Maggie’s Journey Takes Her Full Circle

Maggie is a female german shepherd who crawled into Pete’s yard in Red Lake in the fall of 2005. She was starving and had mange and showed the evidence that she had been a lactating mother. Pete called on RLRR for help for Maggie which began a long process of healing for her through nutrition and oral ivermectin to treat her mange. Pete built a doghouse and we provided straw and food.

MAGGIE BEFORE COMFORTED BY CAROL PRIESTBy winter Maggie showed much improvement. Pete continued to follow the plan for Maggie and she was in fairly good shape, then she had an accident and fell on ice off his porch and she broke her front leg on March 18, 2006.

Fortunately, our friends including Joan Lawson and Animal Ark's Neuter Commuter just happened to be at Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue three-day neuter/spay clinic. This was their first visit to the reservation -- a stroke of luck for poor Maggie!

Joan immediately took her to the Clearwater Vet in Gonvick, MN where she was X-rayed and we learned that she had a very serious break. She was treated for pain and was taken back to the shelter, and Joan then drove her to the Bemidji Animal Hospital where she had surgery to remove her front leg.

Pete took her home where she recuperated from the surgery.

Red Lake Rosie, with continued support of Joan, kept track of Maggie's situation. She was spayed and vaccinated. She had all the food she needed which was delivered or picked up by Pete.

Then, in the winter of 2008, Pete made a call to Karen one day and said that Maggie was ill and stopped eating. Again, we sent Maggie to the Bemidji Animal Hospital where they discovered that she had heartworm. Once again Joan came to the rescue and Maggie received treatment there and returned home.

As the years went by, Maggie had more difficulty getting up and down the porch, and Pete and his wife Diane made a decision that they felt Maggie needed a place to live that would make life easier for her. They also felt that the winter would be too hard on her.

After contacting Joan and the Animal Ark, Maggie was able to get the best foster home in the whole world —- you guessed it –- once again Joan came to the rescue.

Maggie was transported to the metro on September 26, 2010 to the Animal Ark where she was vaccinated and checked out with good health. She tested negative for heartworm, lymes and anaplasmosis. Joan reports that she is now with the Lawsons and makes her home with a number of other dogs and is doing great.

Joan has continued to support RLRR and the Red Lake animals and Maggie’s story is a symbol of that commitment she made years ago. Through this support we have dug a well, built 6 more 2-pod kennels, a barn, a road, acquired our vans, a bobcat, as well as arranged for many neuter/spay clinics and vet support for RLRR shelter animals.

Thank you Joan and Darren and the Lawson Family Fund!

Sincerely, Karen