW to those looking for a forever fur baby to love and care for forever. SOW takes great care with matching the SOW fur babies with the right families (which is incredibly important and I didn't realize how important it truly is until SOW), healing their wounds and illnesses, training them, and nurturing them with love and complete care until the right family comes along.
I for a fact know that our family will NEVER go anywhere else or "buy" another dog from anyone else ever. We will continue to drive to Harker Heights, Texas from Noble, Oklahoma and adopt our fur babies from SOW. We highly recommend to everyone that if you are looking to adopt a pet or need assistance with training, that you contact Miss Kathryn at SOW. You will NEVER be disappointed.
Kathryn and all the volunteers at School of Wags "ROCKS!" I have had Bullmastiffs and English Mastiffs for years. After years of puppies, I decided to adopt. Fortunately, I found SOW and adopted Deeks, formerly Cowboy. I can't say enough great things about this organization. I don't live close enough to volunteer, but if I did I would. I try to help out in other ways. School of Wags is dedicated to get every dog they bring in adopted and to the right family. They spend a lot of time and effort with each dog before they allow them to be adopted and they do a thorough check of families wanting to adopt. All I can say is, "THANK YOU for all you do!"
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What an unbelievable nonprofit. I have had Bullmastiffs and English Mastiffs for years, and decided to adopt. I ended up with the most wonderful Bullmastiff - Deeks. They not only work with the dogs to made sure they are adoptable, but they work with people like me who want to adopt.
They go above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to finding homes for these wonderful dogs.
I will continue to support this wonderful organization.
You would have to know The Dean of Wags to understand her. She's usually the one with the huge smile, crazy wind blown hair, and covered in dog drool. Everything she does for these once forgotten animals is for the better of humanity. She works long hard days, advocates for those who can only bark, and always makes sure that our furry friends are a great match before choosing a furever family. I would imagine that her line of work is often unappreciated and overlooked, but I pray she knows what an asset she is to these animals and families. School of Wags is run by an amazing staff handpicked by the Dean herself, and we are the lucky ones to know a love like theirs. Thanks for all you do.
School of Wags really cares about their animals and about the education that is needed to give them the proper home. Highly recommend.
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School of Wags is as high quality of a non-profit organization as it gets. They are friendly, thorough, and SUPER knowledgeable. The best part is that once you're part of the School of Wags family, you really are a part of their family for the long haul. I would recommend them to anyone, and appreciate all that they do for the dogs that are lucky enough to find themselves rescued and in their care.
I am so happy to have found this place. After thoroughly researching them online and reading through pages and pages of material I was so ecstatic to find a rescue that does as much for our 4 legged family members as School of Wags does. Free microchip clinics, pet obedience classes, by donation socialization classes- and that's just in a week. I volunteer as much as I can with school of wags they want to create a family and everyone is always welcomed. The people involved with this rescue have a heart for animals- they truly do what is right for the animal (regardless of what's easiest or would give the most profit). These dogs are well cared for and live in foster homes waiting for their forever home- they're not kept in kennels alone waiting- they're family here. I'm so thankful I was able to find my Morgan at school of wags!!
Adopted my baby from SOW. They make sure the adopter is safe and a secure/perfect match. The adoption process was very thorough from inspecting our home to meeting the family and current pets. Checking vaccines, etc. Great respect for SOW. Highly recommend them.
My wife and I adopted a male American Bulldog, Baxter, from them about two years ago! We also got Baxters' brother, Pokey Joe from them; he is a Pitt mix!
We volunteer with School Of Wags as often as our schedule allows!
Great people, dedicated volunteers, thorough background checks, etc. for the puppies. I love this non-for profit! !!
Found our furbaby on petfinder.com and not only did I fill out the application they did a through check on me (which I would expect nothing less). Goggle Earthed my house, asked to speak to my vet, checked my facebook and then blessed me with my new daughter. I couldn't be more happier than I am with her, she completed our home.
Our first pet adoption and what an amazing organization! Loyal to their cause and diligent in their efforts School of Wags is a group of caring individuals making up a professional nonprofit.
From the first day I started working with this organization, I've felt like they held me and everyone to higher standards. I didn't understand at first until I'd volunteered with other organizations when we moved away and I wish we were still close enough to help. Thank you School of Wags for helping dogs and their owners.
BEST dog rescue ever! They work hard to match the right rescued dog with the right forever family. Then they support you and encourage you afterwards. We have adopted 2 dogs through them and they were the perfect fit! We❤SOW!
Such amazing people who really care about the animals, not only before they get adopted, but after also. Would, and have, recommended to many people!