A youtube tribute to Ode from Pet Haven

Follow the links on his name, Ode, to learn more about this dog.

Update on Morris & his big best buddy

How great is this friendship!

Denise:

The cat in this photo is Morris from Red Lake Rosie's. My brother adopted him last Fall. Morris has befriended a Mastiff-St. Bernard neighbor's dog and they absolutely adore one another. (My husband Tom recently took this photo.) Thanks....

Nancy and Tom

Update on Foxie Moxie

Dear Denise,
(Pix are Mox in pool, Mox w/ her Fox in Sox toy & Moxie as my bath matt :)
It's not safe to encourage me to share stories about Moxie! :)
Let's see...this little girl that I didn't even know such a short time ago follows me around so closely she is always stepping on the back of my shoe or slipper. She loves practicing lessons from class. Sometimes I just use gestures. Moxie loves her squeaky toys! Usually all I have to do is say "squeaky squeak" and she will find one & start squeaking. Sometimes we carry on a squeak conversation back & forth. Perhaps in copying her Elkhound sister Sydneys' rooo-roooo noise, Moxie has started making a soft little roo sound, we praise her & she is doing it more & more often. We practice "bring this to mommy" "bring this to daddy" with an item and she is getting pretty good at it. Got her a pool to see if she would like it and she sure does! The hose though, is even better! She also thinks her new ball that squirts out water when she bites it is really cool too.
I keep adding new games to keep her mentally stimulated. A new one she likes is I creep my hand slowly toward her as she is biting on a toy.
She will stop biting it in eager anticipation of who can grab it quicker.
You can see the excitement in her eyes as she is trying to guess when I will pounce!
The fun Moxie & her sister Sydney have daily is hilarious! Sydney has gained confidence having Moxie here and also classes helped them both a lot.
Since Syd is right handed & Moxie a leftie, they will sit next to each other for a treat & when I say shake they each put their paw in my hand at the same time. Sydney had to learn it's ok for another dog to touch her, so this is a much bigger feat than it may sound! Sydney always liked to play, but the shelties in our home never cuddled w/ her etc, so she was foreign to someone like Moxie who has no comprehension that maybe everyone does not want to be sat on , or leaned on, or laid on top of!!
Yes, we have had some holes chewed in blankets, Some of my under garments have been devoured nearly completely, a shoe or two has some teeth marks on it, there are holes in the back yard just recently because there is some type of bug she is in pursuit of, several stuffed toys have met untimely deaths.........though I remind her those things are not good things to do, I smile inside, delighting that she is happy now, but I think not nearly as happy as she makes me.
D~ Moxie's mom :)

Happy update for Arial and pups!

Dear Denise:
This is the update on the Mama Pit, Arial, that was taken to RAVS Clinic as a stray with a large litter. They went to Wright Way Rescue in Illinois. All pups adopted and mama a wonderful dog. Nice story for a pitbull , and a happy ending.
Karen
Here's what the Wright Way Rescue wrote:

Hi Karen,
Good news, the last four puppies were adopted by a mother/daughter team. The each took 2 and are planning to raise them together. I didn't get any pictures because they were adopted out of the shelter and I wasn't there when they came in. They are wonderful little puppies and very smart. I have heard from some of the families and they said they are doing well with potty training. The mother dog is going to be spayed on Thursday. She is a real angel. I can't believe what a good dog she is. She has not had one accident in the house. She whines when she has to go out. Do you know if she was kept inside or outside? She is a PERFECT DOG!! One of her teeth is broken in half and the vet said that he will pull it when he spays her because the root is exposed and she is in pain. You would never know that it bothered her.

Take Care
S.

Statistics from HSUS/RAVS clinic

CLICK ON PAGE TO ENLARGE.

More momma dogs & pups at the RAVS clinic

This sweet dog was my introduction to the "bully" breeds. She came to us with all her bones showing through her skin, but she was nursing her nine puppies. The pups looked quite healthy until we gave them their first dose of de-wormer and then they pooped out piles of dead round worms. You get immune to the grossness of all that and I'm just so glad to get the worms out of their poor bellies. After cleaning out the kennel multiple times, someone remarked that maybe I was lucky to be missing supper at the clinic that night -- spaghetti!


Karen was very worried about what would become of this dog and her pups. There is almost no where to go with dogs that look like that may be part pit bull or the places that do take them are full. It is so irresponsible to breed these dogs when there is no future for them. One of the biggest challenges at the clinics at Red Lake is trying to convince the people to have their pit bull dogs spayed and neutered. They want to breed them and sell the puppies and keep the males intact to encourage fierce behavior. I can tell you that all this momma wanted was to raise these pups and then rest. She had multiple health problems from her lack of care, but she was absolutely dear to everyone.

This small pretty white dog caught everyone's eye. We didn't know how she was managing with her six large puppies that all looked like shepard or lab mixes. She also need health treatment, but the future was much brighter for her because of her size, appearance and gentle temperament.

Rosie's on youtube!

Hi everybody!! I made a youtube link for Rosie's. I used some of the pictures from RAVS and some from the blog. Check it out : )



-Ellen Fisher

Reward for Info regarding Animal Cruelty -- A First!

Dear Friends: This is a first time we have had a reward for animal cruelty at Red Lake, and it is definitely progress!! We will keep you updated. Thank you to all who helped get this in motion especially Sarah and Alice in Red Lake at courts and Safe Neighborhoods Program.
Sincerely, Karen Good

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The HSUS Offers Reward in Torture of Ode, a Redby, MN Puppy
(Aug. 19, 2008)--
The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward up to $2,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for burning the ears off of a puppy in Redby, Minn. in July.

The Case: Red Lake Rosie's Rescue animal shelter, at the Red Lake Indian Reservation, gives the following account: On July 8, a puppy was found wandering near a baseball field in Redby and was taken to the shelter by a local resident. The shelter's director took the puppy to a veterinarian, who treated him for burns on his ears. However, the burns were so severe that the puppy's ears flaked off. He also sustained burns to the top of his head and his whiskers. The puppy-who was named "Ode," for "heart" in the Ojibwa language of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians-is now recovering and has been taken into a foster program of Pet Haven, Inc. in the Minneapolis area.

Animal Cruelty: Getting the serious attention of law enforcement, prosecutors and the community in cases involving allegations of cruelty to animals is an essential step in protecting the community. The connection between animal cruelty and human violence is well documented. Studies show a correlation between animal cruelty and all manner of other crimes, from narcotics and firearms violations to battery and sexual assault.
"Those who abuse animals can be dangerous to people," said Jill Fritz, The HSUS' Minnesota state director. "Anyone who would torture such an innocent creature may well be capable of doing more harm to other animals and people."

The Investigators: The Red Lake Police Department is investigating.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Capt. Gina Benson at 218-679-3313, ext. 1005.

Resources: The HSUS Animal Cruelty Campaign raises public awareness and educates communities about the connection between animal cruelty and human violence while providing a variety of resources to law enforcement agencies, social work professionals, educators, legislators and families. The HSUS offers rewards in animal cruelty cases across the country and works to strengthen laws against animal cruelty.

Visit: humanesociety.org/cruelty .

Media Contact: Pepper Ballard, 240-751-0232, pballard@humanesociety.org

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization - backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs.

The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037

On the web at humanesociety.org

Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty

More photos from RAVS clinic

This poor momma dog came in emaciated and covered in mange. She had ticks and fleas and worms -- the works -- yet she was trying to care for a pup from a previous litter in nearly the same shape as Mom and three tiny fluffy pups. She was very sweet and one of the vets from RAVS took her home to supervise her recuperation.

Portrait of Ode

Ode has become quite the little celebrity! He was rescued by Nokomis after both of his ears were burned away in an unbearably cruel prank. She brought him to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue for immediate care and then Pet Haven stepped right in to foster him. He has been healing well and making friends ever since. Recently he was selected to have his portrait painted by an Jessie Marianiello of Stray Dog Arts. Below is the portrait and comments from the artist.

Ode--she is a brave spirit. So brave, in fact, that she changes every single person who comes in contact with her. Myself included. She is, after all, the one responsible for altering the mission of Stray Dog Arts.

Painting dogs has led me home (home, that is, to my truest self), but Ode is the one who opened up the heart of this home in a way that I was unable to imagine before her.

Ode, pronounced "O-Day," is Ojibwa for "heart"--and full of heart, she is! At 14 weeks old she was wandering with both of her ears burned off, scared, and in pain.

Since that day, Ode has made an incredible recovery--not only physically, but emotionally as well. She is currently being fostered by in incredible family along with another puppy, Eve (who, I'm happy to say, we're adopting!).

Ode has opened up doors and windows and friendships and opportunities that have altered everything for me. This little pup who was horrifically abused and then abandoned has opened up my eyes to a whole new way of being.

If there are angels on earth, then Ode is surely one of the most high spirited among them. Sweet Ode, what an incredible teacher she is.

This particular painting will be donated to a silent auction for Pet Haven's Fall Benefit. It is also the first painting in the series of many that will promote animal rescue efforts.This is just the beginning....

* * *Dear Ode,

Thank you for breaking me open.

Thank you for sparking an entire world of possibility.

Thank you for leading me to our new puppy, Eve.

Thank you for showing me that everything is possible.

Thank you for connecting me with Marilou and Pet Haven rescue.

Thank you for your rambunctious, bubble-loving energy.

Thank you for showing me that there is always hope.

Thank you for teaching me the importance of letting go.

Thank you for being a living example of bravery.

Thank you for changing the world, just by being you.

Thank you for teaching me how all of us can make the world better by simply being our truest self.

Thank you for helping me get over my self-doubt and fear over whether or not I will be successful.

Thank you for showing me another way of seeing.

Thank you for leading me to endeavors that support me--inside and out.

Thank you for being an inspiration.

Thank you for playing ball with me and jumping on me and showing me how you can run.

Thank you for helping me be a better person.

Thank you for bringing me to this place of open-hearted love.

Thank you for showing me that anything is possible when you BELIEVE.
Thank you for changing my life.

Ode, I love you.

your friend forever,

Jessie

Photos from RAVS clinic

Barbara reflects on her summer at RLRR

I’ve returned from my last trip of the summer to Red Lake and am feeling reflective and a bit misty. Saying goodbye and driving away felt like leaving an essential part of myself behind. I didn’t realize how much I counted on the daily presence of the dogs and cats who share Karen’s home and inhabit the shelter to fill me up.

Jake and Rosie, who sought me out because I got to give them their special treats; Julie, who does binkies like a bunny; and Hazel who gets picked on. To protect her (and against her wishes) we carried her into the house each night on her pillow-this earned her the nickname Cleopatra. Mouser, the eternal puppy who wants all the attention; and Meghan who hissed at me every trip, except this last week when she decided it was OK that I was in her house. Cooper, a formerly feral dog who favored me with his friendship every other day; Rusty, who is now carrying tennis balls and stuffed toys instead of rocks; and Snowball, the alpha female with her regal comportment. This is what I woke up to every morning, and how I ended every day.

At the shelter, the cast changed frequently, and each of them left a fond impression on me. Some of the goodbyes over the summer were of a very difficult-but necessary-nature. The black dog I called “Sweet Angel” whose body was so broken that our only choice was to free her from it. I only knew her for 20 minutes, and all I could offer her was water with food soaked in it (she was too starved to eat), but I will always carry the memory of her soulful eyes and gentle nature. She was so appreciative of a few moments of kindness. Karen said she was “haunted” by her, and her strong spirit and kind eyes. There was indeed something very special about this dog-a dear soul who did not get her due in this life. And others, for whom I pause each night for a moment of fond remembrance.

Last Sunday, Karen went to great lengths to rescue a dog who had been attacked with a knife and left alone outside to suffer. I named him Holloway after a dear old friend of mine, for he seemed to me like a dear old friend of mine. He sat on my lap with complete trust as Karen cleaned and dressed his wound, though it was obviously painful for him. But he knew he was being cared for and healed. And he is. I miss him.

And Tessa, whom I transported yesterday who had two beautiful puppies at the dumpster and later risked her own life to try to save two different puppies from an attack by a feral dog. The scars on her face evidence the life she lived before Rosie’s, but she is as sweet and trusting as they come. I could hardly bear to leave her, but I must have faith that she will find the life she deserves.

So many brave and noble animals, I can’t name them all or tell all their stories, but I can say that it was wonderful to be among them over the course of the summer, to be greeted each day as though it’s the very most exciting day ever, and to know they are safe in the gentle cradle of Karen’s caring hands. I refuse to get stuck in the sorrow of the conditions on the reservation. The solace and joy of those who find Rosie’s fill me with hope for those who still suffer.

I am grateful for the steadfast devotion of my dear friend Karen and for all who support her work. I am particularly grateful that Benay is available to stay at Red Lake this fall so Karen can finally get the surgery she needs to be free of pain in her very hard work to bring more kindness and compassion into this world which desperately cries out for it.

I suppose my life will soon return to its normal course, but I intend to carry forward with the determination and vision that founded and sustains Karen’s work . That’s how I can best honor her and the wonderful animals who shared my summer, and also those who needed to but couldn’t. They are the gift.

Peace to all creatures,

Barbara Bowman

Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight. -Albert Schweitzer

Garage Sale was a success.

A note from Crystal who was the chief organizer for the garage sale this year:

Had a couple busy days, but wanted to get back to everyone with details about the yard sale. First of all it was a group effort, as most successful projects are. Sincere thanks go to Sandy & her husband Dale for not only allowing us to use the garage, but for helping throughout the week.

Sandy worked Mon.through Thurs., Claudia & Ellen did tons of pricing at their house, worked for set up, take down on Sun.(along with Claudia's other daughter ) & also at the sale on Thurs. Then Ellen brought the remaining books to Half Price Books & received another $32 dollars. Way to go Ellen!

Lynn worked on getting tons of items, and kept us going late into the night at set up Tues.,then came back and worked most of Wed. Mary Ann & Idelle worked at the sale on Fri.afternoon,and also helped at set-up, and Eldora Anderson came for a couple of hours Thurs. afternoon. Denise, Claudia, & I were drop off sights.

We had steady business and almost everyone bought something,so all in all it was a good sale. We made a total of $1265 + the $32 which equals $1297 with matching funds. I read in the paper that the HUGE Hugo tornado sale, at the new school, ( I went & it was a mad house) made $6000 and they considered it wonderful. They had tons of stuff and workers. So in comparison I think we can say ours was a success as well.

Thanks again everyone who worked, donated, collected and anything else. Forgive me if I omitting anyone, easy to do with such a dedicated group.

Crystal

I want to say a big THANK YOU to all who helped and so does Karen:

Dear Friends:

A great big thank you from all the animals of Red
Lake and Red lake Rosie's Rescue for all the wonderful people who helped us once again to have a great fundraiser. We are forever grateful to you all!!

Karen Good and RLRR

Another note from Lesle

This was an overwhelming ordeal and my first RAVS experience.

Ellen, chief cook and bottle washer and with the help of her mother's excellent cooking, provided a lot of very sustainable foods throughout the week. Thank you Ellen and Claudia and while I was there the first half of the week, I was amazed at the need for the animals to be loved, feel safe and be watered, fed and walked on a regular basis and of course I fell in love with Pete. He came from a very desperate situation (thank you Karen for saving him and the callie cat with her babies) and came through like a trooper. I had the privilage of walking him and caring for him those first few days and we developed a bond that will never be broken. I wish Pete the best and a warm and happy home to live in - and I hope it's my home - we'll see.

I too, in the beginning part of the week, saw things I never imagined. I just hope all of the people that volunteered to help Karen at this clinic saw a little bit of life we don't typically see and can help Karen in the future to diminish the abuse and neglect the animals of Red Lake suffer and to educate people who want to help their animals in a way that is beneficial to them. I saw many people like that who were concerned about their animals - education is key here.

Thank you all who volunteered and let's keep the momentum going. Thank you Karen for your continued devotion to those who can't speak for themselves.

Take care,

Lesle

Recap of RAVS from Colleen

I would also like to thank Barb for all the work
she did for and before RAVS as well as all the folks
who took time to supply or support the event
in any way. It is monumental no matter which way
you look at it.

This year I had a chance to experience
the animal care end of things and even tho
"I animal care every day"- I was not mentally prepared for the volume of
labor involved in caring for about 50+ needy animals
on a daily basis. We seriously could have used
about 2 -3 more hands in that department each day.
I agree that the work sheets on top of the cage
were very valuable so in the chaos there was a string of
information on each "guest" we had- that could track
the meds and walks etc.

I will send out a recap sheet to the larger animal list
that I have so they can get a feel for the size of the
event and personal stories about the animals- I feel with
this connection we can install some volunteerism and
hope to increase the numbers next year-

I also- second the thank you to Crystal for dealing with
the incoming people. I tried it for one 1/2 hour shift
and threw in the towel. I did not have patience for it.

It was a pleasure to meet Benay and am happy that she
will be able to come up and help Karen out after her
surgeries.

I will give my one last observation- last year even from the
kitchen I was overwhelmed with the amount of drop offs
and "is Karen here"... people wanting to throw away litters
of animals. While there was still plenty of that- and I missed
the first few days- the overall numbers of that seemed to be
less- which if it continues- is the best indicator we have
that we are being successful.

On another note- it occurred
to me that I was also suffering from some degree of
desensitization. Although in no way- was I ignoring the
animals care- etc but when Shelby, Mindy and the 3 pups
came in- in the same condition that grandpa and the germ shep
pups came in last year- I recalled that I was enraged, angry
and in disbelief and this year - there was no
surprise- just a recognition that with some time and food
they would no doubt get past the hell of having been ignored
in Red Lake. And I started to think about how often we
ask how these people can just walk past all this and not
do anything- but if they have never seen anything else and
they don't have the mental resource to pull at
this is jsut part of the natural landscape. It is the
way it is.

On that note- I think it goes back to
education-

well- enough of that-
again thanks everyone- I'm still resting up
from the ordeal!

colleen

Update on Lucy & Linus

Remember Lucy & Linus, the momma cat without any kittens and the newborn kitten without any momma who found each other at the previous Red Lake clinic?

Well, Linus is growing up fast and Lucy has adopted a baby brother for him named Charlie Brown.

Charlie Brown was given away by people here in the Twin Cities at a much too young age -- we're estimating he was only three weeks old. When he came to the attention of Feline Rescue, we decided to try him with the family from the Rez!

Lucy took a few hours to really accept him, but Linus was thrilled from the start to have a brother to play with. The only problem was that Linus was about two weeks older than Charlie and he had far more energy and endurance. Soon, however, Charlie followed his big brother like a shadow and now they race around like there is no age difference at all.

Lucy is very sweet and very responsible to her boys. We're so grateful that we didn't have to try to raise these two without a mom!

Comments from Colleen

HI all-

You know I like to report back after a RED LAKE TRIP so here you go. I do this
A- to educate people about what goes on
at events like this
B- how much work is put in by HSUS and others to help the animals in that community
C- to THANKS all of those
directly and indirectly involved in helping the animals leave the rez to get a new home in many parts of the US and
D- lastly- to install
a desire in new people to jump on board and help.

So first I want to thank all of the folks who spent time and energy at RED LAKE or worked to keep us fed etc. This is a huge effort and with aprx 100 people involved- there is a lot of food, energy and material support needed. From the perspective of what is spent- donated what have you- it is returned many fold in the energy and medical care given to animals in a region of blunt poverty.

Dr. Eric the fellow who dreamed up this program which is funded by HSUS is a genius and works non stop when he's at these clinics to make sure as much gets done as possible. I do not have the numbers for this year- but it looks something like this:

There were about 60 volunteers for HSUS - vet techs, vet tech students, vets, vet students and the crew that travels with Dr. Eric.

They pay to attend this event, pay to get to the site - whether they drive in or fly. They sleep at the dorm at the convent or they camp at the warehouse with the rest of us. Their days start at 6am with a short meeting and then they have to do rounds- which is walking animals and care for the animals that might have had medical surgeries the day before- or if their "owners" left them over nite.

They put in 14-16 hour days, drive to the convent - crash and come back the next day and do it again. Emotions range from sheer exhaustion to glee. I thought the better comment I overheard was:
"as a vet student- I will learn more here for my $250 investment" than I would from a 4 year $50,000. classroom experience. This fellow was so enthusiastic at the end of 6 days of this that he wanted to go on with them to do the second week.

As the support team Red Lake Rosies supplies food for the crew plus our own volunteers. This year we had a simpler menu and it was almost in total handled by Ellen, a young woman of 18 whose family last year ended up adopting a Red Lake refugee dog- and whose family now works very hard to support the efforts going on up there. Ellen did a great job in the kitchen and said she will be back again.

The rest of the volunteers for Rosies- who were to many to mention here and since I didn't get there until Thurs- I 'm sure I will miss some- but this crew works a different part of the event. Since this is kitty and puppy season there are a good number of people who walk in wanting to surrender their animals. If they come in with infants only-and want RLRR to take them the first question we ask is where is the mother- we want her to- or can we get her spayed so this doesn't keep happening- THIS YEAR we did have less surrenders than last year- and while its worth noting- one year- does not make a trend- so it is too early to say what it means.
WE got great help from rescue groups again this year and Karen said by mid week- that at least 90 some animals had left on transports to various rescues around MN and WISC. 90 animals that will get good homes and 90 animals that won't be reproducing. Then there were the balance of about 25 -30 that will be at Karens for some many weeks, recovering from starvation or mange.

LAST year- you might recall I ranted on about starving dogs who could barely stand up. Those dogs went on to become fat and sassy - so this year when the "Auschwitz dogs" came in looking like they didn't have a day left in them- I didn't get as crazed. I got busy and started making puppy gruel and getting water in them.

We had another large dog named BOON left behind because he was too big, but the family was happy to keep the puppies "sired" by him who will get just as big. It makes no sense and the rage bubbles up.

There was a female "Auschwitz" dog who came in with her 1 year old puppy and 3 2 week old puppys who were left to start in a kennel in the back of the yard. Someone alerted Karen to them so she went and pulled them. These dogs- Shelby, Mindy, Kevina, Jacob and Josh were in quite bad condition. Shelby the mom who was under 2- had heartworm, lymes disease and no hair with a severe case of mange and a heart condition to boot. The daughter Mindy had lymes and mange and the puppies had mange- and were starving.

At the end of 4 days- Shelby and the 3 pups went to WISC, Mindy went to karens. All doing much better, with many weeks of recovery ahead of them.

This volunteer stint is not for the weak of heart. You get your fill of puppy kisses and in return get to see an overflow of puppy poop and worms. You get to see dog feces, and upon closer inspection see worms and dirt. Towards the end, the dogs we get were forced to try and eat dirt to survive.

Almost all of the dogs have worms, about 80% have mange, about 60% have lymes or heartworm or both. Partly its the rural environment, partly neglect.

I have attached pictures so you can see these dogs conditions, and one pictures of the help on break!

Well, I will close here with encouragement for any of you who like to work with animals hands on--please consider going up we can always use more help. If you don't feel that's your calling- there are many support things that can get done without leaving home.
Just let us know what you are good at.

Thanks for reading this far down!!
Have a good one.
Colleen
CARE/ RLRR


Animals understand your tears, what
they really appreciate is action.

More Thanks from Jodi

Barbara - you forgot to thank yourself & Karen for making RAVS successful too! There has been a lot of expectations put on you because of your work sabbatical allowing you to spend your summer at Karen's. Barbara - you've done a great job with organizing RAVS too. I can't even imagine how much planning goes into setting up the clinic but you guys did a great job and for that we thank you!

At RAVS I spent the majority of my time on the animal care side (dogs & cats from Karen's or new surrenders) but from my perspective, everything seemed to work great. The animal care sheets were a great idea to keep track of when the cages were cleaned, medications given, and dogs walked. Jeanette did a fabulous job at keeping those up to date. I agree that Ellen was great in the kitchen and always w/ a smile - even when babysitting children (some better behaved than others). Crystal was great at doing incoming and greeting the folks (I'd rather work w/ the animals so I thank Crystal for being so good at that). I think it went well and I look forward to helping out again next year.

thanks everyone!

Jodi

Denise's RAVS experience

I drove up to Bemidji last Tuesday and stayed with friends there Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night -- Thanks again to Paul & Cathy and Maria for their hospitality and friendship and a special thanks to Cathy & Sonia for food treats each day for the volunteers!

I worked at the clinic all day on Tuesday and Wednesday, trying to help wherever I was needed: animal care, kennel cleaning, preparation of pet food and flea medications for giveaway, etc. I borrowed a friend's Jeep Cherokee so I could haul a load of supplies up to Red Lake and transport animals afterwards -- another Thanks to Gus who traded vehicles with me for the week.

I provide foster care for cats and kittens, so it is a special treat for me to work with dogs and cats at Red Lake. Most of the cats that come into the clinic are in pretty good shape. No doubt there are lots of sick and injured cats, too, but no one brings them in.

The skinny, mangey dogs really break my heart. They are so ready for attention and training; they just want to please you. Time and again we hear from the shelters that take in the dogs and their adopters that the Red Lake dogs have a wonderful temperament. Is it gratitude for the improvement in their circumstances? Photos of them soon.

One more Thank you to my friends who came into my home twice a day while I was out of town to look after my foster kittens-- I can't leave town without that help!

We packed the Jeep full on Friday morning with two large dogs, five adult cats, four older kittens and a momma cat with her newborn kittens. Almost all were dropped off at Tri-County Humane Society in St. Cloud.

I offered to take the momma cat with the newborn kittens into my home for foster care and they are now part of Feline Rescue. The young tiny skinny momma cat had a special "flank" spay to avoid problems with the five kittens nursing on her belly. It took me a few days to find a food she really likes, but now she is eating well and she's got the hang of caring for the babies. I was panicked when she wasn't eating well and the kittens were making a mess of their bedding and screaming in hunger, so I did some syringe-feeding to tide them over, but mom, Tatiana, is fully in charge now and the kittens are racing around in the bathtub and wrestling already!

Thanks from Barbara!

These comments are from Barbara who has taken a leave of absence from work to volunteer at Red Lake Rosie's Rescue this summer. She helped Karen so much with organizing and running the HSUS/RAVS clinic.

Well, now that I've had a week to R & R, I though I'd send out a note about RAVS. There's already been a lot of action since then-the successful garage sale (thank you, Crystal), and the Pins for Pets event yesterday (thank you, Denise) is already getting to be old news....

We have to wait for RAVS to report numbers, and Karen already sent a note regarding the surrender and placement info, so I'll stick to the other stuff.

First of all, a huge THANK you to everyone who came and worked-everybody worked HARD-we were lean on volunteers, so everyone had to do double duty. Extra special thanks to the animal care people-those who stayed at the warehouse. Especially the gang who was there the second half of the week-Colleen, Carol and Jeanette-did I miss anyone? As the number of surrenders went up, and as Karen's animals cycled through, these ladies worked like maniacs to keep all the animals cleaned, fed, watered and walked. And of course, they had to monitor all through the night, so I don't think they slept much. They had some special needs dogs in their care and also worked on socializing some tough cases.

And to our wonderful soon-to-be-U of M student, Ellen-who ran the kitchen virtually single handedly (AND with a smile on her face!) I can't speak for her, but from a user-perspective, the operation was smooth and successful. Ellen was unexpectedly called on to provide occassional day care for unruly kids, and she smartly involved the kids in helping with meal prep. She kept notes of how much food was consumed, staples we should have on hand, what was popular, what was missing, etc., so we'll have that info for next year. On a personal note, I'd like to say thank you to Ellen for her positive "can do" attitude, which significantly reduced the stress level for me!

Speaking of food, it was great-the prepared meals provided by Claudia, MaryAnn and Kristin (did I miss anyone here?) are absolutely the way to go. They were hearty and delicious and made meal time a relative breeze. The snacks that others sent up were great-especially the fruit (next year veggies too, per Ellen's list & requests from the RAVS folks), and there was always something available for a quick pick up. One night a local woman who had brought her dog to the clinic stopped by with fresh fry bread, a pot of wild rice soup & cake-they loved it.

Nancy also brought sandwich makings, potato salad and a hot dish that went over great. Her wonderful husband Tom also arrived with a big load of high quality food from the shed-just in time! On Sunday, they brought the whole family to break down and clean crates. I am hoping this is the start of an annual family tradition...

In addition to volunteering all week and delivering food & other supplies, Jodi recruited her friend Chuck to spend a day at the shelter on some grounds improvements that were awaiting attention and helped immensely to provide sufficient kennel space for the surrenders returning to the shelter. Jodi spent her evenings repackaging sample packets for giveaway at the clinic-this is her idea of a "vacation"!!!!!

Tanya arrived with a truck load of premium dog food and hospital pads and did data entry for the database, Denise brought a grant from Friends of Flicka to enable heartworm treatment--wonderful, life-saving news for several lucky dogs. Lesle brought fruit for healthy snacks and spent hours with a very downtrodden dog named Pete who needed special care. Crystal and Benay brought the rest of the dog biscuits (which everyone on site spent all week repackaging for giveaway, as time permitted), and other stuff which is a little blurry. Crystal did intake and Benay made a trip to the shelter with Karen to plan for her trip this fall/winter. I think everyone who came transported animals. I hope I didn't miss anyone. My apologies if I did. The week went very fast for me, I don't recall many deatils, I just know I wasn't in one place for very long.

I also want to mention there were several local folks who helped with prep work, clean up and animal rescue, and our own Sherae brought her AWESOME cousin Aaron who was a great dog walker, and would do anything that was asked of him. Here's another youngster worth keeping our eye on.

Thanks for everyone for coming, or for sending up food, supplies, ideas and good wishes. If I missed you, I apologize and please let me know so I can recognize you. Everyone's contribution was essential to the success of the clinic and to the resulting operations at the shelter-so please know that you are appreciated !!!!

Peace to all creatures, Barbara

HSUS/RAVS clinic: Report from Karen

Over the next several days, I will be sharing with you stories from the Humane Society of the United States/Rural Area Veterinarians clinic held July 21-26 at Red Lake and organized by Red Lake Rosie's Rescue.

Please send YOUR stories and photos!

Dear Friends of RLRR:
Thank you again for your help at the clinic and for the transport.

We do not have the final tally yet but total transported animals out to rescues from July 19 - 27 were 106 with 25 routed to the Red Lake Rosie Shelter at the end of the clinic.

This is an amazing number thanks to the dedicated volunteers who cared for and transported the animals as well as the rescues who took animals as follows:

Pet Haven; ARVSS, Madison Wisconsin; Wright Way Rescue, Illinois; Cause for Paws, St. Paul; Pennington County Humane Society, Thief River Falls; Second Hand Dogs, Claremont; Midwest Animal Rescue; Tricounty Humane Society, St. Cloud; Animal Ark, Hastings; and several RAVS vets and vet students.

We will provide the statistics on numbers of neuter/spays as soon as we receive it.

The contributions of those who prepared food, sent supplies, provided financing, and actually volunteered made it possible to say we have had the best clinic ever.

Sincerely,
Karen Good and RLRR

Update on Ode!

Sweet little Ode (pronounced O-day) always emphasizes the positive in life. Although her ears were burned away, she can now wear hats beautifully!

Dear Friends in Rescue: Hi and hope you are well.

I wanted to have you check, it's a MUST SEE

http://www.pethavendogs.blogspot.com/

Ode, the little pup with the burned ears from Red Lake, is generating great interest in the metro.

A huge doggie fashion show featuring Ode is planned to raise $25000 to help abused animals!!!

She has many pics on the blog showing her progress and recovery- a very heartwarming story!! Makes you get the warm fuzzies inside to know that we all are a part of that healing circle!!

Thank you to all who help the Red Lake animals!

Karen