Wellness Center
& Pantry 4 Paws
Pet Food AssistanceCall (734) 855-4077
Call (734) 855-4077
Tail Waggers 1990 is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that is based out of Livonia, Michigan. For over 30 years, the Tail Waggers’ name has been recognized in the community for offering assistance to animals in need. Realizing the demand for affordable services and pet food assistance, the Wellness Center became a reality in 2011 and continues to be a welcoming place for pet owners and their four-legged friends today.
Tail Waggers offers affordable preventative pet care for every pet owner by appointment. Without paying an office or exam fee in our Wellness Center, our vaccinations, heartworm testing and preventative, flea control, nail trims, and even consultations are affordable!
The Pantry 4 Paws Pet Food Assistance program offers temporary assistance to those pet owners that have fallen on a challenging time – no animal should go to sleep hungry at night! Our program is confidential and the requirements are simple and easy to follow. Schools, churches, scouts, local retailers and pet owners have all donated to the Pantry 4 Paws Pet Food Assistance program so that hundreds of animals per year are kept fed with a healthy, consistent diet.
Tail Waggers also prides themselves on providing food to other rescue organizations – all over the State of Michigan – so that they, too, can feed animals that are in need!
When it comes to critical care and emergency situations, Tail Waggers can steer pet owners in the right direction. We are owner advocates and want to help pet owners make the right decision in a stressful time. We can refer you to veterinarians and help you understand exactly what may be happening with the health of your pet. We are only a phone call away!
Meet Out Team
Laura Kuchinski
Founder / President
Being an animal lover for as long as she can remember, and making news headlines at the age of 10 for leading a flock of geese and their babies back to water down a main road, Laura was always the one that people would call to help with animals – lost, injured or even to pet sit.
Doing volunteer rescue/cruelty work in Detroit for over 15 years, Laura learned alot about “street” animals, their owners and shelter animals. Learning to handle animals, both tame and aggressive, communicating with pet owners, properly restraining, rescuing and cruelty investigations were just some of the reasons that interested her to keep volunteering. Learning about the veterinarian care that was needed,and seeing how shelters functioned was what fascinated her into wanting to do more – to make things better for pet owners.
Realizing that the common denominator for animals living on the streets or in homes where money was tight, was all the same, Laura began conducting a fundraiser to raise money for vaccines and pet food. It was important to her to have animals stay with their owners when times were tough, versus being put into shelters where she saw the euthanasia rates sky-rocket.
Laura’s career working in Advertising, Radio, and the Detroit Tigers along with holding positions as a Development Director and Marketing and Communications Manager gave her the skillset to create a non-profit organization. She left Corporate America in 2011 to begin this journey and has not looked back.
With grant funding and community support, Laura moved the pet food assistance out of her garage and into the first store front in 2011. Within a year, the Wellness Center for Affordable Preventative Pet Care opened – offering vaccination services to anyone, regardless of income level, without needing to “qualify”. The goal is to open a second Wellness Center in 2021 along with bringing back spay/neuter services.
A lifelong resident of the City of Livonia, Laura is a single mom of three adult boys and shares her home with 3 cats and 2 dogs.
Meet Our Team of Technicians
Sabrina Davis
Outreach Coordinator/Technician
Sabrina is Lead Vet Assistant in our Wellness Center along with being the Outreach Coordinator. Sabrina has been with Tail Waggers for the past four years and has brought extensive experience working with animals – especially dogs and puppies – to the Organization. Having her own “rescue” for many years, Sabrina became known for her care of bottle feeding puppies and, when of age, brought them to Tail Waggers for their vaccinations.
Sabrina is married and shares her home with her wife and their teenaged son along with 4 dogs and a cat.
Noa Kuszai
Vet Assistant
Shyanne Oakes
Supervisor
Gabe Oakes
Vet Assistant
Meet Our Administrative Team
Susan Krajenke
Receptionist
Susan Krajenke became part of Tail Waggers in 2011 when the Livonia store front first opened it’s doors. Volunteering for over 3 years before becoming a staff member, Susan met the Founder at a vaccination clinic when her six Chihuahua’s were all tangled up and the two of them sat on the floor trying to figure out their leashes – laughing the entire time! Susan and her passion for animals is the perfect fit for the Organization! It is her smiling face, friendly demeanor, compassion for every client and willingness to go the extra mile that makes her special. Heading up the front desk is a responsibility she takes seriously. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t tell someone how much she loves her job!
Susan and her family of Chihuahuas live in Dearborn – but her pups can normally can be found at the office with her every day.
Sandy Dalton
Bookkeeper
Sandy Dalton has been associated with Tail Waggers since 1995 when she came in to volunteer as a weekend receptionist making reminder calls and answering the phones. After four years of volunteering on weekends, fundraising events and community clinics, Sandy wanted to get even more involved and became the Assistant Bookkeeper on a part-time basis. Bringing experience to our Accounting Department, and learning the protocols as the Assistant, when the position opened for a full-time Bookkeeper, it was only natural that Sandy was promoted into that position.
Sandy feels that no day is the same and there is always something new to learn or happening in the Tail Waggers’ Office and Wellness Center. The loving you get from the office cats along with the “cuties” that come thru the door every day is what Sandy feels is “just the medicine when you’re feeling out of sorts”. Sandy is originally from Toronto, Ontario and currently lives in Plymouth with her one dog, Missy.
Sally Zabawa
Receptionist
Christine Kuszai
Receptionist
Debra Wright-Hermann
Administrative
Roxanne Ball
Administrative
Meet Our Team of Volunteers
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