‘Therapy for all of us’: Wimberley senior living, radio station and animal rescue team partner up to increase adoptions

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Each week, there’s a celebration outside a Wimberley senior living facility, featuring music from a community radio station and some special guests from an area animal rescue.

Wimberley Adoption Group and Rescue, or WAG, teams up with KWVH Wimberley Valley Radio 94.3 to bring adoptable animals to Alexis Pointe Senior Living for visits. Everyone involved with “Wagsday Wednesday” agrees – it’s a party and a partnership.

“This has been such a good opportunity to get our residents some pet therapy and get these animals a permanent home,” said Tricia Gangstad, the community relations director at Alexis Pointe.

While the facility itself is pet-friendly, Gangstad explained that many of its residents cannot care for an animal full-time but are happy to pose for pictures and cuddle with the animals.

On this Wednesday, WAG brought a bonded pair out to the party: a twelve-year-old, blind Maltese named Georgie, who navigates the world with the help of his best friend named Rosie, a younger Yorkie mix.

Jana Kennon, Vice President at WAG, describes dogs like these as a “gift.”

“It’s just really a joy to take some dogs out – they love it, we love it,” she said, recalling the reactions from some of the residents from their first few events.

Inspired in part by his own rescue dog, named Tuesday, KWVH’s Tom Gebhardt said the event has evolved into “therapy for all of us.” Gebhardt remembers bringing Tuesday to the facility for a meeting one day, and he said the residents couldn’t get enough of her.

His colleague, Tanya Tyler, hosts a regular pet segment with WAG, and before long, the three organizations joined forces for what she describes as a “perfect match.”

“We get people that are listeners that come out, and they love the dogs – and then you get the folks that are here, that come out. So, I believe serotonin is going all around,” she laughed. “And, of course, our goal is to help with people adopting the animals – or at least saying, maybe there is another dog out there at Wimberley WAG Rescue.”

Tyler said she believes any community radio station is supposed to be the anchor, partnering with other groups to be the “arms and the legs” in order to serve the community.

“That’s what’s beautiful about this whole relationship,” she said.

The group plans to take a break until the summer temperatures cool off in September, but Kennon said she’s optimistic about the future of the event.

On this particular Wednesday, Rosie never left Georgie’s side – proving that no matter how old we get, life is better when we work together.

“We just have loved this partnership — not just for our respective partners, but for all of Wimberley,” Gangstad said.

For information on Rosie and Georgie, click here.