Tailwaggers make Gentry's dog pound a warmer place

GENTRY — Thanks to the Tailwaggers of Siloam Springs, dogs in Gentry’s animal pound have warmer kennels for the winter months.

On Friday, Tailwaggers gave a check to the city of Gentry for $1,205 to pay for heat lamps which were installed in each of the 10 kennels. The actual total cost was $1,305, but the electrician who installed the lamps donated $100 back to offset the cost.

Tailwaggers raised the money for the lamps by posts on its Facebook page regarding the need. In a single day, the nonprofit group received $900 in its PayPal account, with more money being sent by U.S. mail.

The group, currently only five women, formed Tailwaggers to walk dogs at the Siloam Springs animal shelter so that the dogs would be more accustomed to human contact and would be more manageable and more adoptable when prospective pet owners came to the shelter. But soon, they were helping in other ways too, by promoting adoptions and even helping out with the costs of adoption, including spay/neuter fees.

Tailwaggers has taken an interest in Gentry’s dog pound and is working to help the city improve the facility and adopt out more dogs. In addition to the heat lamps, the group has provided blankets and “Adopt Me” vests for the animals in Gentry’s shelter. It is helping to find homes for the 10-12 dogs in the shelter, some of which have been there a considerable time.

And Tailwaggers has begun saving for a much more expensive project in Gentry - to construct a perimeter fence around the pound so the dogs can regularly be allowed out of the kennels for exercise.

The group - made up of president Tina Barios, vice president Holly Beeman, secretary Laura Lewis, treasurer Priscilla Dorado and member Andi Wise - would welcome more members to help with their work, both in Siloam Springs and in Gentry.

For more information on Tailwaggers or to send a donation, go to gentrytailwaggers@ gmail.com or write to Tailwaggers, P.O. Box 6716, Siloam Springs, AR 72761.