08/31/2026
🐾 A LITTLE ABOUT OUR TEAM & HOW WE WORK 🐾
We want to take a moment to share a little more about who we are, how Waggin’ Tails Search & Rescue operates, and what we are realistically able to do for our community. ❤️
First and foremost, we are a very small, volunteer-run team. Our team is primarily made up of Kimber, who handles the majority of the requests, guidance, case coordination, and when available boots-on-the-ground recovery. Leslie is also an experienced member of our team who helps with overflow and additional cases when her availability allows.
Kimber also works a full-time job, but still spends an average of 10+ hours a day advising, educating, guiding families, coordinating recoveries, and assisting with boots-on-the-ground efforts when we have the capacity to do so.
We are solely a lost and stray dog recovery organization. While we have helpful information we can share with families whose cats are missing, cats are outside of our recovery services.
📍 Our primary service area is limited to four counties:
• Clackamas
• Columbia
• Multnomah
• Washington
When we receive a request outside of these counties, we don’t simply turn families away. When we are able, we still provide our Toolbox of information, guidance and recovery advice, and we do our best to refer families to someone in their area who may be able to provide additional lost-dog recovery assistance.
❤️ WE GUIDE. YOU DO THE WORK.
One of the most important things we want families to understand is that we are here to advise, educate and guide you through the recovery process, but we cannot do it for you.
Successful recoveries are a team effort.
We can provide the knowledge, strategy, resources, guidance and support, but the family must be willing and able to commit to doing the work putting up posters, talking with neighbors, monitoring sightings, checking cameras, maintaining feeding stations, following instructions and doing the things necessary to keep the recovery moving forward.
Communication is also a critical part of that commitment. Once you have reached out to our team, it is the family’s responsibility to keep us updated. Please let us know about new sightings, changes in behavior, movement patterns, camera activity, possible leads, changes in circumstances or anything else that may affect the recovery.
We cannot effectively guide a case if we don’t know what is happening. Your updates allow us to adjust the recovery plan, provide the most appropriate guidance and determine when additional assistance may be needed.
We understand that losing a dog is incredibly stressful and overwhelming. That’s why we’re here to help take some of that uncertainty away and give families a plan to follow. But ultimately, the family has to be an active and consistent part of that plan. ❤️
We truly wish we had the capability to provide boots-on-the-ground assistance to every single family who needs us. Unfortunately, with such a small team, that simply isn’t feasible.
Because of that, we reserve our limited boots-on-the-ground capacity for situations where it can make the greatest difference; such as newly adopted dogs, foster dogs, and stray dogs who are not yet bonded with a family, along with other circumstances where hands-on assistance is especially needed.
❤️ IF YOUR FAMILY IS MISSING A DOG:
Please start with our First Steps and Help Hub resources, which are pinned to the top of our page. There is a tremendous amount of information available to help families understand lost-dog behavior and take the right steps toward a safe recovery.
If you need additional guidance after reviewing those resources, you can submit a request through our website. Once we receive your request, we will provide more personalized, one-on-one guidance and advice to help you navigate your dog’s recovery.
And one more important thing we want our community to know:
We are 100% volunteer-run. No one receives a salary or compensation from Waggin’ Tails Search & Rescue. Every donation goes directly toward helping us help dogs and families. Donations cover the costs of operating our organization and maintaining the equipment and resources we use for recoveries including traps, cameras, supplies and fuel. They also allow us to help with expenses for stray dogs and, when needed, assist families with things such as posters, supplies and other recovery-related expenses they may not be able to afford on their own.
We never require a donation in exchange for our assistance. Our help is provided because we believe every dog deserves the opportunity to get home safely. Donations are simply what allow us to continue providing these resources, equipment and assistance to our community.
Every dollar helps us continue helping them. ❤️
We may be a small team, but we care deeply about every dog and every family who reaches out to us.
We truly appreciate our community, your understanding, your patience, your encouragement and your support. We couldn’t do what we do without you.
Together, we can help get them home. 🐾❤️
