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.

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.

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!