Interviews are a lot of fun for me since I enjoy meeting and getting to know other people. But this one is very special to me. You see, I had the honor of interviewing Sara Cox; the sole proprietor of “Sara’s Waggy Tails.”
Did you notice her last name is the same as mine? That is because she is my daughter.
While she was growing up, we couldn’t help but notice her love of animals. Actually, it went way past that. She seemed to also have a way with them as well. I used to joke that dogs would bite me, but they loved her. She could get them to behave and do things whereas I would receive a menacing growl. No exaggeration there.
At one time, she wanted to be a veterinarian. In fact, the summer she was 14 years old, she volunteered at the Callahan Drive Animal Hospital. She loved it. Then she took biology in high school and did very well in it. This excited me since I too had a love for biology.
Her senior year in high school, she was a recipient of the Patriot Scholarship from the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky. Her college major was psychology with a minor in biology. Her desire was to go into animal behavior.
While in college, interned at the Union County Humane Society. Sara worked with a few dogs on their behavior so they had a better chance at being adopted. From this experience, she wrote a research paper based on studies of shelter dog behaviors.
After graduating from college, she took a different direction for a while in that she worked with child behavior. Her last position in this field was very stressful and it didn’t work out. Being on her own, she had to quickly find another job. And she did. Or so she thought. Sara accepted a position with another employer, but she had to wait for them to process things on their part. What we thought would be a couple of weeks turned into three months.
So, she began to walk dogs and keep them as a way of earning money. She did very well with it and stayed busy. During this time, she prayed about her circumstance. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen. She loved working with animals and felt it was what she was supposed to do.
You can guess that the employer dragging its feet was a blessing in surprise for Sara. It enabled her to follow her dream and her passion. When they finally contacted Sara, she was staying busy with tending to the pets of others. At this point, she realized she could make a decent living with this new aspiration. Not only that, she was ready to expand on her business by making her garage into a kennel. She did, and “Sara’s Waggy Tails” was born.
She does more than board animals in that she tries to make it an enjoyable and calm experience for them. For instance, they have their own private indoor/outdoor area via their own doggie doors. They have two play areas. The radio is on all the time. There is a barrier between each kennel that helps to keep them calm. If any of the animals are anxious or high energy, she has lick mats with peanut butter. There is also a ball pit and play gym.
“And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:21 (KJV)
While animals are not made in the image of God as we are, they are still creations of the Lord and serve a purpose. I respect that as I deal with them. Keep in mind, after God created them, He saw it was good.
Over the years, I have often referred to Sara as a “Dog Whisperer.” At times I did mean it in jest, but it also very true. So, if you need your pet boarded with somebody who take of it and love on it as well, feel free to contact her.
Sara’s Waggy Tails: 865 297-6099; Saraswaggytails.com; 9128 Pedigo Road 37849.