Programs

Programs

Merlin Scholarship Fund

Here are our Wags to Riches Merlin Scholarship Fund winners and some information...

Since 2009 we have given 3 scholarships to Yakima Valley Community College for 2nd year Veterinary Technician students. The winners have been ...2009 - Adrienne Culver 2010 - Jamie Shaw 2011 - Allegra Schwartzenberger.

Since 2009 we have given 2 scholarships to WSU School of Veterinary Medicine for, at least, 2nd year students of Veterinary Medicine. The winners have been 2010- NicolePutney 2011 - Nicole Zuniga.

Congratulations to the students who were selected. Each is very deserving of these scholarships. One day we expect that each of these students will, in some way, help a rescue organization somewhere as we helped them.

2012-2013 Merlin Scholarship Information and Applications:

(click to view and download)

YVCC Announcement Letter 2012

YVCC Vet Tech Application

WSU Announcement Letter 2012

WSU School of Veterinary Medicine Application

The Wags to Riches Senior Pet Companion Program

The Wags to Riches Senior Pet Companion Program has been created, in partnership with Yakima County Senior Meal Program and Manning Dog Training, in response to a big need among many of our low-income seniors in Yakima County .

The Senior Pet Companion Program is working actively work with the seniors who are registered with the Meals on Wheels Program to help keep their best friend by their sides and alleviate having to make the choice between caring for their pets and caring for themselves.

Many researchers are finding that the most serious disease for older persons is not cancer or heart disease — it’s loneliness. Studies demonstrate that seniors, living on their own, who have pets tend to have better physical health and mental well-being than those who don’t. They are more active, cope better with stress and have better overall health.

The Wags to Riches Senior Pet Companion Program is a pilot program made possible in part by a grant from the Yakima Valley Community Foundation www.yvcf.com.

We Will, We Promise Program

HAVE YOU MADE A PLAN?
What will happen to your pets if they outlive you? Assuming that
your children or neighbor will take your pet is not always the best thing for the pet.
WAGS TO RICHES CAN HELP!
By including Wags in your Will, you can be assured that we will care for your pet.
You can also state a distribution amount for the care of your pet after you are deceased.

Hair Club of Yakima

Can't donate money, products, or time but still want to help?
We take dog, cat and horse hair. Email info@wagstorichesanimalrescue.org
for more information.

Education Program

Because of the increasing incidents of animal abuse and the direct correlation between children who abuse animals and grow up to become abusive adults to both animals and people and because of the ever expanding pet population Wags to Riches Animal Rescue has worked to develop and refine an education program designed to teach kids to be respectful of animals, to be responsible pet owners and to understand rescue and how they can save animals too.

The primary mission of this program, called The 3 “R’s” of Wags, is to encourage, in children, the lifelong appreciation of the value of animals and of people’s relationships with them and is designed to work with teachers in meeting this program’s educational goals.

We hope to engender responsibility among young people by developing concern for the well-being of animals. Plus, what these kids learn will impact many of their parents. These presentations are tailored to the changing developmental levels of the children.

The second program component will prevent dog bites. Every year dog bites take place on school grounds and in the neighborhoods. According to information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) over 386,000 victims are seen in hospital emergency rooms each year and the average cost of treatment per patient is over $18,200.00. The second program component will prevent dog bites. With your help Wags Volunteers will teach the Doggone Safe Program to children and teens (and ultimately their parents) how to read a dog’s body language. With the tools to correctly read the situation, children or adults can decelerate a potentially bad situation. We have those tools to share!

The 3 "R's" of Wags is made possible, in part, with a grant from Legends Casino-Yakama Cares
and the Petco Foundation.