GRAFTON, Wis. — A Grafton dog rescue is saving hundreds of dogs each year by bringing them from the South to Wisconsin.
Tailwaggers 911 was founded in 2007 by Dawn Boeselager to help save stray dogs from overpopulated shelters. Since her passing, Dawn's daughters-in-law Rebecca and Brianna have run the fully-volunteer organization.
Tailwaggers works with organizations primarily in West Texas to save dogs' lives.
Sixty three dogs are arriving this weekend. Tailwaggers hopes to save 365 dogs this year—one for each day. More dogs arrive about once monthly.
Each dog who makes the trip to Wisconsin has an immediate home. Families can adopt the dogs before their arrival and pick them up Saturday. Other dogs go into the Tailwaggers foster care network.
Watch: Grafton dog rescue saves hundreds of dogs yearly
Vice President Rebecca Boeselager said the work is both rewarding and a responsibility.
"As humanity, we have the power to help. Why not? Why shouldn't we?" Boeselager said. "There are a lot of unethical breeders out there that we'd love to put out of business, If we can, if we can get everyone to adopt a rescue dog instead."
Anne Davis is a former newspaper reporter who first found out about Tailwaggers through her reporting in Ozaukee County. Over the years, she has adopted several dogs from the rescue, including her current dog Oliver.
It's a very deep bond you form," Davis said. "They are truly saving dogs' lives. That's a wonderful feeling."
Tailwaggers sends donations of food and other dog items back to Texas.
"They just have such good hearts naturally," Boeselager said. "They are just so good."
Tailwaggers 911 is a fully-volunteer organization. They are looking for additional volunteers, foster parents and sponsors. Click here for more information.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
