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W.orking A.nimals G.iving S.ervice 4 Kids

"Growing Possibilities,

One Child at a Time"

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  • Press Kit
What We Do 
  • Request An Application
  • Kids In Need
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  • Prison Program
  • Contact Us
Get Involved 
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  • Become A Partner
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  • The W.A.G.S. 4 Kids Foundation
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    Home
    Who We Are 
    • Our Mission
    • Our Team
    • Locations
    • Financials
    • FAQ's
    • Resources
    • Press Kit
    What We Do 
    • Request An Application
    • Kids In Need
    • Our Teams
    • Kids Who Can! Youth Program
    • Prison Program
    • Contact Us
    Get Involved 
    • Donate
    • Events
    • Become A Partner
    • Foster Program
    • The W.A.G.S. 4 Kids Foundation
    • Other Ways To Give
    • Volunteer
    Log In
    Home
    Who We Are 
    • Our Mission
    • Our Team
    • Locations
    • Financials
    • FAQ's
    • Resources
    • Press Kit
    What We Do 
    • Request An Application
    • Kids In Need
    • Our Teams
    • Kids Who Can! Youth Program
    • Prison Program
    • Contact Us
    Get Involved 
    • Donate
    • Events
    • Become A Partner
    • Foster Program
    • The W.A.G.S. 4 Kids Foundation
    • Other Ways To Give
    • Volunteer
    Log In
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    Home
    Who We Are 
    • Our Mission
    • Our Team
    • Locations
    • Financials
    • FAQ's
    • Resources
    • Press Kit
    What We Do 
    • Request An Application
    • Kids In Need
    • Our Teams
    • Kids Who Can! Youth Program
    • Prison Program
    • Contact Us
    Get Involved 
    • Donate
    • Events
    • Become A Partner
    • Foster Program
    • The W.A.G.S. 4 Kids Foundation
    • Other Ways To Give
    • Volunteer
    Log In
  • DONATE NOW
    • Our Team

      Let Us Introduce Ourselves...

      Our Staff

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      Sera Nelson

      Executive Director

      216-586-5853 ext. 2

      sera@wags4kids.com

      Sera Nelson serves as the Executive Director for the “Charity That Cleveland Grew”, Working Animals Giving Service for Kids and the founder and Executive Director of The WAGS 4 Kids Foundation. A graduate of Gilmour Academy and Ohio University, Sera’s own diagnosis of epilepsy fueled her passion and drive from a personal understanding of all the abilities that can exist in the life of a child faced with the challenges of disability. She was a founding Trustee and Board Member in 2004, shaping and supporting the W.A.G.S. 4 Kids mission of training and placing Service Dogs exclusively to children with disabilities in the Northeast Ohio area, joining WAGS 4 Kids full-time in 2012.

      In 2013, she created the W.A.G.S. 4 Kids Youth Empowerment Program, “Kids Who Can!” educating today’s youth how to own and utiize their own personal powers with passion to create purpose. Doing the things they love in such a way that will lead to the betterment of another child with developmental disabilities who needs their help.


      As Executive Director she now oversees all training aspects of the W.A.G.S. 4 Kids programs including in home interviews with applicant families, puppy selections, inmate training instruction and evaluations and transition training of specific dogs into each partner family. She is a Provider Member of the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP), and a proud graduate of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, cohort 16. In 2020 Sera founded the Working Animals Giving Service for Kids Foundation with the mission of safeguarding and supporting families' success against any crisis. It is under Sera’s direction that W.A.G.S. 4 Kids continues its legacy of growing possibilities, one child at a time.


      Sera continues to stay involved in her community in other ways having volunteered with 100+ Women Who Care - Cleveland, City Dogs Cleveland, United Way’s Youth Opportunities Unlimited, Cleveland Young Professional Senate, and The Epilepsy Association.

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      Josh Allender

      Director of Training & Family Services

      216-586-5853 ext. 6

      josh@wags4kids.com

      Certified by the W.A.G.S. 4 Kids Dog Trainers' Apprenticeship Program at North Central Correctional Complex, Josh received his certification in 2008 and helped train 18 service and skilled companion dogs during his apprenticeship. Since his release in December 2011, Josh has stayed dedicated to W.A.G.S. 4 Kids assisting with our in-home transition training. As a certified W.A.G.S. Staff trainer, Josh's responsibility is to lead and execute the W.A.G.S. 4 Kids Service Dog Trainers' Apprenticeship Program curriculum at Grafton Correctional Institution and educate the Grafton Project participants.

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      Lisa Schultz

      Director of Placement Services & Support

      216-586-5853 ext. 3

      lisa@wags4kids.com

      Certified by the National School for Dog Trainers' Master Training Course, Lisa has been a professional dog trainer since 1995. Lisa came to her role as Senior Trainer at Working Animals Giving Service for Kids through her work raising and breeding golden retriever puppies with Misty Meadows Kennels. Many of her puppies have graduated the W.A.G.S. 4 Kids training program and have gone on to serve the needs of children with disabilities and families across Northeast Ohio.

       

      Lisa has previously served as Director of Programming for Working Animals Giving Service for Kids and overseen W.A.G.S.' programs since 2005, leading W.A.G.S.' service dog training program at North Central Correctional Facility in Marion, OH, Grafton Correctional Institution in Grafton, OH and Mansfield Correctional Institution in Mansfield, OH. In addition to training service animals with W.A.G.S. 4 Kids, Lisa also serves the NE Ohio animal community with her business Dog Watch of Cleveland - Hidden Fences. Her greatest accomplishment, however, is her daughter, Madison.

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      Nick Schwieterman

      Certified Dog Trainer

      nick@wags4kids.com

      In October of 2014, Nick began his journey with us at W.A.G.S. 4 Kids. He quickly realized this program was a great opportunity to utilize his time wisely, while giving back to others at the same time. In 2017, after fulfilling a required 4,000 hours of training and classwork, he was certified by the W.A.G.S.-4-Kids Dog Training Apprenticeship Program at Grafton Correctional Institution. Over the next 5 years, Nick continued to grow with the program. He was not only an essential part of the training and placement of our service dogs, he continued to develop new skills which included: leading classes to train new recruits as well as dog grooming.
       

      At the end of 2022, Nick was released from Grafton. He now resides in Columbus, OH where he works full-time as CAD Operator and is pursuing his Bachelor's Degree from Ashland University. As Nick begins this next chapter, he is excited to work in this new capacity within the organization. As an Associate Trainer, he will work with families in the Central Ohio area on their journey to accept a service dog into their home.

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      Ashley Bosserman

      Certified Dog Trainer

      ashley@wags4kids.com

      Ashley started her journey in the service dog field in 2017 when she raised her first service dog. She continued to volunteer as a foster for multiple service dogs while serving as the assistant director of a service dog organization in her hometown. Ashley attended Millersville University where she studied Applied Disabilities and continues to pursue her passion of advocating for those with disabilities. She also works as a Behavioral Health Technician with OhioGuidestone. In her free time Ashley is a member of the International Association of Social Role Valorization and serves at her church as well as various disability programs. Ashley enjoys spending time with her own service dog, family, and friends.

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      Wendy Crann

      Co-Founder/Retired

      Wendy brings a lifetime of experience to W.A.G.S. 4 Kids. A second generation dog breeder and trainer, Wendy began participation in Junior Showmanship at the age of ten. Over fifty years later, she has never stopped her involvement in the rearing, training and caretaking of dogs. Her training experiences include both pure and mixed breed dogs, wolf hybrids and behavior modification training for problem behaviors and rescue dog socialization issues from trauma or mistreatment in group classes and as a private instructor.

       

      In 2006, Wendy authored "Dog's Don't Speak English", a training manual that helps the layman pick a puppy and teach it to be a service dog, skilled companion animal or simply a tremendous pet. Her book has been the core protocol for The Accredited Apprenticeship Service Dog Training Program of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections in Grafton, Ohio. In 2013 it was named “Best Inmate Program in Ohio” by MTC. After years of putting into practice this successful program and training methods, her new expanded training program, including W.A.G.S. innovative Autism Spectrum Disorder Service Dog Training , “Step By Step”, will be published in 2016.


      Wendy is a member of the Delta Society, a Provider Member of the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP) and was chosen by the American Kennel Club as a registered evaluator for their Canine Good Citizen's qualification certifications. It is under Wendy's direction that W.A.G.S. 4 Kids has taken shape with a very specific agenda. The animals we train will meet the specific needs of children : to aide and assist, to involve and engage, to give opportunities for social interaction and emotional support, and to bring joy!

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    W.A.G.S. 4 Kids Headquarters

    112 East Center Street

    Berea, OH 44017

     

    W.A.G.S. 4 Kids,

    Central OH

    Columbus, OH 43202

    Copyright 2016

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