Remembering Paxton's Wonderful Life: The Love He Gave and the Love He Got

Red Lake Rosie's Rescue has been saving animals long enough now that we have had to say good-bye to some of our friends. Paxton (also known as Pac Man) was a special guy. He was a big pit-mix who turned himself in at one of our spay/neuter clinics in 2010 :-)

Paxton was starving, had cuts all over his body and mange when he arrived. He weighed just 50 lbs when he should have weighed over 100 lbs. He regained his health at the shelter, but we worried about where he could go. He had a wonderful, gentle personality, but he was very large and pit-mixes were almost impossible to place back then. Fortunately, Animal Ark liked pits and took Paxton in. He quickly found a home with his perfect family that included two doggie brothers over the years.

PAXTON & BROTHER TUGGER

PAXTON & BROTHER ROCCO

They soon learned that you can take a dog out of the rez, but you can't always take the rez out of a dog :-)

PAXTON CREATED A REZ DEN IN THE WOODPILE IN HIS BACKYARD :-)

PAXTON DECIDED TO FRESHEN UP LIKE A REZ DOG RIGHT AFTER A TRIP TO THE GROOMER :-)

We received this lovely tribute to Paxton from his mom:

In early December, my best friend Paxton crossed the Rainbow Bridge at home, peacefully wrapped in my arms.

Everyone loved Paxton, from my five-year-old granddaughter to my 85-year-old parents. He had such a fan club giving him treats, I had to put him on a diet. I found out he was getting daily treats from the mailman and our next door neighbor. LOL!!  

My Pac-A-Pooh's heart was as large as he. His love was unconditional. His spirit as soft and warm as his coat. His smile brightened everyone he met.

Run with the wind my friend, rather than fearing it.

"HOW LUCKY I AM TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT MAKES SAYING GOODBYE SO HARD."

***Winnie the Pooh

Karen, on your difficult days in rescue, please remember this. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been blessed to have had Paxton in my life. You know how special he was to me and how much I loved and needed him. Saying thank you is just not enough.....

Sincerely,
Joanne


Learn more about Paxton's wonderful life in his many blog posts:
http://redlakerosie.blogspot.com/2011/02/paxton-finds-home.html
http://redlakerosie.blogspot.com/2011/02/more-paxton.html
http://redlakerosie.blogspot.com/2011/07/everyone-loves-paxton.html
http://redlakerosie.blogspot.com/2012/02/100-and-some-pounds-of-fun.html
http://redlakerosie.blogspot.com/2013/01/paxtonpacman-update.html
http://redlakerosie.blogspot.com/2014/04/three-year-update-on-paxtonpacman.html
http://redlakerosie.blogspot.com/2016/02/paxton-celebrates-his-5-year-gotcha.html

Friends of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue: Meeting Wed., March 29

SAVE THE DATE: MARCH 29, 2017, 6 - 8 pm
Maplewood Library - Community Program room
3025 Southlawn Drive
(located behind Maplewood Mall at Hwy 694 and White Bear Ave)
Maplewood, MN

ALL ARE WELCOME!! This is a quarterly meeting of supporters of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. Kim Williams and I are on the board of directors for RLRR and host this meeting for volunteers and anyone interested in learning more about the mission and activities of RLRR.

Please join us! Contact Kim or me if you have questions or topics you would like to discuss.

Denise Luke
d4luke@gmail.com

Polly's Buddy has a new life as a Snowbird

Buddy, the pit-bull was adopted by Dennis and Melva last fall. Buddy grew up in Polly’s household in Red Lake and, when she sadly passed August 31, 2016, Buddy came to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue to be rehomed. 

POLLY

Polly and Dan had worked for years for the Red Lake companion animals and was on the Board of Directors. Polly is sadly missed but we think is smiling down at Buddy and his new life.

Buddy was at the shelter for the next 60 days, but, when Melva and Dennis met him, they were smitten with him and adopted him. Buddy had a makeover and was put on a diet and lost excess weight and had dental work done after he was adopted.

What a wonderful ambassador for the breed as he is gentle and gets along with all dogs and also loves cats. While in Polly’s household Buddy lived with lots of other cats and dogs, and now he has new friends, both dogs and cats!

BUDDY IN UTAH!

Buddy spends the summers in Rosemount, MN, and the winters in Utah, enjoying the warmth and sunshine wherever he goes!

We hear Buddy is soon to be back in Minnesota again enjoying his life with his new family. Thank you Dennis and Melva for giving Buddy a great home.

Karen
RLRR

Food Shelf Abundance Part II

Nancy O'Sullivan and Nancy Hegland helped Karen clean out the food shelves in the barn at Red Lake Rosie's Rescue in preparation for the big delivery. Kevin Smith would be driving a pickup and large trailer with EIGHT pallets of dog and cat kibble for Red Lake and the surrounding area.

KEVIN WOLDEN & KEVIN SMITH

Kevin pulled in the next Friday afternoon with his large load which took quite a few hours to safely transport. Kevin Smith and Kevin Wolden worked hours unloading and filling the food shed. A few bags had to be placed in the straw shed because we had literally filled the food shelf to overflowing!

We want to thank both Kevins for working until past sunset filling the barn which is going to help many animals for the next months.

After unloading Kevin Smith still had a long drive back to the metro area. We commend Kevin as this is not the first load of food he has hauled for Red Lake animals.

Again, thank you all for your help in this effort.

Most of all, thank you, Samson!

Karen
RLRR

Food Shelf Abundance Part I: Samson's Story

SAMSON

Many people and groups are to be thanked for filling our RLRR food shed recently. Firstly, we thank our friend Samson a large black labrador dog. So many the Rescue blessings seem to go back to a canine or feline friend from the past. Samson was a rescue many years ago, with mange, heartworm, and malnourishment and his life changed when Dan and Maggie adopted him and he became part of their family. SEE: http://redlakerosie.blogspot.com/2008/05/samson-in-his-new-home.html

SAMSON AND HIS DAD, DAN

Samson and his guardians Dan and Maggie came to RLRR shelter after his adoption with a van load of food and Samson was no longer a shelter animal but came into the cathouse as a dignitary bringing help to the animals here. He showed off his manners as he had learned to sit and shook hands. It was a very moving experience to have Samson come to help other animals at his former rescue and to learn about the great life he now enjoyed. SEE: http://redlakerosie.blogspot.com/2009/01/samson-returns-to-red-lake-for-visit.html and http://redlakerosie.blogspot.com/2009/01/samson-returns-to-red-lake.html

Samson and his family spent some of their favorite times at a cabin on a lake near Detroit Lakes, MN.
SEE: http://redlakerosie.blogspot.com/2011/06/samson-shares-about-vacations-up-north.html

SAMSON WITH DAN & MAGGIE AT THE LAKE

Sadly, a few years later, Samson passed away after a battle with cancer, but left behind an imprint on Maggie and Dan forever. SEE: http://redlakerosie.blogspot.com/2013/02/samson-in-memorium.html

They have not forgotten Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue. Maggie established a relationship with Purina and organized a load of 7,500 pounds of cat and dog kibble which was transported to Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue.

We want to thank Samson, the Larsons, and Purina for this great blessing!

DAN & MAGGIE, SAMSON & KAREN

Next blog post will share the story of the transport of this large load!

Karen
RLRR

Rest in Peace, Mouser

Karen Good, the founder of Red Lake Rosie's rescue, lost a dear friend today.

Mouser came to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue as a tiny puppy. He weighed only two pounds and suffered from starvation, mange and severe rickets. He also had a broken tail and mobility issues.

Karen nursed him to health and became very attached to him. She adopted him for her very own. He lived in the house instead of roaming with the pack. 

Karen made sure he was treated like a king and Mouser was there to comfort Karen when she was sad, or ill, or recovering from foot surgery with a pink cast!

Mouser was an educator and traveled with Karen to presentations at Red Lake Elementary school and elsewhere to spread the news about proper care of animals.

Kids loved him and all the visitors to the shelter did, too.

Mouser was eleven years old now and, during a routine teeth cleaning recently, a growing melanoma tumor was discovered on the back of his tongue.

It could not be treated and soon he struggled to eat or drink.

Karen's final gift to him was to allow him to pass gently to the Rainbow Bridge.

His suffering has ended, but Karen will miss him very much. There is an empty place on her couch and in her heart.

Karen endures so much caring for the sick, injured and unwanted animals of Red Lake, but losing one of your own is especially hard.

Beltrami Electric Cooperative Grant

Red Lake Rosie's Rescue received a grant from Beltrami Electric Cooperative patrons in January 2017. The $1,000 is designated to help fund the summer, 2017 Red Lake animal clinics to be held May 4 - 6; August 14-16; and October 9 - 11 to serve an estimated 500 animals and their guardians with neuter spay and wellness.

Nancy O'Sullivan, Karen Good and Kevin Wolden accepted the grant with many other local recipients.

We appreciate the opportunity for local support which will ensure our success into the future in behalf of the Red Lake companion animals! 

We want to thank Beltrami Electric Cooperative and the patrons that support these programs.