Conversations with Tanya Willis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanya Willis. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Our founder and executive director, Tanya Willis, was inspired to start Agape Animal Rescue after a yellow lab puppy ran in front of her car on a country road. She immediately connected with him and found his five siblings in a nearby ditch. Mack and his siblings showed Tanya how challenged the shelter system was, constantly over capacity and with high euthanasia rates. Thus, Agape’s signature foster and adoption program was born! After caring for and finding loving homes for the puppies, one puppy, Mack, remained with her as a loyal and loving companion for the next 15 years. Since Mack inspired the mission of Agape, over 2,000 animals have been helped. It wasn’t just other dogs that Mack helped. He brought joy to all that knew him and was a shining example of the human-animal bond in action: helping Tanya’s young children to learn empathy and responsibility and providing comfort and companionship. Mack was also a certified therapy dog, serving the community by visiting people in need, aiding in their care, and lifting them in the way only an animal can. You can see more about Tanya and Mack here: https://youtu.be/FAX7ktYy1qo.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
Yes and no, I am surrounded by an amazing team of passionate people who are 100% committed to saving and being an advocate for dogs. However, animal rescue is extremely emotional, and we see terrible things that keep us up at night. I am continuously looking for ways to fill my passion cup so that compassion fatigue does not creep its way in. Being a non-profit 501c3 charity comes with a unique set of challenges when running such an important business that creates so much good change relies on the generosity of others. When the economy is stable, donations are great. When tomorrow feels uncertain, donations stop coming in.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At Agape, we have seen it all regarding man’s best friend. Our dogs found themselves in homeless situations through no fault of their own. But despite the misfortunes these animals have endured, our commitment to them remains steadfastly clear: to provide loving, emotionally stable, nurturing foster care for them while they wait for their forever homes, for their forever families. We are dedicated to making a positive difference in these dogs’ lives from the moment they enter our foster program.

Our goal is to help these animals in every way we can emotionally, socially, and physically so that the transition to their forever homes will be as smooth as possible. We strive to teach our dogs basic obedience skills, including proper leashes and friendly house manners. And we strive to match our dogs with the best family possible, working through as many applications as necessary to find a home that offers the dog the most fulfilling, enriched life.

Mission: Agape Animal Rescue & Training Center is dedicated to finding forever families for abandoned and displaced dogs through our signature foster and adoption program while cultivating better communities through dog training, owner education, and outreach programs.

Vision: Through our work with animals and humans, Agape strives to make Middle Tennessee a more inclusive environment where everyone can experience the transformative benefits of responsible, humane pet ownership.

On behalf of all the dogs waiting for a forever family, we thank you for your interest in improving the lives of these deserving animals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://agaperescue.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agaperescueandtraining/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agaperescueandtraining
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRN5BddtflHkIqfDDYiDIPA

Image Credits
Mandy Whitley Photography – Tanya’s Bio picture. The other photos were taken of adoptable dogs by volunteers.