So you might be wondering, “Why is there a pet blog on a website focused on mental wellness?” Well, here’s the scoop without the poop (yes, a litterbox reference right out of the gate). I’m a HUGE fan of animals, and I have a long history of rescuing critters, volunteering for animal welfare groups, providing animal-assisted therapy in nursing homes, utilizing therapy pets in my private practice, writing books about my critters, and conducting hundreds of events in various venues with my pets over the years. And when it comes to mental wellness, the research shows that pets can play an amazing role for us humans.
So, with that said, I have collaborated with many dedicated rescue peeps, trainers, some insightful supplement creators, and some fantastic veterinarians from a variety of backgrounds and specialties. They have assisted me with many of my pets and foster critters who have been challenged with a spectrum of special needs… gut issues, kidney problems, neurological conditions, mobility limitations, severe thunderstorm anxiety, allergies, heart abnormalities, cancer, FIV, Feline leukemia, blindness… you name it. Exploring research and incorporating a variety of modalities and approaches has helped me in my efforts to provide quality of life for each special creature I have been lucky enough to cross paths with.
Through the years, I have merged my love of animals with my desire to help children and adults in the world of mental wellness. Therefore, bringing a pet blog to the Wagtank seemed like a natural fit. I couldn’t get away from incorporating animals into it even if I tried. So here is where I will talk about social, emotional, behavioral, and physical health topics regarding pets.
And as far as the name “Wagtank”… well that originally was a name I created to refer to events I conducted with kids when I incorporated my animal characters from my books into interactive live sessions at schools. We discussed social, emotional and behavioral issues in relation to Boss Paws® and his Crew… and I threw some humane education into the mix as well.
When it came time for me to change my business names (formerly Animal Gambill, LLC and SoMoVial Health), three words kept popping up “Wellness-Action-Growth.” Yep, you guessed it, “W.A.G.” There it was. Right in front of me again. My critters were determined to permeate every element of my life, including the name of my business. “So be it,” I said. “Wagtank it is!” This name incorporates wellness (in my own weird way) and provides a nod to the critters all at the same time. Giddy-Up!
CATchya Later,
Gambill =^..^=