The Wagazine

A newsletter of the

WAGS pet therapy community


January 27, 2025 Vol. 5 No. 1

Here we GROW again and welcome to 2025. As the new President of WAGS, I look forward to continuing and enhancing the rich legacy of this amazing, 100% volunteer-led, organization. We all can expect our mission of utilizing the relationship between humans and animals to enhance health, independence and quality of life; to extend the opportunity of Animal Assisted Therapy and Animal Assisted Activities to more people; to reduce barriers that prevent involvement with animals in everyday life; and to expand awareness of the positive effect animals can have on humanity to remain our primary focus. So, I say “thank you” in advance for everyone’s involvement, contributions both in time and treasure, as we embark on yet another year of serving our communities. 


Bryan Fulkerson

WAGS President



Getting to Know You ~

Jean Glenn & Sadie


Read about this remarkable team - a new puppy grows up to be a WAGS dog, while the family moves to a new home in Kentucky, makes new friends, and joins a new community.



Read more about Jean & Sadie

Sacred Heart Model School & WAGS

A group of eighth-grade students from Sacred Heart Model School brought hand-made donations to three W.A.G.S. meetings this fall. The students brought an array of donations in September, October, and November, including homemade dog treats and toys and handmade bags to carry the treats. One student also made reflective, adhesive fabric shapes to Velcro onto dog collars and leashes for walks in the dark.


The students created the products as part of a capstone project where they collaborate with a community agency to try to address needs within the agency. Last April, a representative from W.A.G.S., Bryan Fulkerson, and his dog visited Sacred Heart Model School as part of an agency fair where students learn about a variety of agencies and the needs each may have. After the agency fair, five students chose to work with W.A.G.S. for their project.


Andrew Reed said he has had dogs his whole life and he really wanted a project that involved helping dogs.  Gabe Zamora added, “I realize how much animals can help people, so I wanted to support the W.A.G.S mission.” One participant, Amelia Bader, chose to make zip-up and drawstring bags for W.A.G.S volunteers. “I have seen my mom carry a fanny bag of treats and it made it a lot easier for her while walking. It made the process a lot less stressful.  I wanted other people to have that opportunity.”

The Model School students learned a lot from attending the W.A.G.S meetings.  Anna Hogan said she learned a lot about caring for pets in general. 


The students believe they grew as servant leaders as a result of their community project.  One special moment that sticks out for Nino Tran is that a little tiny dog jumped in his lap at the meeting he attended in October.  This proved to him that the dogs are “good at what they do.”


Here is a link to the recipe that Gabe Zamora and Andrew Reed used for the homemade dog teats.

Thank You for a Record-Breaking Year of Support


Together we have made a difference!


As we reflect on the past year, our hearts are filled with gratitude and pride. Thanks to your unwavering support, WAGS Pet Therapy has achieved a record-breaking year in fundraising! This incredible milestone means we can continue spreading joy, comfort, and healing to those who need it most. 



Thank you to all who joined in our Walk, Wiggle & WAGS in May. At that event we raised $16,543.27


Thank you to all who donated to Give for Good. We reached our goal of $20,000. 


And a big thank you to WAGS member Mac Barr, who was instrumental in securing donations from three foundations for a total of $30,000.


Not including any individual donations, WAGS fundraising raised $66,988.27.


None of this would have been possible without you. Your generosity has been the cornerstone of our success, and for that, we are endlessly thankful.


2025 Give for Good will be Thursday, September 18. More details to come.


Once again, thank you for being an essential part of the WAGS family. Your support means the world to us and to all the lives we touch.

Bonding with Gidget

By Julie Hines, the Roving Reporter

I recently adopted a new dog. I rescued Gidget from the Humane Society. She is a three-year-old, 12 lb., “super mutt” and I have been working on developing a bond with her as well as helping her to bond with Bailey, my six-year-old Russell Terrier. 


Now Russell Terrier’s love to play. Gidget, on the other hand, has obviously never learned to play. I spend some time each day in the floor trying to play with them. I use a ball or a pull toy, hide a treat and make a big show of praise when one of them, usually Bailey, finds it. Gidget does not know how to play with me or Bailey and mostly just watches. She does seem to enjoy me being in the floor. This has been a terribly slow process. I remind myself and Bailey to be patient with Gidget. 


I have tried to make feeding time a fun time and have been hand feeding both the dogs. I started by asking them to sit and stay before I put their bowls down. Then I moved the bowls closer to each other. I now ask them to sit and stay in front of me and hand feed them small bites, alternating between dogs while training Gidget to give me eye contact.


Their favorite thing is their early morning “sniff “walk. I use six-foot leashes and let them stop and sniff to their heart’s content. They walk close to one another and will stick their noses into the same spot and sniff away. They especially love it if I let them torment squirrels with a good chase. I try to help Gidget spot them by getting down and pointing them out. I whisper to let her know I have seen one. However, usually Bailey chases the squirrels and Gidget chases Bailey. 


Training sessions with lots of praise and treats are good. Bailey is happy to help with these and with her example Gidget is picking commands up quickly. I am trying to train Gidget to walk with me, except on our sniff walks. I am using a four-foot leash for these training walks, a treat lure, and praising along the way. Gidget says she wants all walks to be sniff walks and cares more about sniffing than treats. I need lots of patience for this. I have learned to leave Bailey home; she has little patience.


Gidget and I go on small adventures, training classes, Lowes, Home Depot, Feeders Supply, etc... to get her used to the world around her and help her to trust me to protect her from it. I do not include Bailey in these outings as I am using them to build a bond with Gidget.


I give both dogs lots of cuddles. They need to know I love them both. I watched Gidget’s body language at first to make sure she was enjoying this. Gidget loved all of it! If I pick Bailey up for some special attention, Gidget is sure to come to get her turn, she leans in for pets and wraps her paws around my arm to return the hug. Her only problem is, she never wants her turn to end. I am careful to watch Bailey to make sure she knows she is still special to me should she show any signs she is not sure about all this. So far, she only gets upset if I take Gidget and leave her, but Gidget gets just as upset when it is her turn to get left.  My next purchase will be a large recliner that the three of us fit in comfortably while I watch TV, read, or just take a nap.


They both sleep with me at night, and I have learned to ignore their jockeying for position. 

I am learning, slowly, that bonding with a new family member does not happen overnight and takes patience. I am sharing my journey should any of you consider adding to your families. Twice the love you know, and in these times we all need love.


Why WAGS?

By Julie Hines


As the WAGS Roving Reporter, I sent out a request to many of you to find out why you chose WAGS. Thank you all for sharing. I received so many wonderful stories, we have decided to share one or two with every Wagazine issue.

Rose & Daisy

This issue, we are featuring Rose Drennen who wrote:

When I adopted Daisy, my mother was in memory care. I asked the nurse if I could bring her in for my mother to meet. The first day I brought Daisy in, my mother and her friends got so excited. The nurse asked if I could bring Daisy back. She told me that Daisy should be a WAGS ambassador. She was the person to introduce me to WAGS. When Daisy passed her evaluation, the nursing home was our first assignment.

Thanks to our sponsors, Leigh Photography,

Mirazon, USA Image, Baptist Health, Parthenon, and UofL Health

for their wonderful support!


Ways to help WAGS

W.A.G.S. Pet Therapy of Kentucky, Inc

(502) 562-WAGS (9247)

newsletter@kywags.org

Visit our website at www.kywags.org
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