It was a successful day for the Wimberley Adoption Group & Rescue, also known as WAG Rescue, as they were able to find new homes for their eight puppies that were up for adoption.
Being out with the public for the second time since the pandemic, WAG was able to set up tents next to the King Feed store as the newly awaited adoptees played with their foster parents.
“This is the second time we had an adoption day since the pandemic,” Patrica Davis said. “During the pandemic, we were having adoption day inside our clinic.”
It’s been a busy year for WAG Rescue as they have not only taken in dogs and cats in the local area but also helped out some of the bigger animal shelters that have started to overflow due to the massive influx of pets.
“It was the hardest on the big animal shelters,” Davis said. “They were begging us to take in animals, because they had many dog and cat intakes but it was closed to the public. They would say ‘Please take in these animals’ so we had a record year in adoptions with 220 in 2020. That is a lot for a small organization like WAG rescue.”
“There are an awful lot of people who are surrendering their pets,” Davis continued to say. “Whether it is circumstances or what not. These shelters are still full and they continue to ask us to take in pets that we can.”
One of the bigger success stories is Precious and her puppies, all named with P names, who were all taken in by WAG and taken care of with all of the puppies finding new homes.
“We only have so much room, and it’s something we have to control,” Davis said. “You can get overpopulated but we are fortunate with the dogs we have including Precious and the P puppies. They called us saying they had these dogs, but the owners surrendered them and couldn’t take care of the puppies or the dog. We took them in, and we are very fortunate to have a nursery. Though it is a small place, it has its own area of intimacy. We can sanitize it and keep it clean and pristine, so it’s a safe place for puppies.”
It’s a serious task to take care of stray puppies especially when they are not fully vaccinated.
“It’s very strict,” Davis said. “People do gown up when they go in, because we are always worried about different diseases because until they (puppies) are fully vaccinated, they (volunteers) are still susceptible to all kinds of different puppy diseases. That is our big fear.”
WAG also takes the task of helping new pet owners with tips and tricks on taking care of their new pets.
“We have adoption papers that we have new owners fill out,” Davis said. “The papers give out tips here and there about making sure you are feeding your new puppy correctly, not upsetting their digestive system but rather having them adjust. People sometimes will give their pets you know just table scraps, but we advise to keep their diet consistent or if you change their diet to do it gradually. Also please, please give your puppies heart medicine, because it is critical. We treat so many dogs that are heartworm positive that come out of the shelters. It’s also another reason people call WAG Recuse, because we can treat it though it is a long and expensive process.”
If you want to volunteer or even be a foster parent, visit the WAG website at wimberleywagrescue.org.
