It's sad to see an organization that has been looking out for the welfare of animals for 17 years having to close its doors.

Wags & Whiskers Animal Rescue of Minneapolis is doing just that.

WAGS & WHISKERS ANIMAL RESCUE OF MN

Think about this. Over 12,000 animals have found their forever homes over the past 17 years because of an organization that operated on a foster-based system only; no physical location.

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On June 4th, Wags & Whiskers posted on social media that they were going to be closing. Though no specific reason was given, they remain dedicated to the animals that are in their care at this time, and are making sure that all of the existing animals will be transferred to another animal rescue, or have found their forever homes.

THE OUTPOURRING OF KIND WORDS IS TRULY AMAZING

Although the closing of a great location is always hard to accept, what I found so special about this announcement was the number of people who reached out, who had adopted from Wags & Whiskers, and the amazing, positive messages people were leaving for the organization.

Over 300 comments were left on the announcement page, with adopters sharing photos and stories of their beloved furry friends.

Others were fosters for the organization, and all are recalling stories from the heart and sharing them with Wags & Whiskers. Some of the animals that the organization helped came from other states, and some even from other countries.

OTHER STORIES: Creator of Minnesota DNR EagleCam Passes Unexpectedly

SHARING THANKFULNESS

Here are some of the stories that people have left on their social media pages.

'In April 2017, you connected with a woman in Puerto Rico and flew Chica here. I offered to foster her and within 12 hours I told you I would adopt her. BEST DECISION EVER. I soon discovered the homeless dog problem in Puerto Rico, and since started my own rescue, Chica's Rescue. To date, I've found homes for almost 700 dogs: ALL from Puerto Rico. In fact, I have 4 puppies flying in on Saturday! Thank you for getting Chica here!'

~Anne

'We will forever be thankful for your rescue for bringing Wyatt(formerly Rusty) up from Arkansas to give him a chance. He passed two years ago, but we had nine beautiful years with him. I never knew a soul dog could exist until he came into our lives.
Best of luck to your entire crew as they set out to begin new chapters. Never forget the lives you saved, and the souls you helped to connect.'

~Kelley

'I’m sad to see this post. After losing our cat Wookie, we adopted Nala (formerly known as Sweet Pea) from Wags & Whiskers in July, 2018. She didn’t replace our other cat - she filled a hole. She has brought so much joy to our lives. We recently found out she had hyperthyroid disease, and after being treated in April - I’m happy to say she is doing well. If she hadn’t, I was thinking of contacting your organization to foster cats. I’m so glad our Nala is doing so well and will hopefully be with us for many more years. Thank you for bringing Nala (Sweet Pea) into our lives, and for all you have done for so many pets and families. You’ve been a great organization.'

~Donna

'I thank Wags & Whiskers for their excellent work and giving me the chance to foster and giving guidance in fostering. This is sad news. You folks were the best. Out of Wags, came the most wonderful fostering experiences I ever had and I also adopted the best dogs ever to exist in this World. Thank you Wags, and good luck to all of you in your next adventures.'

~Diane

'Noooo! 💔😢 You guys found and saved my beautiful Abby! She was the love of my life, thank you for all you have done to save them.

~Scott

'I found my sweet little Mya through Wags 10+ years ago and started fostering for Wags shortly after. I don’t even know how many dogs I fostered or temp fostered, but it was a lot. I then proceeded to foster fail 2 more times during our journey. I appreciate Wags for helping me connect with my fur babies and all the other fur babies.'

~Nissa

'Such sad news, but inspiring to have seen a bit from behind the scenes in how thoughtfully the Wags & Whiskers Animal Rescue of MN all-volunteer board navigated this difficult decision. We fostered several cats and were fortunate to find our two beloved family members, Maggie (Magnolia) and Rosie (Primrose) - foster fails. My family and I are so grateful!!! The volunteers with whom we had the pleasure of working were amazing - the best of the best, and so dedicated to saving lives. Thank you to ALL who’ve given so selflessly - your legacy lives on in the thousands of lives you’ve saved and forever changed!'

Denise

'Thank you for bringing us the bestest girl. Maize FKA Pepin was brought here from the south in 2019 with her mama Freya and her siblings. Besides her color she looks just like her mama. She is a foster mama now to neonatal kittens and she absolutely loves it. Our kids adore her and she keeps a watchful eye on them always. We love her so much!'

~Katie

THANK YOU TO THE ANIMAL LOVERS WHO MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE

Maybe it's that for 17 years, a group of volunteers, fosters, adopters, and animal lovers, created something so meaningful that its impact will continue long after the final adoption is completed.

Thousands of animals found safety, comfort, and families because people opened their homes and their hearts.

Judging by the hundreds of messages, photos, and memories being shared, the legacy of Wags & Whiskers won't be measured by the day it closed, but by the countless wagging tails, happy purrs, and forever homes it helped create.