Shelter Partners

It takes a team of dedicated people to run the Waggin' along its route week in and week out! Read comments from the drivers of the Waggin', our shelter partners, and the adoptive families of some Rescue Waggin' dogs.

"The Rescue Waggin' has been a miracle for the dogs and puppies in our community. It has given them a second chance at life in which they would not have had otherwise. The Rescue Waggin' has provided our staff with training, access to grants, information and opportunities. Not only does the Rescue Waggin' fill the immediate need of finding the dogs and puppies homes, but they are giving us the resources and support to become self-sustaining in future years. Our hope is that someday our region can become one of many destination shelters to help others, as the Rescue Waggin' has helped us".

Melissa Kusturin
Executive Director, White River Humane Society
Bedford, IN

"The Morgan County Humane Society staff and Board members feel very fortunate to be part of Rescue Waggin'. We have been participating in the program since March of 2006. Since that time, we have not had to euthanize any puppies due to space. Since we've been participating in the Rescue Waggin' program, and due to our spay/neuter assistance to the public, we have started to see a slight decrease in the number of incoming dogs and puppies. We have nothing but good things to say about the Rescue Waggin' program. Not only do we have a chance to clear out our shelter each month, but we also know that our dogs and puppies are going to a great destination shelter where they will be adopted out within a fewdays. We are glad to see our dogs adopted quickly when they leave. If they were to stay here at the shelter, they may never get adopted.

We are very thankful to be part of Rescue Waggin'. The drivers are very nice when they come to pick up our dogs and puppies. They are very quick about loading the dogs, which is helpful since we have a lot of work to do here at the shelter. The Rescue Waggin' staff knows their stuff!."

Angie Loudermilk
Executive Director, Morgan County Humane Society
Martinsville, IN

"The best part of the Rescue Waggin' program is how the public reacts to it. They love knowing that our community is helping other less fortunate communities find homes for adoptable pets. Even though we have only been a destination shelter for six months, we adopted out 3,102 dogs - an increase of over 700 dogs. That's a record for us".

Connie Howard
Director of Operations, Humane Society of Boulder Valley
Boulder, CO

"From the beginning, the staff of the Humane Strategies and PetSmart Charities has been friendly, helpful and has consistently demonstrated a sincere interest in the welfare of our organization and the animals we serve. We have been involved with the Rescue Waggin' program since September of 2007. During this time, the number of animals we have had to euthanize due to space has decreased by 12%, even with the 12% increase in our intake from last year. Consequently, we have experienced increased community interest and support, along with a positive shift in organizational morale. As an added benefit, we have received invaluable hands-on training and support, in conjunction with our destination shelter, which has improved our operational procedures and enhanced staff/animal and staff/adopter interaction. All this, along with exciting new educational summits and grant opportunities for shelter improvements, make this program worth its weight in fur! We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in such an amazing program and want to thank everyone involved for making this possible; you guys do an amazing job!"

Teresa Harden
Shelter Director, Cowley County Humane Society
Winfield, KS

"The Michigan Humane Society is proud to participate in the Rescue Waggin' program.It enables our organization to utilize our resources and services to the benefit of over-whelmed communities and animals in need of a second chance. The program provides a critical service to animal and community alike, and is truly representative of the necessity for collaboration in solving the complex issues of animal overpopulation and homelessness.

Everybody benefits from knowing they have helped an animal in need. The Rescue Waggin' program helps reinforce to the public the key principle of Adopt First - because a diverse selection of healthy, well-cared for companions are awaiting loving homeseach day at humane organizations around the country. An informed public can beinstrumental in impacting and eliminating the cruel and soulless practices of puppy mills,as well as irresponsible breeding."

Marcy Sieggreen
Facility Director, Berman Center for Animal Care
Michigan Humane Society

"Our community has always generated more animals than can be adopted, making it verydifficult for us to find homes for all of them. Upon learning about PetSmart Charities'plan to help homeless dogs have a second chance at finding a forever home, we were very excited to join the Rescue Waggin' team. Since joining the team in April of 2007,we have saved 192 lives. The Rescue Waggin' program helps relieve the over-crowding conditions at our facility, allowing us more time to focus on new arrivals that area waiting adoption."

Kevin Stubbs
Executive Director, Caring Hands Humane Society
Newton, KS

"Our shelter was the first to send animals to receiving shelters when PetSmart Charities' East Coast Rescue Waggin' program began almost two years ago. Since that day, we have sent more than 300 animals to receiving shelters where they have been adopted intoloving homes. Without the Rescue Waggin' program, we would not have been able to find homes for most of those dogs, and almost 300 wonderful lives would have beenlost!

This program has given us what we need most - hope. Before we participated in the Rescue Waggin' program, some of the plainer dogs with great personalities were oftenpassed over by prospective pet parents, and would have been euthanized. But now they board the Rescue Waggin' for a new 'leash' on life, and we now look at those dogswith hope when they come into our shelter, instead of with sadness.

As Rescue Waggin' partners, we have received grants to improve the health and well-being of all the animals in our shelter. The program also provides us with advice and direct access to experts in the fields of animal health, behavior, public relations and more. We also attend educational summits and participate in webinars where we learnthe latest in disease control measures and how to market our animals for adoption.

We look forward to the day when we can become a receiving shelter and offer hope toother shelters, just as it has been offered to us. Thank you PetSmart Charities' Rescue Waggin'"

Tonya Higgins
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society
Gloucester, VA

"Our experience with the Rescue Waggin' has been extremely positive. Since we have been a shelter partner, this life-saving program has made a tremendous difference to the many homeless dogs in our care. Our euthanasia rates have been greatly reduced, community support and awareness of our cause has increased, and staff and volunteer morale is at an all-time high. We are all comforted and delighted to know thatwe are saving the lives of so many more dogs, and that they're going to pre-screened shelters that will find them loving, forever homes.

The funding the program has provided to help us spay and neuter dogs and cats, in addition to making improvements in our facilities and operations, has been a huge help also. Thank you Rescue Waggin!"

Kelly Scheidegger
Shelter Manager, Randolph County Humane Society
Elkins, WV

"Noah's Ask was accepted as a source shelter for the Rescue Waggin' program in 2007. The expertise and professionalism of the Rescue Waggin' staff is top-notch, and the program isworking very well for us. Dog intakes and placements have increased more than 300% fromMay 2007 to May 2008. To date, 200 dogs and puppies from our shelter have been transportedto destination shelters in Wisconsin.

Many puppy litters in our area are given away "free to a good home", only to be abandoned later or passed on, often without sterilization. We are targeting this high-risk group since wenow have more space in our shelter. Several counties in the area that we serve have no animalshelters or control, other than a seven-day vet-hold prior to euthanasia. We are very happy that we are able to make a real difference in the lives of so many more animals.

PetSmart Charities' funding programs impact so many in our community. Their spay/neuter programs, in-store adoption centers, webinars, and now the Rescue Waggin' are all cutting edge resources. We are profoundly grateful that PetSmart Charities has such foresight and commitment to this program, which really does work. We are honored to participate!"

Janet Mullen
Director, Noah's Ark Animal Foundation
Fairfield, IN

"The Rescue Waggin' program has been a "lifesaver" in every sense of the word. From the thousands of dogs directly affected through transport from source shelters to receiving shelters, and then to permanent, loving homes, to the tens of thousands, if not hundredsof thousands of animals whose lives are indirectly affected, and continue to be saved andenriched through the seemingly endless programs and resources made available to theRescue Waggin' partners.

There is simply no possible way that we could put a value on what this program has meant,and continues to mean to our organization or verbalize the depth of respect and appreciationfor the Rescue Waggin' program, including the many people who make it work, and especiallyto PetSmart Charities for finding us worthy of being a member of this amazing group."

Jane E. Irwin
Shelter Director, Bartholomew County Humane Society
Columbus, IN

Watch the video of Spunky taking “The Ride of her Life!” to her new home.

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