September 1, 2023 Vol. 3 No. 4
Greetings from WAGS Pet Therapy!

It has been a busy summer and we could not be more thrilled! Our ambassador teams and volunteers have been busy visiting facilities in the greater Louisville area and attending dozens of special events in our community. With the start of the school year, WAGS will be present in 21 different JCPS schools and a part of the JCPS Crisis Response Team.

One of our priorities is volunteer education so we can continue to grow and provide the highest and safest quality of pet therapy in the area. Over the past several months, members of our evaluation committee have done a fantastic job developing educational videos and providing more hands-on training experiences for our handlers. To maintain handling skills at the highest level, we send members of our evaluator team to training conferences to learn about new skills and bring new information back to our membership. We can not do this without your support. This is just one of the many ways our fundraising supports our organization to develop and grow so we can keep doing what we love for years to come.

Thank you so much for your support!
~Jenny Pagni
WAGS President
Getting to Know You! ~
Meet Marcelle Gianelloni
and Bennett
Marcelle discovered whippets, and Bennett won her heart! Marcelle and this gentle dog spread joy all over Louisville!
Better Together as we Give for Good Louisville

Around the country, more and more hospitals, senior care facilities and schools are utilizing pet therapy as a means of support and healing. However, Louisville has struggled to fulfill these positions due to lack of trained dogs and funding. We are Better Together and with your help can transform pet therapy.

At WAGS our mission is to utilize the relationship between humans and animals to enhance health, independence, and quality of life. 

We have seen our visits make a difference. That is why for our 2nd year we are participating in Give for Good Louisville on Thursday, September 14.  Our goal is to reach $20,000 and 200 donors. Here are a few easy ways to support us:
·      On September 14 an email will be sent with the link to donate. Click on the link to make your donation.
·      Please share the link with family and friends.
·      Get the word out through email messages, social media posts and word of mouth. 
·      Become a Peer-to-Peer partner.

It’s easy and fun to be a Peer-to-Peer Partner:
-together we create a fundraising page for you that links to WAGS.
- You reach out to 10 people telling your story on why you support WAGS. Then ask your 10 people to support you and your cause. You direct them to your page to give.
- You will be part of an exclusive group that will be given resources and ideas.
Contact Chris at chris.fulkerson59@gmail.com for more info.

Finally, join us again at NEAT Bourbon Bar for Paws for a Cause on September 14, 2023 from 6-9 pm.
We truly are Better Together and can make a difference.
Thank you in advance for your support.

WAGS Ambassador Teams at Baptist Hospital East

By Julie Hines
(The Roving Reporter)

WAGS has 15 Therapy Teams at Baptist! Meet them and find out how they are helping people heal.
WAGGER Summer Fun!
By Donna Parks
Maggie and the Parks Pups have spent their summer hanging by the pool and going camping! We like to ride in our wagon around the campgrounds and meet new people. If we had a dollar for every time someone took our picture, we would be filthy rich! Sometimes we even get on the playground. 
When it’s hot we usually hang out in the camper in the AC. We don’t do big long trips but we camp just about every other weekend April - October within 2 or 3 hours from home and we have a blast! 
A day in the life of a therapy dog
By Luna, WAGS Ambassador   
My Pet Therapy Muse
By Buddy Cutler
Meet Alice, Betty, and Freddy who inspired Buddy to become a Pet Therapy Ambassador.
Honoring Violet
Violet is Remembered by the Library
We have some sad news. Violet, a WAGS Therapy dog and Library friend, peacefully passed away from old age. She was 13 years old, and had spent years visiting libraries all over the city.
During Covid WAGS Pet Therapy of Kentucky, Inc. was invited to stream stories about dogs, and Violet perked up her tiny ears to listen to a story that happened to be all about ears! You can watch her storytime on the Library’s YouTube channel at


Violet had a very hard start to life, but she showed us how to be gracious and grateful despite her past.
Thank you Violet from the Library community. We will miss you.
Want to have some fun and support WAGS?

Falls City Beer is sponsoring a WAGS Dog Day on September 16, 2023. Check out the details at Falls City Beer Dogs Days.
Lift a brew, wag a tail, and cheers to all!!
Ways to help WAGS
W.A.G.S. Pet Therapy of Kentucky, Inc
(502) 562-WAGS (9247)