Deserved win for community service

The Wimberley View’s Best of Wimberley has been out for a while, but the efforts of this year’s Community Volunteer award went to Debbie Nordyke of Wimberley Adoption Group and Rescue (WAG), one of the two founders along with Pat Davis.

She was born in Corpus Christi but growing up “we moved all over, Oregon, New York and finally moved back to Texas,” Nordyke said.

In baby pictures she is seen holding a dog, stuffed or real. As a little girl she wanted to be a veterinarian, “and I’ve always had an affinity for dogs. They are all different, but they all bring something to your life.”

She obtained a nursing degree from St. Thomas in Houston. Nordyke’s compassion was evident as a R.N. for 35 years in Houston, most noticeably at Hermann Hospital. Husband Tom was in the oil and gas business. When they retired, they moved to Wimberley.

“Tom deserves it (the award), too. He’s besides me, hauling trailers, putting up canopies, he’s a big part of this,” she said.

When it comes to dogs, that’s her passion. She and Davis formed the organization in 2009. They were a part of Animal Referral Services (ARF), a local non-profit that helps all pets, including cats.

“We saw so many dogs.” The two wanted to help dogs only, so they formed WAG. “Having phones and a computer, that’s how you start a business. We had been already rescuing dogs…it was an expedited process.” They applied in June 2009 for non-profit status and were approved that October.

“We were still very small. We had five dogs and a little money in the bank. Then it started blooming… we didn’t want puppies in a drainage ditch.” Debbie had a personal booth at Market Days and decided to take donations for WAG there. It got to the point where she couldn’t do both. So she donated the booth and set up a WAG store.

When the 2015 flood hit, they set up a booth and kennels in front of the high school. “When you leave, you grab the kids and pets.” The pets were not welcome inside of course, so they left them with WAG at the door where they would be housed and taken care of.

“We were out there for a week and the donations came from all over. We were spreading it all around and offering it to other shelters, like Martindale who had nothing…we made a big impact. We were and are a resource.”

But most of the credit for WAG’s success is the volunteers. There are 75 of them and some volunteer to help but not with the dogs, by volunteering at WAG’s thrift store, Treasures on Twelve.

She practices what she preaches by fostering dogs, over 225 and has kept a few of them. But there are failures, too. “We try to help the dogs to be a good companion, so they can get adopted.” But many are dogs cannot be adopted.

“For a lot of dogs, they are foster failures. It does happen…there are sick dogs, pregnant dogs, heartworms. It’s not fun watching puppies die.” But there are also the good times.

“It is very rewarding to get a healthy and adoptable dog to a family that wants a dog…I hope this brings attention to volunteering. It can bring you joy and a good times as a volunteer.”

WAG has adoption days during the weekends at King Feed and other places around town. Stop in and give them a visit.

“Give a rescued dog a good home…yours!”