Williamson County Animal Shelter

Williamson County Animal Shelter has four prime directives: adoption, enforcement, education, and spay/neuter. Their goal is to increase the save rate of animals in their area, find a good home for every adoptable pet, slow pet population growth, end animal neglect and abuse, and to be a positive force in the community.

The center itself is a public open-intake shelter serving the citizens of Williamson County and cares for area domestic animals. It enjoys the distinction of being recognized with an achievement award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). A staff of 27 is led by director Ondrea Johnson, and includes a full-time veterinarian, two licensed veterinary technicians, a community relations coordinator, four animal control officers, an intake coordinator, two kennel managers, and four other full-time staff members. The shelter also employs five part-time kennel techs and support staff.

The facility consists of a 35,000 square foot building containing an adoption area, cat and dog visitation rooms, free-roaming cat areas with enclosed patios, intake services, isolation and quarantine areas, testing area, community lecture room, dog training space, veterinary office and surgical suite, grooming room, photo studio, volunteer center, and office space. On the shelter property, large dog runs for exercise, wooded trail and a public dog park (opening TBD). The shelter’s Mobile Adoption Center (MAC) is used for adoption events held away from the shelter.

Johnson said that Williamson County Animal Shelter is a proud no-kill shelter. “We do the very best job that we can to make sure that animals get adopted into a good home or go to a senior sanctuary.”

Johnson got started rescuing animals when she was five years old. She often brought puppies and kittens home and “hid them in the barn” and began caring for them. She is an active animal foster parent, having had more than 100 furry foster children, and is absolutely thrilled to serve as the director of the Williamson Shelter. One way that she believes Williamson County Shelter can help spread the word about animal welfare is by modeling best practices for partnering with the community to keep pets in homes, help control pet populations, educate the public on pet-related issues, and offer adoption services for families looking to add a pet to their home . . . I strongly believe that the way to improve life for animals is to partner with the people who care for them.”

Williamson County Animal Shelter will be represented by Merci Dupre Clothiers on the runway. The model will be accompanied by Tilly the dog. Merci Dupre is a private label created by Dr. Christina Rahm’s The Root Brands that is also the parent company of Under the Red Chandelier and Bill and Coo. ■

Sponsor: Root Wellness & Dr. Christina Rahm / adoptwcac.org

Based in Oceanside, CA, Freedom Dogs is a nonprofit organization devoted to serving wounded members of the military who are being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and/or other physical impairments. Along with the organization’s trainers, Freedom Dogs’ specialty service dogs provide both physical and emotional support, helping wounded warriors successfully make the challenging transition back to civilian life, or in some cases, return to active duty. Their stated mission is to “speed the recovery and to enhance the lives of military heroes through the use of specialty-trained service dogs.”

Freedom Dogs was founded by Beth Russell, a former critical care nurse in the Surgical ICU/Trauma unit of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center. Russell launched Freedom Dogs in 2006, later becoming its lead trainer and director. Both of her parents were veterans of World War II, so Russell had a great interest in working with the military.

In May of 2009, Freedom Dogs completed a pilot program with the Marine Corps’ Wounded Warrior Battalion-West at Camp Pendleton as requested by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. It paired specialty service dogs and their trainers with two Marines—becoming an indispensable part of the Marines’ rehabilitation and recovery from post-traumatic stress. This pilot was so successful that it resulted in an ongoing close partnership between the Wounded Warrior Battalion—West (WWBn-W) and Freedom Dogs—the only one of its kind in the country.

Freedom Dogs’ partner program pairs up and works with a wounded warrior assigned to him or her by the Wounded Warrior Battalion—West over a period of about nine months. Working closely with the warrior’s medical care providers, the close-knit team allows Freedom Dogs to follow participants throughout their transition from military to civilian life, customizing the dog training to the specific needs of the warrior.

Regardless of the nature of the wounds, Freedom Dogs works to enhance the rehabilitation of warriors whose path to recovery can be rocky and takes time. The dog/trainer team provides an unparalleled approach to the healing process, offering steady support and demonstrating ways to navigate the challenges of daily life. The training program involves several phases, beginning with a meeting between the warrior, dog, and trainer. This progresses to weekly classroom sessions, during which the wounded warrior participates in the training of the dogs. This involvement can create an enhanced sense of purpose for the warrior and forms a bond and trust with trainers and dogs, helping reduce anxiety and depression. As trust develops over time, the warrior gradually ventures out into public with both the dog and trainer to the grocery store, doctor appointments, or sporting events, for example. This is where a Freedom Dog really earns its title—helping the warrior experience freedom by feeling calmer, safer, more sociable, less hypervigilant, and less reactive to triggers such as loud noises.

With independence the focus of the final stage, warriors attend school or events alone with the dog, returning the dog to the trainer at the end of the day. Although the formal program eventually ends, the warrior can continue to request a Freedom Dog for specific outings, as needed. In some cases, a warrior will need more long-term support than the partner program can provide. This may become apparent after working with a warrior for a period of time. Then a dog may be placed with this person for the rest of the dog’s life.

Freedom Dogs will be represented on the catwalk by model Logan Taylor and her dog. Logan will be wearing a creation by Taiwanese-born designer Malan Breton. Breton is renowned as one of the most versatile names in the fashion world, known for his work as an actor, film director, costume designer, columnist, musician, and model. His groundbreaking work includes becoming one of the first designers to digitize fashion into AI and VR, and joining the metaverse with photosynthesized models in 3D. An alum of TV’s Project Runway, Breton is known for his perfectly tailored garments that ooze glamour and are sought out by A-list celebrities and Hollywood stars such as Priyanka Chopra, Billy Porter, and Janelle Monae. Breton has been honored by a wide swath of dignitaries, including the Government of Bulgaria and during last year’s Queen’s Jubilee. He is one of a handful of international designers who have been invited to present privately to the British Royal Family, alongside other design luminaries including Dior, Chanel, Pierre Cardin, and Scaasi. ■

Sponsor: Lori Taylor / freedomdogs.org