Visiting vet

Dr. Pierce Fleming came to volunteer on day one of the August clinic. During that time he did surgery on Adrienne, a beautiful Siamese with a long slash wound. Adrienne was rescued by Polly at the Red Lake garbage dump. He even took her with him to provide aftercare until she is well enough to go to foster care through Pet Haven.

He is also treating Beanie, a brindle dog rescued from Ponemah, for heartworm and keeping Beanie in his care.

Thank you so much, Dr. Pierce!
Karen RLRR

DR. FLEMING'S POST ON PLYMOUTH HEIGHTS PET HOSPITAL BLOG:

Trip to Help Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue
Posted on August 26, 2012 by Dr. Fleming

I helped the good people at Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue on the Red Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota earlier this week. Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program (MN SNAP) conducts spay neuter clinics in a large warehouse on the reservation multiple times a year to help Karen Good, the founder of Rosie’s Rescue, and all the other kind volunteers fulfill their mission “to reduce the overpopulation, homelessness, disease and malnutrition of companion animals on the Red Lake Reservation”.

Mostly I just handled the walk-in cases through the day so Dr Sue Spence and her amazing team of technicians could just focus on spays and neuters. Students from the U of MN veterinary school also volunteered their time and helped with vaccinating and medicating animals. I look forward to helping all these good people again in the near future.

DR. SUEI did end up bringing a nice kitty back that has a complicated wound to deal with. No, she will not be another clinic cat! Once we get Adrienne healed, we’ll find a good home for her with Pet Haven’s help. Pet Haven is aligned with many organizations like Rosie’s which is why we see Red Lake dogs being placed here in the Twin Cities through their kindness. Remember all these unwanted sweethearts and the people who work so hard to rescue them the next time you need a pet!

August Clinic

Approximately 79 animals were examined, altered and vaccinated at the Red Lake Rosie's Rescue clinic in August and another 60 previously altered animals, young puppies and kittens were examined, vaccinated, wormed, and given flea/tick prevention treatment.

Dr. Sue and her team from MN SNAP also removed porcupine quills from three dogs. One big, black gentle boy had a very severe case.

Dr Pierce Fleming, from Plymouth Heights Pet Hospital in New Hope, traveled to Redby to donate his services on Monday. He examined wounds and broken bones and performed surgery on a stray dog, Beanie, that Mike and Lauren caught in Ponemah.

Three second-year veterinary students from the U of MN came up to volunteer, too.

Carma, who owns Whine and Tease grooming salon in Roseau, MN, joined us for the first time and groomed about 20 dogs. After three long days of work, she even said she’d like to come back again!

Thank you to all of the volunteers who made the clinic possible – Nancy, Carolyn, Mike, Lauren, Colleen, Carol, Ellen, Kristen, Deb, Ashley, Carma, Jen, Susan, Laurie, Wallace, Whitney, Caitlin,Vivian, and, of course, Karen.

DeeDee

RLRR at Pins for Pets

Red Lake Rosie's had two teams at Pins for Pets and two winners!

LAURENPins for Pets is a bowling fundraiser sponsored annually by Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlets. Lauren was the champion again this year with the highest score for a woman. She was presented with a trophy and gift certificate to Flaherty's by Chuck Anderson of Chuck and Don's.

Jill won for raising the most funds. This was largely due to a generous donation she solicited from the Qwest Pioneers, a community service group for active and retired telephone company employees. Jill received a lucite trophy, and she gets to sit in the studio with Ian and Margery on their morning show on My Talk 107.1.

T & FAMILYThank you to all of the Rosie's supporters who participated to help raise funds for MN SNAP -- Lauren, Mike, Jill, Rory, and T's four generations of family - Michael, Carolyn, Lea, DJ, Alyssa, Jason, and the littlest supporter, Issac, age 2.

DeeDee

Ebbie finds foster love

This is another continuing story as Boy, now known as Ebony or Ebbie, came in from the same household as Ladybug in yesterday's post.

Ebbie was a younger dog - a chow shep mix, and had less damage from malnourishment and mange since he was so young. Ebbie, like Ladybug, was treated with ivermectin, good quality grain-free kibble and canned food once at Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and began to thrive, gain weight and recover slowly from the mange.

Ebbie has a great personality and many friends at the shelter- He became very playful as he gained strength and felt better. His hair began to grow back, and his tail which had little hair on arrival was filling in nicely.

John and Al visited the RLRR shelter on August 16 - 18th and helped with animal care and clinic preparation.

During that time John had planned on taking home a foster dog for the All Dog Rescue, and soon he made the decision that Ebbie was the guy he wanted. Ebbie made sure to follow John where ever he went and rode out to his foster home on Saturday morning, August 18th.

We are so happy for Ebbie who now is in good hands with John and All Dog Rescue.

Sincerely,
Karen and RLRR

Ladybug: A tail of recovery

At the Red Lake clinic on June 21st, we ran a community shuttle to pick up animals and there we learned of an owner who wished to surrender 3 dogs. Thanks to Mike and Heather, we were able to retrieve two of the dogs, one of which was Ladybug.

LADYBUG BEFORELadybug, a german shepherd was in terrible condition with severe mange and starvation. This girl had been spayed at one of our previous clinics.

TOP VIEWHer tail was severed and she had little hair at all on her rear flanks. Several folds of skin told us that her body was consuming the flesh of her hindquarters.

REAR VIEWLadybug's eyes were sad and she could barely walk -- oh so slowly did she move when she arrived at the shelter.

We were not sure she would live, but we started oral ivermectin (for the mange), good clean water, and lots of good quality grain free kibble and canned dog food. Ladybug LOVED to eat and liked to be free in the day and then go to the safety and comfort on her kennel at night.

LADYBUG NOWIt has been 2 months and I wanted to show you the miraculous recovery she is making. She is still a "work in progress", but making great strides.

Ladybug no longer walks slowly but runs and chases squirrels. She has so much spirit. She is blind in her right eye, and her teeth are not good, but she is gaining weight and loving the food.

We want to thank the volunteers who come and rescue animals, as well as the groups like The Shed and Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlets that provide good quality food to help many malnourished animals on the reservation. Thank you to our financial supporters who allow us to offer care and treatment to desperately needy animals like Ladybug.

The BEFORE photos were taken on her arrival June 21; the AFTER photos were taken August 23. Rejoice with us - by November we predict she will be even more lovely!

Thank you all!!
Karen RLRR

Forever Princess

Thanks to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and All Dog Rescue, our formerly homeless Princess has found a forever home. Read her back story here.
I wonder if there is a pea under that pillow??

UPDATES FROM NEW FAMILY:
July 2012 - Princess' new family sent an update after her first night in her new home:

Just wanted to let you know that Princess' first night in her new home went very well. She seems to like her bed, and she hasn't shown any loss of appetite or had any accidents. She's been very sweet and loving-- and gets super excited to go on her walks! She got a little scared by the thunder and lightning last night, and she came straight into our room and climbed into bed with us. So hopefully that means she feels safe and comfy with us :)

She's still a little uncertain about the yard, I don't think she really sees it as hers yet, so I have to walk around it with her for now. We saw a few other dogs at the park today and she was well behaved. Thank you again-- we are so happy to have her with us!

Update Received August 2012:

Well, Princess has officially been with us for over a month! And yeah, we're still calling her Princess... she certainly gets spoiled like one :) She's been an absolute dream of a dog-- we stopped kenneling her after the third day because she was so well behaved in the house. She's put on a few pounds and is now at 50, so we're trying to keep her right there.

Greg has been home with her most days during his break between semesters, so she and him are thick as thieves. She's pretty much become his shadow! She's so well behaved and gentle around strangers and little kids, we're considering taking her through the training to become a certified therapy dog. We couldn't be happier with our girl. Thank you again!

Another happy Bear from RLRR

UPDATE FROM NEW HOME:
We just wanted to say hi and let you know what Bear has been up to! I'm sure you recognize this little floppy-eared boy by the pictures we attached.

The first one was within the first month we got him. The next he's about 4 1/2 months old, his ears started standing straight up, so cute!! He looked like he really had to grow into those things =) The last one is what he looks like now, those ears both flopped back over!

Bear's a VERY smart little guy! Didn't take long to potty train him, or for him to start learning tricks. He knows how to sit, shake, other paw (shakes with the other paw), kiss, lay down, stay, come, outside, potty, walk, kennel.

He's a very active little guy and loves playing fetch! His other favorite is tug of war with his ropes. He also loves the cabin in the summer time. We weren't sure about the water but he absolutely LOVES it! Can't get him out sometimes =)

Everyday with him is a new adventure and we couldn't be happier with him! Just wanted you to know he's doing so good and we love having him as a part of our family!

J~, K~ & Bear

Bear came to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue as a tiny furball pup with his three siblings just after Christmas. All four went to Animal Ark for foster care and Linda had Bear and his sister, Lacy. See more photos and read more about their story here.

Rescued too late

There is a MN SNAP spay/neuter clinic sponsored by Red Lake Rosie's Rescue this week. It seemed an appropriate time to share the following words received from another animal rescuer:

I died today....

You got tired of me and took me to the shelter. They were overcrowded and I drew an unlucky number. I am in a black plastic bag in a landfill now.

Some other puppy will get the barely used leash you left. My collar was dirty and too small, but the lady took it off before she sent me to the Rainbow Bridge.

Would I still be at home if I hadn’t chewed your shoe? I didn’t know what it was, but it was leather, and it was on the floor. I was just playing. You forgot to get puppy toys.

Would I still be at home if I had been housebroken? Rubbing my nose in what I did only made me ashamed that I had to go at all. There are books and obedience teachers that would have taught you how to teach me to go to the door.

Would I still be at home if I hadn’t brought fleas into the house? Without anti-flea medicine, I couldn’t get them off of me after you left me in the yard for days.

Would I still be at home if I hadn’t barked? I was only saying, “I’m scared, I’m lonely, I’m here, I’m here! I want to be your best friend.”

Would I still be at home if I had made you happy? Hitting me didn’t make me learn how.

Would I still be at home if you had taken the time to care for me and to teach manners to me? You didn’t pay attention to me after the first week or so, but I spent all my time waiting for you to love me.

I died today.

Love, Your Puppy

Captain Walter

Captain came in as a surrender on the Ponemah shuttle in summer of 2011 with Major another German Shepherd mix. Both dogs were malnourished and mangey on arrival.

Both were healed and found great homes. Thank you Pet Haven for fostering Captain and finding him these great digs.

KarenNOTE FROM ADOPTIVE HOME: Captain was adopted by Marcia and Tim for his forever home in January 2012 after spending time in foster care. He was eager to please and craved the love of his family. Captain quickly showed how smart he was learning basic obedience and a few tricks...he gives kisses on request!

Captain's favorite pastime when not laying on the sofa with his Mom getting belly rubs, is watching squirrel TV through the back door. Captain is a very special dog. His best characteristic is the unconditional love he gives.

Sarah Beth Photography & RLRR

FROM SARAH BETH PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG:Red Lake Rosie’s :: August Pet Rescue of the Month
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
To continue with the Giving Back program, Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue is our August Rescue of the Month! This organization is dear to my heart, as they hosted the first spay/neuter clinic I ever attended, giving me a glimpse into both the desperate situation for animals on the Reservation, and how far they’ve come in turning that situation around. If you haven’t read it before, please check out the blog post from my first visit to RLRR in early 2010: http://sarahbethphotography.com/2010/03/27/red-lake-rosies-rescue/

According to oral tradition the Ojibwe, the Anishinabe had a very special connection to maheengun, or the wolf. Original man walked across the North American continent long ago with maheengun by his side. After their journey together as brothers, they parted their ways. What would happen to the wolf would surely happen to the Anishinabe. The Anishinabe were always to regard the ancestor of the wolf, animoosh or dog as a friend. Red Lake Rosie reminds the Anishinabe to keep their covenant with maheengun. ”The health of a nation can be determined by how it cares for it’s animals.” Traditional Anishinabe respect all living things including animoosh and gazhigees.

There’s not much demand for adoptable pets in Northern Minnesota, so after the animals are rescued and brought into the shelter on the Reservation, they are transported to the Twin Cities for additional vet care and foster placement in other rescue organizations. RLRR is all volunteer-based, with many dedicated souls making the 5+ hour drive (one way) time and again for transport, taking food and supplies, working at the shelter and clinics, and more.

RLRR brought a couple of their fosters over for photos, and they couldn’t have been sweeter. First up is Schatzi, a cutie Dachshund / Chihuahua mix. She has a treatable eye condition, but once she has surgery to correct it, she’ll be more than ready for her new home!

Then we’ve got Gidget, a mystery mix… best guess is a Shi Tzu / Dachshund. She’s so cute and scruffly, I doubt she’ll have much trouble finding a home!

If you’d like to help out Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue, they’re always in need of supplies and monetary donations, as well as volunteers and families willing to foster their wonderful creatures! Follow their blog or Facebook page for updates on animals and events.

Update on two of the Russian Circus Kitties

Remember a lovely, lively group of gray kittens we called the Russian Circus Troupe back in 2009? You can check out their first blog post here.

UPDATE FROM ADOPTERS:
I have meant to send you updated photos so many times and think of you often. Smoke and Bandit have grown into wonderfully fun pets and a great addition to our Somali named Rumor. Rumor would still prefer they were not here, but then I think he would prefer we were not here most of the time as well!

Okay, here are three good shots. Bandit never misses an opportunity to climb in a box or a basket. He is very deluded and thinks he is MUCH smaller than he really is!

Rumor is the ruddy Somali, Bandit has stripes (of course) and Smoke is all gray. Enjoy!

Lily finds health and home

UPDATE FROM LAUREN:
Lily was surrendered at the July spay/neuter clinic because her family was moving and could not take her with them. They said that she was about 7 years old and that they'd had her since she was a puppy.

One of Lily's eyes was damaged from prior trauma. Lily was spayed at the clinic and also had a mass removed from her gums in her mouth.

Later that day, I discovered that Lily was bleeding from her spay incision and needed attention. I was worried about Lily and decided that she needed to come back to the Twin Cities with us.

The next morning, we found that Lily had bled overnight once again, but this time it was from her mouth where her mass had been removed. It appeared that as a clot formed, it would get dislodged, making her start bleeding again.

We were worried about the amount of blood Lily had lost. Of course it was a Sunday, so we had to drive Lily to the emergency vet clinic. At the vet clinic, they found that Lily was anemic and she eventually needed a blood transfusion. It was a stressful day, but we were so happy that Lily ended up being okay.

After only a few weeks of fostering Lily, another animal rescuer saw Lily's picture and wanted to adopt her. It was perfect as Lily would have another little dog to play around with in her new home.

So, Lily made the trip to Wisconsin where she now lives on tons of acreage with a couple other dogs. We are so happy for Lily - she is such a little sweetie and deserves the best.