GRAFTON, Wis. (CBS 58) – A non-profit dog rescue is approaching a major milestone.
“We're going to be hitting our 4,000th dog this month,” Dawn Boeselager said.
Boeselager founded Tailwaggers 911, a non-profit to rescue and rehome pets, in 2007.
“I am a pretty active person with animals, and one of my favorite items is dogs,” she said. “It’s just so rewarding. It really is.”
Their motto is, “Homeless but not hopeless, Saving one life at a time!”
“We've been all over. We've been to many states helping homeless animals, and it's very rewarding,” Boeselager said. “When that truck comes in, we know most of them are going to have homes, and they're out of that situation. When we do that, it's like Christmas.”
Donations and foster families make their work possible.
“Our fosters are everything to us, and we're always looking for fosters help because we're foster-based. I don't have a shelter to put dogs in, and there's a reason for that. We want to get to know our dogs intimately, and that's really important because when a person comes, an approved adopter comes, they know that the person who's fostering them knows the dog,” Boeselager explained.
Volunteers like Janessa Kastelic are crucial for Tailwaggers 911 and she encourages others to give it a try.
“Why not? If you have the opportunity if you have the time and resources, I would consider it,” she said.
Every other month, about 20 dogs arrive in the arms of volunteers ready to foster them. Once they are ready for their forever home, approved adopters meet them. Many of the applications are handled by Boeselager's daughter-in-law, Brianna Boeselager.
“It's absolutely amazing. Every case is different,” she said.
Brianna tells CBS 58 that her mother-in-law's passion keeps tails wagging.
“It's absolutely incredible. It's just amazing how long she's been going and how many people have come and gone,” she said. “But then we can continue on and help more dogs.”
As they approach that 4000th dog, Boeselager is grateful for her loved ones, both human and canine.
“I had a severe accident. My family took over this business and made sure that this was going to continue, and they're very involved, and I'm very proud of them for helping,” she said. “I can't even believe it. This is just amazing.”
Click here for more information on Tailwaggers 911.
