Waggs and Wishes

It would seem now that the boarding facility where the dogs are being kept are about to turn over all the dogs to local animal control (where most of the pits/​pit mixes will likely be euthanized without getting an opportunity to be adopted out.) I sincerely hope this means that W&W is closing up shop– when you are a no-​kill rescue and your dogs are at risk of being killed, you have failed.
Anyway, anybody who can help get those dogs out before they are turned over, please check out the Waggs & Wishes facebook page.

I had a similar experience with this so-​called «shelter» or «rescue». A friend of mine had been working with W&W and had been fostering a female Pit mix, which was pregnant, but «diagnosed» (by the crack team at W&W) as having worms, which explained her bloated appearance. The adult female eventually gave birth to a litter of puppies (I believe the count was around 9), and my friend and his fiancé cared for the majority of them before it became an overwhelming burden for them.
My girlfriend and I agreed to take the runt in as a foster (she was found days later, outdoors, as the Mother gave birth in the yard, late in the evening), and we were told that W&W would be providing food, medical care, etc. as we provided shelter, training, and human companionship.
We received no food or medicine, besides a tiny crate and a bottle of home-​made oatmeal concoction to help the puppy’s itchy skin.
We acquired the puppy in poor health. Her skin was bleeding, and she was losing hair rapidly. I personally placed numerous phone calls from home and from work, hoping the founder would get back to me ASAP, but I found my efforts to be fruitless. The few times I was able to get someone on the phone, I was told that Ms. X would get back to me– either that or I was apologized to up and down by Ms. X’s Mother, who was handling secretarial duties. I had even taken to threatening the shelter with various legal actions, but alas, we were, again, ignored.
When the foster puppy’s condition became severe, we had her tested, and she was diagnosed with sarcoptic mange, which, in turn, my girlfriend and I were both infected with.
Thankfully, another rescue came to our aid (since W&W couldn’t be reached) and helped us pay for medical care. Afterward, we ended up adopting this pup, as we couldn’t bear the thought of her returning to a shelter that clearly didn’t care about their animals welfare.
It pains me to write this, but this is the truth. We were deferred and blatantly ignored numerous times by W&W, and it is my understanding that many people have had similar experiences. I truly love animals. They are our friends, and it is now our responsibility to care for them, as we have had a hand in their evolution from wild to pet.
There’s no room for lethargy or foolishness in this line of work. These are living creatures, and should be treated as such. These are my thoughts.
Also, you should know that our friend, the foster pup, is now over one year old and the smartest, loving dog we could ever ask for.

This is a very difficult review for me to write and I have to admit that I have a complicated, multi-​faceted point of view. I have known the founder of W&W for a few years as we use the doggy daycare that she used to work at. My husband has been an acquaintance of hers for over a decade. We helped launch the opening of this shelter financially and through the donation of time and supplies.
Prior to my most recent frustration with W&W, I attempted to volunteer at this shelter when it first secured it’s Ferndale location (It’s now located in Ann Arbor due to a change in funding in Ferndale). Long story short, each visit was a nightmare as the shelter was a disorganized mess without a shred of leadership by the founder. On one occasion I had a friend who needed to find a home for a friendly stray cat — I called W&W on a Friday and the founder told me she was «out of town» and couldn’t do anything for me for several days. Really? Who’s minding the shop while you’re on vacation? I was told I’d get a callback, and never did.
This last event has taken the cake, and I am officially a non-​supporter of this shetler. This last Friday afternoon I was driving down 8-​mile near I-​75 when I happened to see a dog on the median. I pulled over, crossed the street and met a terrified young dog. I carried him across traffic and got him to safety. I immediately called the W&W founder, hoping for help. I have a dog & cat at home, and I’m honestly not equipped for 2 dogs. She answered the phone, told me to try to get him to my house, and she’d call me in a couple hours. She never did. In the meantime I took the pup to the vet, had him checked out and got him home for a bath and introduction to my own animals. All evening I called and texted her — no response or callback. I called again Saturday morning — straight to voicemail. I got crafty and posted a picture of the pup on the W&W Facebook wall, and got a response from a volunteer. SHE was helpful — I explained that I knew the founder, I needed help, she wasn’t calling me back, etc. This girl agreed to help me as best she could, she understood that it was difficult to keep the founder on track. She promised me that the founder would call me that night, but alas, I never got a call. Sunday morning 10am rolls around and I called the founder, she answered, but explained there was an emergency in Ann Arbor and she needed to run out there (this was a true story) — she advised it wouldn’t take long and she’d call me within a few hours. FIVE hours roll by and no word — I text, no response — I call, no response — I call this other helpful girl, she’s equally frustrated and says she can’t get ahold of the founder either. Sometime around 4pm I got a text from the founder, advising me it would be a «few more hours.» My follow-​up texts and calls went unanswered. By 9pm Sunday night the helpful girl and I throw in the towel as neither of us can get ahold of the founder. Monday morning (today) I get a text, she «lost her phone.» She promises me that she’ll call me TODAY, after she’s done in Ann Arbor at 6pm. It’s now 10pm and I have heard nothing.
What frustrates me the most is the blatant lack of leadership, communication skills and organization. I FULLY recognize that there are a million people in my shoes calling W&W and other shetlers — I get that she’s swamped and it’s difficult. All the while I was waiting for a callback from W&W Founder, I talked to four other shelters who answered their phones, gave me answers, helped me out, posted an ad for this dog for me on
and at least had the decency to tell me if they didn’t have time or room for the dog I found. If you are in the business of rescuing animals, then have a sense of urgency and professionalism.
This isn’t my first rodeo. I have found several strays in my life and I fully understand that ALL shelters are ALWAYS full — this is the world we live in. I’m not saying that it’s easy to run a shelter, because it’s difficult and heart-​wrenching every day. But I cannot and will not recommend a shelter run by someone who so blatantly can’t keep it together. Where ever she is, she’s justifying why she couldn’t answer her phone or why she couldn’t make the time to help out me or someone else — but the reality is she’s cheating herself of a good reputation, she’s cheating would-​be supporters of her shelter and she’s cheating the animals of any help. This is really the tip of the iceburg, because I am one of almost a dozen people who were once hardcore supporters of W&W, but now stand in the background wondering what happened. The founder DOES have an amazing way with animals and I know she cares — but she’s in over her head. I found a shelter to help me with the pup I found, and to be honest, after all the run-​around this weekend, I probably would’ve avoided turning him over to W&W if she DID call me. Also, after over a year, they still don’t have the official 501c3 non-​profit status.