A Special Transport!

SN lives at Red Lake; she's showing off a giant cat at the most recent RLRR clinic in the photo above. I met her on my very first visit to Red Lake. She was eagerly helping Karen to help the animals and we really saw her as a hope for the future. I even named the kitten I brought back that trip after her! She is a favorite of all the volunteers from the metro.

All along I have been inviting her to the Twin Cities for a visit sometime and finally, about two weeks ago she called and wondered if she could come to visit before the start of school. I quickly made arrangements to borrow my mother's minivan to haul up supplies for RLRR and drove up and back on a Saturday. I met SN in Bemidji at her grandmother's house and Karen came down with her van to pick up the supplies and to send three dogs back with us.

Holloway looks happy in this photo, but he was recovering from an injury to his leg. We took him directly to a vet in Bloomington, where he was too scared to walk and crawled into the clinic on his belly. Thanks to Pet Haven for taking him! He's doing well in his foster home.

R met us in Bloomington and continued the transport for the other two dogs on to Second Hand Dog in Claremont, MN. Donna is the fluffy shepard mix; she recently had her heartworm treatment through a Friends of Flicka grant. Tracey is the cute shepard mix pup.

SN has been to the Twin Cities before, but there were some firsts during this trip: the State Fair, a ride on a city bus, Como Zoo where she saw giraffes and lions and tigers and more for the first time. RLRR volunteers DeeDee and Barbara were able to spend time with her, too, so she got to go shopping at the Mall of America and driving through downtown Minneapolis. I hope she'll visit again soon.

Another volunteer, L, had already been planning a drive north to Red Lake for the following Saturday, so she gave her a ride home and I expect she is back in school now.

Karen just wrote to me to say:
I talked to SN the day after her return to Red Lake and she said she had a great time!
This was a rare opportunity for her and a great way to mentor our Red Lake youth.
We thank the metro committee and Denise for their hospitality towards SN and for their help in getting these Red Lake animals a new chance at life!
Karen Good, RLRR