GRAFFORD — Thirty-five pets will bark and purr through 2026 thanks to a new nonprofit dedicated to saving Tails.
That’s the well-chosen name Hayley Wehunt gave to the mission that brought down the 36th Veterinary Life-Saving Bill last Tuesday.
“Yes, and there may be more movies coming today,” she said after the first rescue of the new year. “We have another couple coming today.”
A check-in on Friday revealed the number saved at 38.
A few days ago, the Grafford kindergarten teacher and founder of the nonprofit spoke about Saving Tails’ first year, looking forward to a huge success in 2026.
“I’m lucky,” she said, sitting at the dining table with her husband, Barry, son Dustin, and Saving Tales board member Maureen Maldonado. “Barry – one day I said, ‘Hey, do you want to do this?’ And there were no bribes.
Barry knew better.
He’d already seen the Southern California girl he once gifted a mama cow graze to 54 head in nine years, “not counting the kids” when the couple lived in Millsap.
Now settled for the past three years in Barry’s hometown of Grafford, the couple and their five-member board are ready for their second year as a 501©(3).
Saving Tails’ tongues wag from Palo Pinto to Parker County, as grateful pet owners spread tales of surgeries and treatments that allow their best friends to overcome life-threatening conditions that otherwise would strangle their owners’ bank accounts.
Local pet lovers and veterinarians in both counties are now reaching out to Saving Tails.
The nonprofit follows the books, first obtaining a veterinarian’s estimate that is presented to its board of directors.
Sometimes nonprofits can foot the entire bill, and sometimes they can just take a bite out of it.
“It just depends on the donations at that time,” Wehant said.
Fundraising is the tail that wags this dog.
“We did that our first year and started selling T-shirts,” she said. “I’ve created these coloring books that I think are really cool. They’re animals we’ve helped or pets of supporters.”
There was an online raffle, a summer skeet shoot at the lake. Then there was the bake sale.
“It was crazy,” Maldonado said. “People have been very generous. … I know someone who’s not a big animal fan. They support saving tails because they think it’s a good thing to do.”
One donor with a sweet tooth dropped $50 for a pound of cake, Wehunt said.
“We didn’t put price tags on anything,” she said.
Backers can throw a bone to save Tails in savetailsfoundation.org/where you can purchase Saving Tails swag including t-shirts and coloring books, and follow tail tales from Graford’s five-acre adventure in the Wehunt newsletter.
“Because it’s all donations,” son and board member Dustin said.
The nonprofit’s phone number is 940-463-5306 or email hayley@savingtailsfoundation.org.
For the Wehunts, saving Tails is like paying back an ancient kindness.
“About 22 years ago, we had a dog with a huge cancerous tumor in his stomach,” Hayley recalled of one named Buster. “We had to put it aside because there was no way we could afford the surgery.
“And someone just stepped in. He said a foundation was paying for it. And we still, to this day, don’t know who that person is.”
Save Tails follows the same path.
“No one asked me for anything,” the founder said. “They just came in and did it. That’s what we do: We just ask for the name of the vet and the name of the animal.”
Looking more than five years down the track, Wehunt envisions a long list of saved tails.
“We will continue to be here, and hopefully we will not say no to anyone,” she said.