It’s far too easy to fill animal shelters and rescue centers with unwanted and abandoned companion animals. So many dogs and cats desperately need homes; meanwhile, misinformed people continue to choose the puppy boutique over the Humane Society and the neighborhood breeder over your rescue group. If your county or city has an overpopulation problem, you probably can’t even imagine empty kennels or cages. Surprisingly, some facilities in the United States actually do have vacancies from time to time, and many have a greater demand for certain dogs.
That’s where the Rescue Waggin’ program comes in. Nonprofit PetSmart Charities found an original way to give homeless pets a second shot at finding a forever home; they added wheels to the adoption experience! In addition to giving Humane Society animals exposure in PetSmart stores and offering affordable spay/neuter clinics, the organization also runs this invaluable transportation rescue service. In 2004, the Rescue Waggin’ started transporting dogs to shelters where they were more likely to be adopted; partner shelters work together to make sure every dog finds a family.
Any shelter or pet rescue group can take advantage of the The Rescue Waggin’. For example, if you have families on waiting lists but haven’t found the right matches for them yet, you could become a “destination partner” for the Rescue Waggin’. That means the bus would pick up dogs from a shelter somewhere else in the country, make sure they had the proper assessments, vaccinations, and other treatments, and then drop them off with you to find good homes for them.
Actor Josh Duhamel even teamed up with the organization to produce an original web series, “Rescue Waggin’: Tales from the Road”. At first glance, the show follows the happy journeys of homeless dogs and puppies who ride the Rescue Waggin’ to their forever homes. However, it doesn’t shy away from the harsh reality of pet overpopulation, tackling everything from puppy mills to euthanasia statistics. In one episode of this eye-opening series, actress Kristen Bell even introduces her two rescue dogs and makes an emotional plea about the repercussions of buying from a breeder, rather than the Humane Society.
The Rescue Waggin’ is just one more example of people working together on behalf of animals, to spread awareness and save lives. The best part? 60,000 dogs are alive today because of it.