We are excited to announce that Linda Schiller, along with the Board of Directors of Eleventh Hour Animal Rescue, have formally entered into a definitive agreement with the Nelsen Family to purchase the property at 75 Flanders Rd., Flanders, NJ, the current location of Waggin Tail Kennels. Well beyond a simple real estate transaction, this agreement ensures the lasting legacies of two families.
The Nelsen Family. Dan and Francine Nelsen, both true animal lovers, opened the doors of Waggin Tail in 1985. The Nelsens designed and built a state of the art facility with the safety and well being of the dogs and cats in mind. Over the past 35 years, the Nelsen Family has successfully grown their boarding and grooming business servicing customers in Morris County, with the help of their dedicated staff.
Growing up in a small apartment in Brooklyn, New York Dan was never allowed to have a dog and he never had a yard. Two things he always wanted. He read as much as he could about dogs and how to take care of them, until he was able to have one of his own. After the military, Dan got involved with dog training and opened his own grooming and pet supply business. It was at his grooming store where he met Francine, when she brought her Samoyed in to be groomed.
When they were married, they were looking to move out to the country to start a family and open a commercial boarding facility. After looking at many potential properties, it was here in Mount Olive where they saw the possibility of their vision becoming a reality. It took many years and help from a lot of wonderful people to make their vision come to life. In 1999 Dan and Fran were awarded the Mt. Olive beautification award for renovating the former turkey farm barn into a two story kennel with separate floors for dogs and cats. Francine lost her battle with cancer in 2011 but she would be so happy handing over their life’s work to such a great cause, 11th Hour Rescue.
It has been their pleasure to care for thousands of local furbabies over the past 35 years. Waggin Tail Kennels is so thankful to their amazing staff and loyal customers for making this dream come true.
Linda Schiller. The 11th Hour Animal Rescue, a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, was founded in 2004 by Linda Schiller. Her passion for animals and strong moral compass led to the growth of the organization to well over 500 volunteers and partners across multiple states. To date, the efforts of those volunteers and partners under Linda’s leadership have resulted in over 40,000 lives saved. At the beginning of 2020, their boarding facility, which currently houses over 40 dogs in Randolph, NJ, was sold. Not too long after, Linda was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. Knowing she could not leave her rescue homeless, Linda explored all options for a permanent facility. Upon her visit to the beautiful Waggin Tail Kennels, she knew she had found 11th Hour Rescue’s new home.
The Nelsen Family’s passion for animals and their commitment to quality will be continued through the work of volunteers that Linda started over 16 years ago.
