Santa Cosmos in the news

ARTICLE FROM EDINA PATCH:
Gentle Irish Setter Mix Would Make Perfect 'Buddy'

The seven-month-old dog is available for adoption through Edina-based rescue organization Secondhand Hounds.

by Ashle Briggs Horton

Cosmos is a bit of a mystery. He might be a mix between an Irish Setter and a Great Pyrenees—he has double dewclaws on his hind legs—but no one knows for sure. With those gorgeous ears and those eyes, though, does it really matter?

Cosmos was originally rescued by Red Lake Rosie's Rescue, a volunteer-run group based in the Red Lake Reservation in northwestern Minnesota. Red Lake Rosie's partners with a network of Twin Cities organizations, including Secondhand Hounds.
Secondhand Hounds, in turn, found a foster home for Cosmos while he waits for his forever home.

Cosmos has been living at his foster home for two months and has a few foster siblings: two other dogs and a cat. His foster mom said he "loves the dogs—they play constantly." "He respectfully ignores the cat," she said. "He's great with kids and just loves everyone he meets."

Already 50 pounds at only seven months, Cosmos is a big pup and is expected to be between 70 and 80 pounds when he is fully grown. Rachel Mairose, Director at Secondhand Hounds, said despite his size and often playful personality, Cosmos is generally cool as a cucumber.

"Cosmos is a very calm, smart, well-trained puppy," Mairose said. "He is playful, but also loves to be calm and sweet once the playing is done."

This pup would do well with someone who loves going on walks. Quick growth and poor nutrition in his early life have left him with some hip issues, which may lead to arthritis in his later life, but his current diet and herbal supplements are working well so far.

His foster mom describes Cosmos as an all-around buddy
"Office buddy. Hiking buddy. Dog park buddy. Walking buddy. Errand running buddy." And at the end of the day, he's a bit of a "couch friend."
Due to his amiable personality and tag-along tendencies, Mairose said he would make a great therapy dog.

The lucky person who provides Cosmos with his forever home won't have to do too much work with him. He is a smart dog who is house-trained, crate trained and knows the commands for sit, come and wait.

If you are interested in meeting Cosmos, visit the Secondhand Hounds website and complete an adoption application.

An Edina-based 501(c)3 nonprofit, Secondhand Hounds is run by animal loving volunteers with big hearts and passions for placing pets in their perfect homes. Founded in August of 2009, Secondhand Hounds has found forever homes for 521 animals thus far.

Mike to the rescue again!

Mike came up Friday November 5th and stayed at the shelter until Sunday when he took out 4 puppies on to their destination at Second Hand Hounds.

MIKE & BOBCATIt was a very busy weekend as Mike worked so hard getting final preparations for winter done. He is especially skilled at using the Bobcat. He started by removing all the piles of straw from kennel cleaning which had built up. Then the project of insulating the cathouse addition by insulating with tarp and then placing 2 tiers of straw around. This prevents our water pipes from freezing as well as reduces our winter heating bill. Mike did a perfect job.

CALYPSO, MIKE, AND WINTERIZED GUEST QUARTERSOn Saturday we answered the call to rescue 3 female adult dogs at Barton's and McBrides Housing Projects. One was preganant, one in esterous, and we are not sure of the other one. It was rewarding to get these 3 unspayed females before winter hits or there would be coutless animals suffering in midwinter when the weather gets cold.

We also delivered food to residents in McBrides Projects east of Redby.

Needless to say the storage barn needed more organization. Thanks to Mike we have shelving units in the barn, and when he comes up he manages to get the area better organized.

BUSKYBUSKYWhen Mike left- he took Busky, a larger lab pup; 2 tiny pups Tiffany and Tiane; and Cheyenne, a larger shep pup all enroute to Second Hand Hounds.

TIFFANY & TIANNEWe are so happy they stepped up to take Cheyenne who arrived Thursday night with Nancy, a teacher from the Circle of Life School in White Earth. Her former student had called that their puppy was hit by a car and was injured and Red Lake Rosie's got a call.

CHEYENNEShe was put on pain management while we sent out her picture and story to many rescues on Thursday night. It appeared Cheyenne has a broken right leg, and a broken tail. Well, before the night was over, Second Hand Hounds heroically responded and now there is hope for Cheyenne.

Thank you Mike, and Second Hand Hounds for making it possible for this special transport to the metro. Thank you Lauren for coordinating all the transports. So many people make the rescue of these animals such a successful possibility. It takes teamwork and we have wonderful people on our team!

Sincerely, Karen

UPDATE FROM SECONDHAND HOUNDS ON CHEYENNE:
Cheyenne is having surgery tomorrow. She will need plates in both her front left and rear left legs. Although it is very expensive, she is well worth it! Everyone who meets her loves her. Thank you for saving her!!

Shilo update

Update on Shilo, a pup from Red Lake Rosie's Rescue that was fostered and adopted our by Animal Ark:

Shilo is doing very well at our home. We have now had her for about six weeks. In those six weeks she has about doubled her weight. Last week she was 29.2 when we took her to the vet to get here rabies and booster and has gotten a little taller. You really see is in how she has filled out in her face and chest area.

I've attached some pictures for you to see. The first one with her in her kennel is a night after puppy play group. She was one tired puppy.

The first thing she learned was how to go up and down stairs. We live in a split level home and to go out to the backyard you need to go downstairs. She learned this in about two days. With learning this, she also learned to go into the basement where the two older boys live. She is a great alarm clock for our middle child as that is the first place she goes after she is let out and eats breakfast.

She has attended puppy play group for 4 weeks. The first week she was very timid and hid behind either Mark or myself. The next time we took her she was all into it. Playing with the toys and the other puppies. Now we are looking at some obedience training.

She loves to play fetch and we are working with her on returning and dropping the ball. She loves to run in the backyard. A few weeks ago we where raking leaves and she played in them almost like a child would. Jumping in them and running around. I wished we would have gotten that on video.

We have noticed she also loves to dig holes in the backyard, but that might be due to the fact we have a summer pool that we take it down in the fall, so the area under it is just dirt. Because of this she has learned to enjoy her bath time. She gets one about one a week, unless she gets really muddy.

We are still working on potty training, but we know that comes with time and it is mostly training our boys as to her signs that she needs to go out.

Former RLRR dog Ahnung is still volunteering

FROM AHNUNG'S BLOG:
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Volunteering at The Lab!

I got to volunteer at The Lab (of St. Paul Public Schools) yesterday with mom, Uncle Keith and my buddy Roxy, an 85 pound Bernese mountain dog!! Mom says I look like a tiny girl next to Roxy ... well, i'm only 56 pounds so no wonder I look small!! :)

Yesterday was Roxy and Uncle Keith's first time to volunteer at The Lab and I was there to 'mentor' them ... (mom tells me they really didn't need much mentoring and I agree!! They rocked!). We were asked to present to Miss M's class. Mom and I have visited them before and shared my story. At the beginning of the class Mom asked them how many remembered my story ... wow, they remember the details of my story better than I remember it! They even remembered that my name means 'star' in Ojibway!! This one student said she remembers my name has something to do with the night sky and the stars!! :) When we were there last time, mom told them how i'm her north star and asked them who their north star was and to remember that even when it's dark outside and we feel sad and alone that we can hold on tightly to our north star.

But yesterday was Roxy and Uncle Keith's day to shine!! Uncle Keith got to share about how he followed his heart and his passion and love for dogs and started his business, Pampered Pooch Playground, a doggie daycare. Roxy was so cute and did great on her first day of work!! Good job Roxy!! We've been asked to come back and meet with another class ... i'm excited to volunteer with Uncle Keith and Roxy again!

I love my job!!!

When I was walking through the hallways yesterday I got lots of love and pets from the kids. It's so cool how they all remember me ... they even remember my name and Ahnung isn't the easiest name to remember!! I had an extra special treat yesterday .... I got to see 'R' who is the first kid I got to meet at The Lab over a year ago, and it's because of him that I am volunteering at The Lab. He came out of his classroom when he saw me walk down the hall (mom says his teacher was teasing her about how we were disrupting his class!) ... he came up to me and gave me a big hug!! And you know what he said to me and his classmates, "this is my favorite dog!" Then right behind him was another student 'A' whom I met last school year during one of the dog groups ... he said "do you remember me?" I said, "of course, I remember you!" When I knew him last year he was afraid, yet intrigued, with dogs and never really came close to me to pet me or give me hugs. Well, guess what? Yesterday, he came right up to me with a big smile and gave me a gentle pat on my head and my back!! Wow!!!

I just love these kids so much!! I love how they get so excited to see me! I can't wait to go back to see them ...

Gift idea for Black Friday

Chuck and Don's Pet Food Outlets are selling local author Ian Punnett's new children's book, "Dizzy the Mutt with the Propeller Butt". The book is $16.95 and Chuck & Don's is donating $5.00 of each book sale to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue!


"Dizzy, the mutt with the propeller butt, has a spirit for adventure. When Dizzy finally finds a family, he refuses to change his wandering ways. He's a dog with many lives. If you don't keep your eye on Dizzy, he could be doing almost anything. Do you ever wonder about your dog's adventures? Today, you can read about Dizzy's."

Author Ian Punnett is a funny and curious man who refuses to go to sleep at bedtime. While his family sleeps, he writes poems about dogs and talks on the radio. Hear Ian nationwide on Coast to Coast AM with Ian Punnett on Saturday nights and weekday mornings on MyTalk107.1 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Illustrator D.C. Ice is an amazing, awesome artist with a super-sweet spirit. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, but her imagination takes her to some pretty wild places. She draws and paints and illustrates.

Please check out the book and support Red Lake Rosie's Rescue by buying it. It is a wonderful gift idea!

Thanks to Chuck & Don's for their generous support of RLRR.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A very happy Thanksgiving to all the supporters of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue!

Thanks to new friends and old!

It is so great to get visitors at the RLRR shelter. We had a very nice couple Andrea and Jeff who spent an overnight at the shelter October 21-22. Andrea is doing a research paper for a school project and has selected to do one on the efforts of Red Lake Rosie.

JEFF & ANDREAGrandpa cat played a trick on Andrea and Jeff. He found a box with pads, and crawled in and went to sleep. When I came back to the shelter the afternoon they were about to leave- Andrea had a very funny look on her face, and she told me they had been looking all over for Grandpa cat as they feared he must have gotten out of the cathouse and ran away... Well I opened a box and there he was as if playing "hide and seek"! He had been there all the time.

GRANDPA CATDuring their overnight stay they took care of cats and kittens and found time to tarp 2 kennels and also put tarps on the front of the hayshed to help keep the straw nice and dry.

JEFF & ANDREA AND DOGSRLRR depends so much on the great help we get from new friends and old. The animals feel so special when guests come. Calypso, a german shepherd who came in with lots of health problems likes to lay on the porch when people are staying in the cathouse. Although she does not want to come inside, she prefers to lay on the porch by the front door but only when there are guests.

JEFF, CALYPSO AND SCOUTWhen Jeff and Andrea left on Friday afternoon we were happy that we had a chance to meet them both. They promise to return and spend more time at the shelter. We look forward to the next visit.

Sincerely, Karen and RLRR

Linda's first visit to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue

Red Lake Rosie's Rescue had a very pleasant visit from Linda Hultquist of Minneapolis. She arrived on November 1 and stayed until November 4 when she took out a transport of 5 dogs/pups and 3 cats/kittens with hopes for a new life.

LINDA & DOVERLinda took care of the cats, cleaned in cathouse, did dishes, and lots of laundry helping us get all caught up. Also worked on more tarping projects and weatherizing as well as a trip to the vet.

OLIVIA & OSIRISOSIRISWhen Linda left she took Osiris and Olivia, 2 lab/shep mixes that came in to the clinic as surrenders. They were very thin, dehydrated, and frightened. Since then have gained weight as well as confidence. They were both spayed and vaccinated at the clinic. Osiris went to All Dog and Olivia went to Tricounty.

BENNIEBENNIEBenny a little spitfire beagle juvenile came in to the shelter and went to All Dog. He is darling and has so much energy. He was surrendered by a resident of the Circle Pines Projects. Benny strayed in and stayed a while but kept getting beat up by the other dogs so he came to the shelter.

BENNIE MAKING FRIENDSYou may see how nice Osiris and Oliva look on the picture "Bennie making friends". They were transformed from their arrival state.

TANYASTELLALittle Tanya got her first bath last night, and left today for Tricounty with another little shep pup Stella.

LITTLE KITTENSLADY GAGAMike and Lauren took 2 little kittens and Lady GaGa, a siamese juvenile into foster care.

LINDA & TRANSPORTThank you to Linda who is a very hardworking woman who I could barely keep up with and all the receiving groups and foster homes for taking the animals.

Sincerely, Karen and RLRR

Churro chihuahua is looking for a forever home

Check out the obvious change in attitude! For more information on adopting Churro, go to our website at www.redlakerosie.org.

CHURRO BEFOREChurro came into RLRR starving and with mange. What was left of his fur was straw-like from the mange and malnutrition. He was so frightened, he cowered in the back of his kennel. He weighed 6 pounds, and you could see almost every bone in his body.

He now weighs a healthy 10 pounds and has a pretty, soft coat of fur, although, being a Chihuahua, it's not enough to keep him warm in winter. He looks like a little deer, as he has long legs.

CHURRO NOWChurro is very athletic. He loves to run around throwing toys in the air and catching them. He plays with the much larger dogs in his foster home, and he adores the two foster kittens, probably because they are the only ones smaller than him. They love to play with Churro and tolerate being ambushed and covered in his spit.

He is about a year old, housebroken, and very well-mannered. He loves food and tummy rubs. He is still a little fearful around strangers, but warms up quickly once he knows he is safe from harm.

Churro will be an incredibly loving and fun companion for life.

Darvin adopted!

I just heard that Darvin the spaniel who was rescued by Polly in horrible shape--was adopted! Good news from all directions today!!

Peace- Karen

FROM PET HAVEN DOG BLOG:
Sunday, November 7, 2010

Here is Darvin's first photo when he came into Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. He was starving and had mange. He also had a fixation with shadows and would pace around staring at them as long as you would let him. This is probably a result of being on a short chain with nothing else to occupy his day. In spite of his past he was such a loving dog.

After a few days at the vet and a couple weeks at his foster home, Rescue Buddy Boarding, the mange cleared up, Darvin's hair grew back and his ribs did not stick out any more. He was still doing his shadow dance but could be distracted easily with toys.

On Halloween Sunday Darvin got the best treat ever without having to do any tricks. He got his forever home. He has a mom that works part time so she is helping Darvin through the shadow chasing. His new dad delivers dog food to Chuck & Don's so Darvin will be eating high quality food. And Darvin can ride along in the truck to keep dad company. Diego is his new canine brother who was very excited to have a live in playmate.

Best part of the story is that Darvin will be going up north to a cabin every weekend. Kind of a full circle to end up enjoying life back where life was so tough. The long days of being chained up are gone, Darvin. Have a good life buddy boy.

Meet & Greet RLRR cats & dogs Sat. Nov. 20

Meet and Greet Red Lake Rosie's Rescue foster cats and dogs! S'kittens plan to be there.

When: Sat, November 20, 12pm – 2pm
Where: Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet in Wayzata

NOTES FROM FOSTER MOM OF S'KITTENS:
Sabrina and Scarlett: s'kitten sisters
These two kittens truly are bffs and will be adopted out together. I haven't been able to get a decent, recent photo of them together, however. Here's Sabrina:

SABRINAShe's a snuggler who loves to be cuddled. In this picture, she looks a bit mischievous and ready to play. She and Simone are the ones who follow me around the most.

SCARLETScarlett is kitty-crushing on James, my big orange boy-cat. He's tolerant and, frankly, happy to have a feline friend. My other cats don't really care for him for reasons I don't fully understand. Maybe because every human who meets him falls in love. They're jealous!

Sassy & Simone enjoy FarmVille

SASSY & SIMONEHey, Sassy tried to send a fax the other day. Why not play FarmVille?

Simone bounces back

Simone is the smallest of the s'kittens. When she came to me, she was under a pound. She gained weight slowly and has been consistently a pound or more lighter than the others. There's a big difference between two pounds and four pounds in the world of kittens.

SIMONELast week, we almost lost this little one. She was not eating and doing poorly. The vet thought she might have FIP or kitty parvo. There didn't seem to be much hope, but we gave her some fluids. One miracle and one week later she is thriving! Now up to 2.43 pounds, she may never catch up to the others in size, but she is healthy and active. (For comparison, Sterling is over four pounds and the other three girls are 3-1/2 to 4 pounds.)

Like Sterling, Simone has the lovely swirly markings of the classic tabby.

Oh, and I forgot to tell you that Simone used to be Simon. It's hard to tell sometimes on the itsy-bitsy cats. Oddly, I always thought 'he' had a girl personality. Yes, there's a difference.

Jazzy Jersey

Jazzy came in to the clinic from Ponemah in August clinic. The people did not pick her up and we ended up taking her back to Redby. The owners, however, caught up to us on the highway and when they found out Jazzy, then only 3.5 lbs had mange they decided against taking her back. They had found her at the garbage dump a few days before the clinic.

Heather, a clinic volunteer, had decided to take Jazzy into foster care. It was discovered Jazzy also had Giardia and a broken bone in her toe.

Here's the update on this little girl and the "foster failure" of Heather and her husband Mike. Doesn't she look beautiful!!

Thank you for adopting her!! She is definitely a keeper!

Peace- Karen RLRR


Hi Karen,

I just wanted to drop you a not to let you know that my "fostering"
of Jazzy did not work out so well and I have failed. Mike & I have grown so attached to her that the thought of her leaving us breaks our heart so we have decided to keep her ;-)

Mike didn’t like the name Jazzy so we decided to change it to Jersey as this is similar and did not confuse her. She is a wild yet wonderful bundle of energy. She loves to run and chew. We have given her some of the most indestructible chew toys and that has saved our furniture, rugs, and walls. :) Thank goodness we are almost through the teething stage.

She is very smart and learned to sit long ago. She is now learning lay down, stay, fetch, drop it, & leave it. She is catching on very quickly. She loves other dogs and goes to puppy play time every Saturday. We also start puppy kindergarten this Weds. I'm so excited to see what she can do.

She's a good walker and potty trained pretty quickly. She is still ravenous when she eats but is much better about taking treats.

She has grown from her original 3.5 lbs to her current 22 lbs and she continues to grow like a weed. I think that at this stage she is definitely going to outgrow Lily & possibly even Saber.

Everyone in the neighborhood just loves her and are excited to watch her grow. When the humane society van was at my house right before your last clinic to pick up the kennels and other supplies I had, one of my neighbors called me because she was worried that Jersey was leaving to go to another home. I assured her that she was safe & sound inside, asleep on her pillow.

Well, my quick note has become a long one so I will wrap it up. I hope you are doing well and that everything at the shelter continues to work out okay. I look forward to coming up and helping you at future clinics and other times after I am done with school in January 2011. I estimate I will have a lot more time after that. The only condition is that I don’t "foster" anymore animals. :)

Please take care!
Heather & Mike (proud parents)
Jersey, Saber & Lily (pampered puppies)
Chloe, Alex, Allaura & Zelda (crazy kitties) Balina (huge horse) Cadbury & Mama Bunny (beautiful bun buns)

Shana is in foster waiting for a forever home

UPDATE FROM FOSTER HOME:
Okay, I couldn't decide which pictures to send so you got the load. As you will see our deathly thin Shana has not only gained a few, but she is buffed. Shana enjoys eating, playing with her pals,and still finds time to work on her extensive shoe collection.
Crystal