Friends of WTX Rescue Conference

12/05/2024

Online registration is closed, but if you want to attend the 2024 Conference on May 18 and 19, you can still register and pay on Saturday at the conference. We even have several sizes of extra tshirts, so hopefully we will have some that fit our late registrants! Come on - we’re happy to have you!🐾🐾
Spring Hill Suites
San Angelo TX
Saturday May 18, 7:30 - dinner and happy hour @5:30
Sunday May 19, 8:00-lunch @12:00

05/05/2024

We are very excited about our upcoming Rescue Conference May 18 & 19 at SpringHill Suites in San Angelo! Conference registration is STILL OPEN for those interested in attending … however, you will not be guaranteed a tshirt. We have ordered a few extra and, if we have extra ones in your size, you’re in luck. If not, you can still enjoy our wonderful speakers, great information, networking opportunities and some great food and a chance to meet some new friends! Sign up today! Jotform at top of page.

02/05/2024

Schedule for 2024 Conference

01/05/2024

Meet one of this year’s Friends of WTX Rescue Conference speakers.

Ricky Bedient, AKA “That Dog Guy,” has been rescuing and helping dogs for more than 30 years. His formal training is in diesel and aviation mechanics, but today his focus is helping/training dogs and their owners.

He started rescuing and rehabbing dogs off the street when he was 17. He worked in Katy/Houston area gyms as a fitness trainer and moved to the Permian Basin to continue that career. In 2007, after working with a fearful rescue Doberman mix named Buddy, he began to transition from training people to training dogs. He researched, read, watched videos, talked to dog trainers and successfully trained his first service dog, and he became forever a part of helping owners and dogs who need help. During Covid, he began using video training for his clients and now is busy with in-person sessions and with training via video all over the world.
Ricky’s love for all animals and his desire to help as many as he can also leads him to offer assistance to rescues. He believes that relationships with animals have changed his life, and that he is a better person today because of lessons learned from them.

30/04/2024

Meet one of this year’s Friends of WTX Rescue Conference speakers.

TJ Adams. I’ve been involved in rescue for close to 40 years. As we saw more and more dogs and cats ending up in shelters, Lisa Garza, Ronda Doe, Megan Marshall and I decided we couldn’t foster our way out of the overpopulation problems we saw, and we decided to start a low-cost spay-neuter clinic in Big Spring. Don’t Litter Affordable Spay Neuter Clinic is a 501(c)3 non-profit, opened in September of 2021. I also foster for CMC2 and Montana’s Pack.

29/04/2024

Meet one of this year’s Friends of WTX Rescue Conference speakers.

My name is Dana Fahntrapp and I am a subpermittee for Big Country Wildlife Rehabilitation out of Abilene. I have been with them for over two years and have had the opportunity to work a wild variety of wildlife. All together, I have been rescuing wildlife for well over 10 years and enjoy getting the opportunity to grow more skills being apart of their team. Raccoons are no doubt my favorite to work with but also require alot of work. The best part is the day you get to release them back into the wild for a second chance at life.

28/04/2024

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28/04/2024

Meet one of this year’s Friends of WTX Rescue Conference speakers.

Heather Robbins, originally from Minnesota, along with her husband Cliff and their beloved fur family, made the move to Junction, TX, in 2021. Witnessing the pressing needs within their new community, Heather quickly immersed herself in volunteer work and fostering for SCARF Rescue.

Together Heather and Cliff have fostered over 60 animals, driven by their deep commitment to saving lives and finding forever homes for pets nationwide. Beyond fostering Heather actively helps with animal transport, including local spay/neuter and TNR initiatives, notably through partnerships with Critter Shack and the local Junction Animal Shelter.

Apart from the immediate rescue efforts, Heather advocates for increased access to affordable spay/neuter and TNR programs in Junction and Kimble County, aiming to enact positive change in Texas and beyond."

28/04/2024

Meet one of this year’s Friends of WTX Rescue Conference speakers.

Hallie Rodriguez has been a Game Warden for 14 years. Spending the first 8yrs of her career in El Paso, then transferred to Tom Green County in 2018. Hallie has been happily married for 11yrs, has a 9yr old son and also a bonus mom to two daughters that are now grown up with families of their own. She also has 4 grandkids. Hallie is a plane crash survivor as well as a Cancer survivor. She enjoys her job and plans to do it for the remainder of her working life.

27/04/2024

Meet one of this year’s Friends of WTX Rescue Conference speakers.

Laura Nicklas. I've been an animal lover all my life. My dad learned early on not to take me hunting because I was always trying to save them. I ended up with several quail and doves as pets.
I went to high school in Singapore and loved all the traveling while living over seas.
Animals have always been in my life. I was always finding something to bring home irregardless of being told "no more pets!" Rescue had been an independent passion all my life till about 10 years ago when I got involved on a more serious note.
I'm the founder and president of Twilight Bark Rescue and Twilight Furry Friends Transport. I love driving thousands of miles each month with an unlimited amount of puppy kisses and snuggles. Personally I love hanging out with dogs more than most people these days. I wish more humans could learn from the absolute unconditional love that dogs give.

26/04/2024

Meet one of this year’s Friends of WTX Rescue Conference speakers.

Since May 2023, Kristopher McGuffin has been the Operating & Program Director at Cassie’s Place Rescue. In 2015, Kristopher adopted “Chester” one of the first medical cases taken on by Cassie’s Place. He then became a dedicated volunteer and foster to the rescue and in 2017 Kristopher accepted a position as caregiver at the rescue. In the past 6 years, Kristopher has worked his way up the administrative side of Cassie’s thru the vetting process, adoptions, transportations and employee relations. In May 2023, Kristopher was promoted to Operating & Program Director allowing him to oversee the daily operations of the facility, which houses 80-100 animals/365 days a year with a staff of 12-14.
Originally from San Angelo TX., Kristopher served as a Nuclear Weapons Specialist in the US Air Force in Albuquerque NM before moving back to San Angelo in 1999. He is the proud father to two daughters and enjoys spending time with the girls and tinkering on his Jeep. Kristopher can be found helping with injured and/or neglected animals in his home and has a very soft heart for the “big gentle giant” dogs.

26/04/2024

Meet one of this year’s Friends of WTX Rescue Conference speakers.

Kim has lived in San Angelo almost 20 years. I stumbled into rescue in San Angelo probably like most people. The need finds you and then it becomes a part of you. I have been involved with the lost and found pets in San Angelo for at least 15 years. Everyone has a niche and I suppose you’d call this my niche. My goal is to educate both finder of pets and pet owners who lose a pet about ways to have a happy resolution. As many people in Texas know, there is a problem and many dogs and cats are abandoned on the streets. But not all loose dogs and cats are dumped dogs and cats. I want every dog and cat to have a chance of getting home. I share on social media from a centralized website for lost pets. Responsible pet ownership begins at home and educating pet owners how to protect their pet is my platform. The solutions are simple and inexpensive. When a pet is lost, seconds matter and something as simple as a phone number on a collar could save a pet’s life. I love hearing “Fido is home. Thank you for helping”. In the circle of rescue, it does take a village, and each of us play a role that is significant, even if no one sees.

25/04/2024

Meet one of this year’s Friends of WTX Rescue Conference speakers.

Robyn Dial, along with husband Larry and senior pup Sandy, moved to San Saba from the Houston area in 2021. Before retiring, Robyn spent over 25 years working in the banking industry. Last year, she and Larry began volunteering with San Saba County Friends of Animals, their local rescue group. They fostered both dogs and cats and also transported for the TNR program. At the beginning of this year, Robyn became TNR coordinator. She is a strong advocate of spaying and neutering free-roaming cats, not only to help control the cat population but also to improve their health and behavior. When she’s not wrangling cats, Robyn likes to spend time with Larry and Sandy, often on the golf course, traveling the country in their RV, or visiting family who live near Houston.

25/04/2024

Today, April 25, is our deadline for tshirt orders! We will accept conference registration until May 15, but if you want a tshirt, today is our order date. We will order a few extra, but no promises to have your size. Register today! Great speakers, networking opportunities, giveaways!! See speaker bios on our conference FB page Friends of WTX Reacue

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24/04/2024

Meet one of this year’s Friends of WTX Rescue Conference speakers.

Brittany Bankston Payne
Brittany rescued her first Boxer at age 18. She received her education from Cedar Valley’s Vet Technology Program. She concentrated her studies, and much of her personal time, on bottle feeding and hand-raising various species including: birds, cats, dogs, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and a plethora of exotic species. She is most experienced in neonatal intensive care and orogastric tube feeding.
Brittany worked 2 years at a regular hospital, 2 years intermittently and 1 year full time at a small animal ER and 10 years at a private practice.
Brittany has worked with Critter Shack Rescue for many years. She enjoyed neonatal patients and fosters the most and her office was always full of mewling babies.
Brittany Payne currently lives in Panama City, Florida with her human family and all of their animal babies. Brittany has worked for Heartland Rescue Ranch for the last 4 years. They take in all manner of animals which keeps her from ever being bored. Brittany enjoys being the HRR Vet Tech and Medical Coordinator, bottle feeding, tube feeding, and always has foster puppies sleeping in her bed.

23/04/2024

Meet one of this year’s Friends of WTX Rescue Conference speakers.

Born and raised in the Concho Valley, this small town girl grew to love and respect all animals from an early age. Growing up on her family’s cattle ranch in Mertzon gave her ample opportunity to care for and learn from animals both large and small. It was this that led her to attend at Texas A&M University where she graduated with Biomedical Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees.

She has practiced at both mixed animal and small animal exclusive practices since graduation and still continues to see animals both large and small. Dr. Villarreal has experience in both traditional veterinary medicine and surgery and has recently expanded her knowledge to include Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine to offer a more holistic and individualized approach to each patient through acupuncture, herbs and diet.

In her free time, Dr. Villarreal loves to hang out with her husband, three children, dog Hobo and flock of chickens as well as help out on her family ranch.