South County Tail Waggers:
People and Dogs Rescuing Each Other
Written By Jordan Rosenfeld
W
hen Marguerite Murphy
encountered a lost puppy on
a walk near her Gilroy home
in 2015, she called the Gilroy police to
come and get the puppy. Unfortunately,
the police facility just wasn’t up to the
task. Murphy took the puppy home for
a couple of nights and began to muse
on what could be done about helping
other animals in the same situation.
She had no idea at the moment
she rescued that puppy that it would
lead to what she now calls “the most
important work I’ve ever done,” and the
basis for her non-profit organization,
South County Tail Waggers.
She joined forces with another
concerned woman. In lieu of any better
options at the city or county level, “We
decided we were going to create South
County’s first-ever animal sanctuary,”
she said.
As they figured out how to fundraise
for the sanctuary, they began to take
in dogs—most often unfairly maligned
pit bulls—and find them foster homes
where they could be rescued, rehabili-
tated and made ready to be adopted.
Numerous volunteers help do
everything, from fostering the dogs
to bringing them to visit with special
populations in the community, such as
senior citizens, foster children, at-risk
youth, incarcerated minors and others.
Together, they fulfill the mission of Tail
Waggers, which is “Saving each other.
People saving dogs, dogs saving people
right back,” Murphy said.
Murphy said they receive an average
of eight to ten “rehoming” requests per
week for three main reasons: people
are moving, starting a new family, or
their dog isn’t good with their young
children. “It’s a huge epidemic,”
Murphy said. Additionally, dogs are
sometimes brought in that have been
abused or dumped and left behind.
She works with an average of 40-45
foster homes, with at least one dog in
each home. Foster families usually take
dogs for about 8 to 12 weeks.
Through several annual fund-
raisers—such as the Wags and Wine:
Rescues on the Runway and the 5K
Wagathon walk—they raise money to
pay for the medical care, feeding, and
behavioral rehabilitation services that
prepare these dogs to be rehomed.
Additionally, they raise funds for a free
spay and neuter clinic, to put a dent
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
february/march 2019
in the creation of new generations of
unwanted dogs.
“One unspayed female and her litter
can produce 100,000 puppies in five
years,” Murphy explained. She said
people often breed puppies without
thinking of the consequences. They
regularly get calls about abandoned
puppy litters.
Murphy, who left a lucrative
corporate job behind to pursue this
work, said “I’ve devoted my entire life
to this.”
With the support of two key board
members, Ariana Stauble, who is also
the organization’s secretary; Kelli Lopez,
her volunteer coordinator; and 20 core
volunteers in addition to the foster
volunteers, they work tirelessly to find
these dogs forever homes.
“Rescue never sleeps. It’s twenty-four
seven. For every one we rescue, there’s
5,000 more behind.”
Still, every time she gets an email or
call that a dog has changed a family’s
life, she says “it really fills my gas
tank up.”
As for that little puppy that inspired
Tail Waggers to begin with, now called
Mickie, she never left Murphy’s house.
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