Juice for the community Fundraiser

We at Wag On Inn love to branch out to new places and partner up with local businesses that help with animal welfare. Wag On Inn is teaming up with Nature's Corner in Spring Lake.  http://www.naturescornernaturalmarket.com 

Nature's Corner is located at 2407 New Jersey 71, Spring Lake Heights, NJ 07762
(732) 449-4950.

From 3/17-3/24 all of the fresh organic juices sold that week will go towards helping Wag On Inn.  

%5 of the total will go towards our dogs and cats who need medical treatment, and help us bring up

 some other dogs that are desperately awaiting rescue. 

I believe that it is so important to support local business, so that our community can grow and thrive. I also love to support business that support local animal rescue and our never ending efforts to find these babies homes. :) 

So come out to Nature's Corner and get your fresh juice and do some shopping!  You can make your own fresh ground peanut butter here! The honey roasted is my favorite! My sister even has me ship her peanut butter to Chicago, that's how good it is! 

Sato Successes

Joey, a Sato Success Story!

Wag On Inn Rescue is highly invested in saving dogs and cats, no matter where they are from, be it New Jersey, the southern states and Puerto Rico.  Wag On Inn has been rescuing Sato (a Puerto Rican street dog) dogs for several years due to the tremendous need.  Despite the beautiful beaches and scenery, there is one place that is not so beautiful, Dead Dog Beach. This is where many of our WOI dogs are rescued from a life of starvation, disease and unfortunately cruelty from their biggest threat, humans.   There are approximately 250,000 stray dogs on the island and only a handful of shelters to care for them.  The kill rate at these shelters is 99%.  (The pictures of Dead Dog Beach are too graphic for this blog, but I will post below some of our Sato alumni pictures)  WOI decided long ago to help these dogs and the shelters that desperately want to save them but do not have the resources. 

Nena now Luna- Another Sato Success Story!

 Below is the story of Ivan and his puppies who WOI recently took into their care, flew the dogs to NJ, provided medical care, love and rehomed them into their forever loving homes.  Below is a story from one of our dedicated volunteers who spends her winters in Puerto Rico.

Ivan the proud Papa

Carmen

Tito

Bertie

On my recent trip to Puerto Rico to check on Mom, I saw on my cousin's facebook page that she'd found 4 dogs abandoned by her house near a very dangerous major intersection.  It was a family: a male dog with 3 puppies (the mother had been run over by a car, while looking for food) The puppies by now were 8 weeks and covered with ticks. Frankly I never saw so many in the ears, they looked like grape clusters! She had crated the puppies in her side yard, and the father would go out and forage for food and bring it back to the puppies, even though she was feeding them. I have never seen such a doting male, he sort of assumed the mothering role! I was lucky enough to arrive at the time the male dog had arrived, so I crated all of them and took them to my house, where I spent two days extricating the bugs off the dogs, washing them, dipping them, and making them beautifully presentable! I checked with WOI for approval and in five days they were on a flight to Newark. I hate driving in the rain, and i had to drive through a rainstorm from h*%$. 

I named the male Ivan, after my cousin, the female puppy Carmen, in honor of his sister who passed away, and the males Bertie and Tito, yes you guessed it, I actually have 16 more names before I run out of cousins (all from one uncle)! Tito and Bertie have furever homes already, and Carmen and Ivan  have people interested but are still waiting. They are very sweet in disposition and visibly very grateful to be clean and have secured square meals and and love from their caretakers! It is a happy ending for these four "coconut terriers" from a beach town in PR, to the beautiful Jersey Shore and the auspices of Wag On Inn Rescue! Oh happy life!

Thanks to Olga Vasquez-Clough for this article

If you would like to donate to help us save more Sato's and other dogs and cats please visit http://wagoninn.rescuegroups.org/info/donate. 

Or attend one of our exciting fundraising events! We have this one coming up in March! 

Maiya's story

Maiya's story was submitted by her owners Jack and Annette- fellow WOI volunteers

Maiya is a 6 years and ten month old female Akita.  She was surrendered to Wag On Inn on July 12, 2012.  At some point in her life she was confined in a garage to live.  When she managed to escape from the garage, this smart dog ran to Melanie’s house.  Melanie is a Wag On Inn volunteer.  Aware of Maiya’s situation, Melanie convinced the family to surrender Maiya to Wag On Inn.

Maiya was then placed at Camp Bow Wow in Eatontown, NJ.  Unfortunately she did not get along with the other dogs and had to be segregated from them.  Playtime was alone. 

I met Maiya at Camp Bow Wow while I was there to pick up another dog in August 2012.

Maiya and I bonded immediately.  I took Maiya to outreaches and also took her on outings during the day.  We went to beaches, parks and rides in my truck.

Prior to Sandy, I was asked to take Maiya, because Camp Bow Wow, where Maiya was staying, was being evacuated.  My wife, Annette, and I discussed it and we both agreed to take Maiya full time.  We never thought that we would have to evacuate our home.

As a result of flooding caused by Sandy we were out of our home for five months.  Maiya was with us the entire time.  We stayed with family and the majority of the time was at a Best Western that allowed dogs in the rooms.  Maiya did well under the difficult situation.  All she wants was to be with us and she is with us most of the time.  Maiya suffers from separation anxiety.  There has been improvement.  I can now leave the house without her.  We still have some work to do with this problem.

We adopted Maiya in December 2012.   We are both very happy with our decision and we believe Maiya is happy being a part of the family. 

Maiya travels very well.  She has been on car trips to the Catskills, Maine and she goes to Island Beach State Park often.  She also has Annette’s mother’s backyard to play and run in.

 

Maiya loves bones!

And the beach!

We thank Wag On Inn for bringing this loving dog into our lives!

Wag On Inn wants to thank Jack and Annette for adopting Maiya and loving her! We also want to thank Melanie for saving Maiya from a life spent in a garage all alone. 

If you would like to donate to Wag On Inn so that we can help more dogs like Maiya please visit http://wagoninn.rescuegroups.org/info/donate 

Happy Holidays!

The holiday season is in full swing and everyone at Wag On Inn Rescue is continuing to find forever homes for dogs and cats in need of a home for the holidays! Once again we had pictures with Santa this year to kick start that holiday cheer!

Santa and WOI Alum Amy

The holiday season is a great time to bring in a new best friend for yourself and your family, however we do not recommend pets as gifts!  Animals are a 10-15 year commitment (hopefully even longer), the caretaker of these animals has to be the one deciding if the animal is the right fit for the family.   So while it might be cute to get your granddaughter a puppy for Christmas, make sure Mom and Dad are in on the decision!!  We do not want more pets in the shelter and in foster care after Christmas because of a lack of communication.  And that means yes, even Santa must check with the family before hand!

Here is an update on one of our Christmas puppies!

Riley came in with a litter of puppies just in time for Christmas three years ago.  His original name was Kris Kringle, all of the pups had Christmas themed names.  He was my second foster ever after beginning my time with Wag On Inn only a few weeks before.  He was my second foster and shortest adoption!  We took Riley along with us to a family function, we had just picked him up from transport and didn't want him to be alone.  Well, it didn't take long for my husbands Aunt and Uncle to fall in love with Riley and decide to adopt this adorable pup!!   They filled out the application that night! Riley was soon in their home and could not be happier with his life!!  He loves long walks, and sitting in the cold outside.  He is a great hugger and is the most huggable dog with that 'teddybear' like face!  We all just love Riley and we are so happy that he stayed in our family!

Playing in the snow, his favorite!

Okay, now here is the plea part of the blog.  We are in desperate need of foster homes, so that we have somewhere to place all of the dogs/cats we want to help.  Things have gotten slow,  and people get busy we understand, but we need new foster homes if we want to continue with our mission of saving as many lives as possible.  If you can or know someone who can help foster please fill out an application http://wagoninn.rescuegroups.org/forms/.

Usually foster dogs are placed in their homes 10 days after arrival.  We do all application/vet/reference checks on the fosters behalf.  WOI will provide a crate, food, medicine and vet care (if needed).  All you provide is a warm home and love until they can be adopted.

I hear all the time that "I wouldn't be able to give the dog up if I fostered."   My answer to that is YES you will! You will because you know that if you adopt this dog out, you can save another dogs life.  Every dog you foster saves two lives, that dog and the dog down south that you just made space for in the shelter.  Plus at WOI we have a wonderful support system to help one another out and comfort one another if we are having difficulty.  So if you are considering it, reach out to us or to someone else who has fostered and they will tell you that it is the most rewarding experience! Do you have the room in your heart to open your home for 10 days to an animal in need?

If you cannot foster, there are always other ways to help.  These include donating funds toward the animals care (we are a 501 c 3 organization and all donations are tax deductible!) You can also come out and help at events, help organize a fundraiser, and share our message on social media!!
http://wagoninn.rescuegroups.org/info/donate

Thank you and Happy Holidays everyone!

Success story and upcoming event!

Another beautiful success story! We can never replace the animals that have crossed over the rainbow bridge, but we can honor them by saving another animal. Animals have immense healing power, like they say "There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face" 

I wanted to share my story about my Ginger.  In October, 2009, I lost my beloved four year old dog.  I felt like my life had ended with her passing.  I could barely get through the days without crying.  Within a relatively short time I found Ginger on Petfinder.  I was very hesitant to go meet her, as it felt too soon after loosing my Penny.  However, there was also a video posted of Ginger from Debbie, and both my husband and I couldn't stop thinking about Ginger.  

We went to meet her the following weekend, and fell in love.  My husband wanted to take her home immediately, but I needed to come to terms with adding another dog to our family after Penny's death.  We worked out arrangements with Debbie to give us a week to make sure this was the right decision for us.  I couldn't get Ginger off my mind and did not want to miss out on such a great dog.  There was nothing I didn't like about her, but I still had such a broken heart.

At the end of the week, I had carefully packed Penny's belongings in a special place and made peace with another dog sleeping in her spot.  We picked Ginger up and it was the best decision I could have ever made.  I never thought anyone could ever take Penny's place in my heart and I was right, BUT Ginger has found a newplace in my heart and saved me from my desperate feelings of emptiness.  She gave me something else to think about and became a wonderful distraction.

Now, after three and a half fantastic years, Ginger is totally and completely part of me.  We have such a beautiful bond.  She has the same kind of temperament as Penny did, and we have a special way of looking into each other's eyes.  I train all my pups to do agility and that gives you such a unique relationship with your dogs.  Penny was wonderful at agility and Ginger is the same, if not even faster.  She is always willing to work with me and is pure joy to run with.  She does become rather loud during our courses, but she is having such fun.  She is the perfect lady while we wait our turn, but as soon as her collar comes off, it seems to be her cue to bark constantly while running with me.   She gets a lot of attention in the agility ring, partly because she is so loud, but also because she is so wonderful. 

She is an elegant lady and an adorable playful pup.  She is pure perfection in our eyes and I don't how I could ever live without her.  My husband says he feels honored when she decides to sit with him during our evenings of watching TV, as she is usually by my side.  She has brought so much joy to both my husband and me, plus to my other dogs.  My grandchildren are also madly in love with her.  When I am away from her, I can't wait to get back home to wrap my arms around her and feel her love.  She is amazing in every way, and I will always be grateful to Debbie for making this relationship possible.  

Thank you to Debbie and to all the wonderful people who help to make these beautiful adoptions happen.

Fondly,

Bonnie

We are very very excited to have our Big Gift Auction on October 5th!! 

Please share this image with everyone! Attendance is key to make the event a success!  If you would liek to purchase advanced admission or reserve a table please email Addie @findforeverhomes1@gmail.com!

We are still taking donations for gift baskets as well! Can't have too many prizes!

 

Wag On Inn Success Stories

Rescue work is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done, and I think once you start rescuing it is hard to stop.  That being said, It is also very difficult when you are doing it full time! As rewarding as it can be it can be a strain when you realize that you cannot save every animal in need (although we try). Here is a good article about rescue work http://www.examiner.com/article/animal-rescuers-burnout

 But it is all worth it when a family sends you an update on the dogs you once fostered, rehabilitated and cared for. :) Here are just a few success stories, this is why we do what we do!

We would love the opportunity to brag about our Becca.  When we got Becca from WOI she was extremely shy and skittish..also pretty much hated the car. Most of her first week she sat on the couch.  She would go to her bowl, eat, then back to the couch. We were very patient and affectionate with Becca over the next couple of months.  She got daily walks and bonded with her adoptive family. We had a pug, Winnie,  and 4 cats. We worked with her by walking her daily, taking care rides to parks and the beach!  She loves her shore house! Now Becca is a self -confident, playful, and HAPPY dog. She plays with Winnie and the cats daily. She sleeps in bed with Winnie on weeknights and lives for the weekends (just like her parents) to head to the shore.  She LOVES the beach!  

Becca came to us after we lost our yellow lab of 16 years. We did not realize how sad our other pets were without him….until we brought Becca home! She brought happiness back into the house. So she saved us just as much as we saved her. She amazes us every day how far she has come. She barks, plays, rolls in the grass and is such a character. It took us weeks to hear her voice.  Now she tells us everything!

Greg & Nichole Gedling

Charlotte

Charlotte was adopted in February 2013. She is a 6 year old King Charles cavalier who was not trained ,and was very small and her back legs were bent probably from being crated. We got her spayed, her hernias fixed and some dental work done. She is fairly well trained but her gait has improved greatly. She has gained weight and she is very attached to us! She is beautiful and loves the attention she gets all the time!

Dexter

Dexter, previously known as Texas, was a timid 7 month old who was rescued from a South Carolina shelter in October 2010 along with his siblings Dallas and Dawn. He currently is 3 and lives with the DeFalco family in Manalapan, NJ. 

We will continue to post success stories because.... well because it makes me very happy!

I also want to feature a story very special and selfless girl and hopefully a future animal rescuer!  I think her Aunt Wendy has has a special influence on her!

"This is the picture of my niece Ashley with all her birthday gifts for 
WOI. She turned 11 on July 5th and on her own will told my sister she wanted donations for WOI not gifts for herself. She loves her dog Rico who was my first Sato foster that they adopted 3 years ago. He has become a wonderful part of their family. He loves his "girls"/my nieces 
and is very protective of them. Rico was rescued by Amigos de los Animales with his litter mates after a warehouse explosion in PR. His brother Luchetti lives here in Farmingdale NJ. Ashley got lots of needed supplies for our fosters. As you can see from the picture, there are collars, leashes, blankets, bedding, food, gift cards and monetary 
donations. Her friends and their families were so generous...I'd like to give a big "shout" out to them as well for supporting  Ashley and her cause!  "

Wendy Hummel

What an amazing girl! In our "me, me, me" culture, it so heartwarming to see an eleven year old girl think of only others.   I just want to say a BIG THANK YOU to Ashley for thinking about the dogs and cats of Wag On Inn Rescue!!

If you would like to help Wag On Inn in our mission to save those who cannot help themselves please visit http://wagoninn.rescuegroups.org/info/donate. 

We also have a wishlist on Amazon for our animals http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/ref=wish_list. 

If you would like to become a volunteer or foster home please go to http://wagoninn.rescuegroups.org/forms/.  The more help we have, the more animals we can save!

Letter from Kenzie's foster parents

Kenzie, Aunt Scarlett, and the Fab 5. 

Kenzie's puppies are going to be 8 weeks old this week! Boy times does fly by! The two boys already have homes set up for when they are ready to leave the nest.   We still need to find the prefect homes for the three girls, Matilda, Foxy and Roxy!

Here is a letter that the foster family wrote about their experience with fostering this litter and Kenzie.

To say we were suprised when we found out Kenzie was pregnant would be an understatement. To say we had no idea what we were doing or what was in store for us would be spot on.

I knew Kenzie from the shelter that we volunteer at. I already was in love with her. So, when people said, "oh what are you going to do?" I would say, " have puppies, I guess." We weren't going to give up on her. The poor girl was found tied to a fence and then in a kennel at the shelter. She was finally in a place where she was loved. There was no question about it, she was staying here. We were raising puppies. We bought books, read breeder websites as to what to expect, what could go wrong, what to look for and what to do. My vet and staff (Beach Animal Hospital in Point Pleasant) were extrememly helpful and great to me as they always are. And, WOI and the volunteers were always there to advise and help. People would say, "you've never whelped a litter before?" Suprised. Well, since it goes against everything I believe in, "NO!"

We had about 3 weeks to prepare. We did. We set up her whelping pool, and her room. We made sure she was comfortable and had everything she could need. The three days before she actually gave birth we took turns sleeping in there with her. We knew it was soon, my vet said any day. She also said she didn't think this was her first time at this rodeo. She's not over 2 and she is on her 2nd, at least, litter, was tied to a fence after someone let her get pregnant and is still a tail wagging love! Back to the pups. She started labor about 5am on May 29th and had all 5 by 9am. It was an amazing experience and Kenzie did everything the text book said. The last one we did have to jossle and get breathing. But, that was only because mom was busy tending to the first 4. And, tend to all 5 is what she did from that point on. She would sit and stare and just wait for them to make noises. She would then do what they needed her to. She fell asleep sitting up in true new mom fashion. She trusted us from day one with her babies and at about week 6 she enlisted the help of a nanny in the form of her foster sister, our dog, Scarlet. The puppies escaped their pen one day and there they were the two females, herding the babies to safety.

We didn't know what we were doing. But, to spite all of that we have five gorgeous and healthy puppies living with us. Kenzie was/is a perfect mama and Scarlet is a fantastic aunt.

I am now on the quest to find them the perfect furever homes. Homes where they can grow into happy, healthy, loved dogs. They will never ever ever experience anything like the start their mom and auntie had. Nothing but love for our fab 5. I don't know who will miss them the most when they go. I think Kenzie will be ready, but, I am not so sure Scarlet will be. I know I am not ready and Jay says he is, but I think he tells fibbs. I know there won't be a dry eye found!

It has been an amazing, fantastic, exhausting, stressful, fabulous experience. And, once in this lifetime is plenty for us.

We have to thank all the Drs and Staff at Beach Animal Hospital and all the people with Wag on Inn and all of the awesome people that donated to their care. We really couldn't have done it without all of you!!!

We really could not have done any of this without Sandra Maseda Rousso and Jersey Shore Pet Care. She takes care of my babies when EVER we need help. She walks the big ones and tends to the little ones!! And, Matt Tuzzo with Jersey Shore Dogs!!! Without him and his awesome training we probably would have stopped fostering after Laura! He has been a tremendous help and always answers my numerous emails and frantic phone calls. I have learned so much from him. Seriously 2 super nice people and they care as much as we do about our animals!!

Jenn, Jay, Scarlet, Kenzie and the fab 5

Foxy

Sleepy pups!  Roxy is in the front 

Snuggling with Mama

Matilda

Sibling snuggle time!

If you would like to sponsor one of the puppies to help pay for spay/neuter please see our website and click sponsor, Every dollar helps! http://wagoninn.rescuegroups.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=5840950

We are also having an online puppy shower for Kenzie and her puppies! We appreciate your support!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/36EH6Z9FTX202/ref=topnav_lists_2