Betsie Bolger - 2024 - Volunteer of the Year

Betsie Bolger of Dallas, Texas, has always been involved with horses and dogs. When she stopped training horses, she started competing in agility with a Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix named Coco from the SPCA of Texas. She now competes with four of her six rescue dogs. 

A longtime freelance writer for several blogs and publications, Betsie volunteered several years ago to help write for USDAA’s OVERview. Her local and national connections in the agility community give her access to unique, personal stories for the monthly e-news/digital magazine, such as a rescued Aussie who was named 2024 Therapy Dog of the Year, an insider’s look at her own first time as trial chair (2023), and a helpful article for handlers to know when it’s time to retire their dog. She was also part of the writing team behind the May and June 2023 issues of OVERview that earned first place in the Dog Writers Association of America’s annual writing competition in their respective categories.  

In addition to writing for USDAA, Betsie continues to be a cheerleader and advocate for the organization, promoting it on social media and with newcomers.