News & Events

WAGS - The Wisconsin Academy for Graduate Service Dogs

Member, Assistance Dogs International

The WAGS Mission

Since 1987, the Wisconsin Academy for Graduate Service Dogs (WAGS) has helped people with physical disabilities achieve a higher level of independence through partnerships with skilled service dogs. WAGS service dogs assist their partners with daily living tasks such as operating light switches, opening and closing doors, removing articles of clothing and retrieving dropped or out of reach items. In addition to providing love and companionship to their partners, WAGS dogs open doors to a greater sense of freedom, safety and social connectedness.

The WAGS Program

Early Puppy Education: WAGS believes strongly in early puppy education. Puppies enter the WAGS Program at the tender age of 8-12 weeks and live with Volunteer Puppy Raisers for the first 8-12 months of their lives. Puppies need a loving and stable home to lay the foundation for future training. Puppy Raisers play an active role in shaping responsive and confident dogs by providing socialization, teaching foundation service dog skills and exposing the puppy to a wide variety of environments and stimuli.
Advanced Training: WAGS dogs who have completed their foundation training move on to live with Volunteer Trainers. At this stage dogs prepare for their future role, learning advanced service dog skills and developing their ability to be in a variety of public situations by continuing to accompany their trainer to work, places of business and other public venues.
Placement: When a WAGS dog completes its training, it is ready to be placed with a human partner. WAGS staff carefully match dogs with prospective clients based on the personality and skills of both partners. Customized client training occurs at the time of placement, including handling skills in public and home environments, canine psychology and health and retirement of service dogs. Follow-up training is available to clients throughout the lifetime of their dog.

Wisconsin Academy of Graduate Service Dogs (WAGS)
1338 Dewey Court
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 250-9247
www.wags.net

News

Veterinary Emergency Service celebrates five years in Middleton

Since cats and dogs and other pets (like people) don't always have emergencies during the day when it would be more convenient for their owners, veterinarian David Wirth saw a need five years ago and opened an urgent care clinic for pets, open 24/7 in Middleton.

Located at 1612 North High Point Road, just off the Beltline, Veterinary Emergency Service employs 60 people working three shifts each day, including 12 critical care veterinarians and 15 certified veterinary technicians. In addition, Wirth opened a second emergency clinic last fall at 4902 East Broadway to serve Madison's East side.

He is staying ahead of the curve by continually expanding into new arenas, such as recently hiring Tobin Eshelman, a veterinarian who specializes in providing advanced surgeries for cats and dogs. Eshelman performs complicated knee injury surgeries on dogs, neurosurgery and cancer surgery. Eshelman, who has advanced training in small animal surgery, is providing specialties not readily available in the Middleton and Madison area.

Wirth's next move is to add sophisticated ophthalmology and dermatology specialties, making the Middleton urgent care center one of the few in Wisconsin providing care at this higher level.

"More than half the families in Middleton and Madison have pets," Wirth says. "Our goal is to provide same day service for pet owners, when possible. We encourage people to call ahead - even as they are heading to the clinic - so we can anticipate and be prepared for the emergency unfolding."

In addition to pet owners contacting Veterinary Emergency Service directly, many veterinarians refer their "after hours" calls to Veterinary Emergency Service so their clients can be assured of around-the-clock critical care.

Wirth, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, has discovered his interest and passion in dealing with helping pets and owners through difficult times to be very rewarding.

In addition to a patient load of 6,000 cases a year, Veterinarian Emergency Service is active in volunteer efforts for animal-related nonprofits including WAGS, Angels Wish, Dane County Friends of Ferals and Shelter from the Storm. Wirth and his staff also give talks to students about the responsibility of pet ownership. More information is available at 831-1181.