Wags Hope And Healing

Direct beneficiaries per year: Animals in Blanco County, Hays County, Travis County, Bastrop County and hundreds of animals displaced during Hurricane Harvey.

Geographic areas served: Central Texas

Programs: Adoption, training and rehabilitation of dogs to find permanent homes and families. Specializing in dogs with a background of abuse, neglect or disability. Our Mission & Vision - Rescue. Rehabilitation. Outreach. Education. Rescue- Save dogs from death, cruelty, abuse, neglect & homelessness. Rehabilitate- Care for and find loving homes for dogs who were victims of abandonment, abuse, or neglect. Outreach- Provide community outreach and education. We do this in two ways: 1) Stepped-In Program - Provide behavioral training, education, & resources to create healthy bonds between owners and their dogs to keep pets in their homes and out of shelters. 2) Spay & Neuter program- We believe spay & neuter is the best way to combat animal overpopulation because it prevents thousands of unwanted dogs from ending up in our shelters. To support this we provide low cost/ free spay and neuter services and education to those in our community. Education- Actively advocate for animals by educating and informing community leaders and law enforcement so they can make decisions and take actions that protect animals against cruelty and save lives. How is Wags Unique? We are passionate about dogs and you can see it when you visit the rescue. Wags is situated on a beautiful quiet tree filled property just East of Austin in the Lost Pines with plenty of room for the dogs to play and roam. The property was chosen because it has enough space to create a “heaven on earth” environment for the dogs to heal and feel safe and happy. We have a doggie headquarters building where the dogs have their own apartments, air conditioning and access to four different play yards including pools and doggie playscapes. We want them to be enriched and happy. After working through our first few rescues, we learned quickly that a happy dog is an adoptable dog. It is simply amazing to see the difference a few days of nurturing and care can make for a dog that was shut down previously. We also keep our numbers at around 5 - 10 dogs for adoption at any one time. We want quality adoptions, quality care and the chance to get to know our dogs before we place them. We also focus heavily on community outreach and support to keep dogs in homes. The Wags veterinary partners are exceptional and very supportive of our rescue. Our trainer, Tara Stermer, has drastically improved our ability to understand our rescues and place them in the right home. She also offers support to our adopters and community.