One thing you can say about Serena Shapiro is that she’s loved and cared for  lots of animals.  She recalls opening the door of her family’s rural home when she was a child, bearing bowls of kitty chow, calling out “Here, Kitty, Kitty!”—and 21 felines came running.  The family always had a menagerie:  She has cared for and sometimes nursed more than her share of fish, white rats, turtles, gerbils, and birds.  For her 13th birthday she had only one wish: To raise her very own calf as a pet.  She and “Shalom,” her beloved Holstein, won plenty of blue ribbons at local 4-H fairs.  Shalom and Serena may have inspired the whole family: Soon after, her parents started a small family farm on their acreage in northwestern Connecticut, raising a few milking cows, sheep, capons, and pigs.  By the time she was 16, the family had moved onto a working 50-Holstein dairy farm in Great Barrington, Mass., and Serena found herself milking cows every morning and evening and mucking out their stalls after school.  In both Connecticut and Massachusetts, her family’s extensive property became the final destination for a steady stream of St. Bernards—townsfolk would purchase these gorgeous dogs when they were “adorable puppies” but no longer had the space for them once they grew into their full size.  When she was 17, Serena adopted Goliath, a stunningly handsome 2-year-old St. Bernard.  On many a warm summer’s day, Goliath would follow Serena down the driveway in the morning, wait at the gate all day, while Serena worked in the corn and hay fields, and eagerly welcome her home at day’s end when she turned into the driveway on her John Deere tractor.   She and Goliath shared ice cream cones, secrets, friendship, and a bedroom.

Living in the Boston area after attending Brandeis University, Serena adopted a young kitten – her first pet in the city.  This was the start of a series of nine cats who found a place in her lap, her home, and her heart over the years.  She and her partner eventually adopted a feisty and loving adult Lab-Doberman mix who became part of their family, and lengthy dog walks became part of daily life.  She has logged upwards of 3,600 miles over the years in dog walks. At present Serena has an enormously loyal and beautiful English Golden Retriever, Yanna, who has been one of her closest friends over the past 5 years.  Serena thrives on the deep, unspoken bond she has with Yanna. 

Professionally, Serena is an MSW, LICSW, medical social worker.  She worked for 7 years as a Hospice Social Worker and prior to that, for 2 years as a medical/surgical social worker in a busy city hospital.  She brings to Waggie Maggie’s not only a deep love and respect for animals but also a professional and personal interest in seeing that the needs and feelings of pet parents are understood and met.

All Waggie Maggie's staff members are covered by liability insurance.