Christmas stockings for the whole family!

The O'Sullivans have helped Red Lake Rosie's Rescue so much and here's hoping those stockings were all filled!!

Rufus, Ringo, Emilee, Jessie, Barty, Willie, Lug, Ruby, Doobie, Freckles, Muffin and then the humans, Tom and Nancy.

Junebug's new life with toys and friends

Junebug left Red Lake Rosie's Rescue as a very pregnant mom and arrived at ARVSS with 11 newborn pups. The pups all found homes and so did Junebug. Here is a report from her family.

Hi Susie! I've been taking Ms. Bug out to the dog park quite a bit to burn off that puppy energy. I have to say she really thrives out there at the park. She is FAST - very few of the other dogs can out run her. She is now beginning to listen to us and come when called out there which is good.

There is a 90-pound lab that lives two doors down and they play together quite a bit too. I attached a few photos of them playing, although the pictures make it look like they are trying to kill each other. They are both very passive dogs and JB has a good time being pulled around during tug-of-war.

The crate deal is better now that we found a more desirable treat. We use the treat to get her in and a stuffed Kong for some homework. We have a "purple buddy squirrel" to stuff treats in and she bounces it around to get them out - as well as some raw bones. She really likes those and I guess some people really swear by them.

It's really kind of a bad time of year to get a new dog with the short days and cold weather but JB really took to the snow. Our old dog was a winter dog too so we are fairly used to walking and being outside this time of year.

We are going to be trying out the daycare as well as some obedience training. Some people said we should get JB into some agility training because of her physical abilities so we might try that.

So far, we are sticking with June Bug as a name. We thought about Juno (from the movie) since she's a single teenage mother from Minnesota! :)

Thanks again!
SD~

Penny's Puppies Reunion

The adopters of Penny's pups from Red Lake Rosie's Rescue have kept in touch and had a reunion. Looks like a beautiful day and lots of fun. Remember warm sunshine and green grass??

GIRL & DOGSAttached are a few pictures of Kona, Denali, and Nico (all puppies from Penny's litter in April).

KONAThese pictures were from our puppy reunion in October.

NICOThe dogs had a wonderful time playing together.

FRISBEEIt was really great to see how well they all got along.

THREE DOGS, ONE STICK??They really loved running around in the yard and chasing after sticks together.

WATERING HOLEAfter an hour of playing, we had some very tired pups.

TIRED PUPSHopefully, we will be able to get them back together again in the spring!

TUG OF WAREnjoy the pics!

M&R~ and Kona
S~

Diesel: Bigger and better

Hi there - it's been a while since Red Lake Rosie's Rescue had an update on Diesel. I'll try to describe how he has matured. Well, he's BIG. And wherever we are, he never fails to draw praise for his handsome physique and good nature.

DIESEL (Check out his blog post as a pup named RUSTY)He has retained that "worried" expression between his upstanding ears, has light eyes in a dark mask, and a deep muzzle. There is a memory of German Shepherd in those ears and in the structure of his head, but everywhere else he is Basic Hound. He has built himself a deep, powerful chest and leans forward over his front toes. He is wasp-waisted with strong, correct back legs. His tail is gay or "ring," and curls happily over his back.

DIESEL AND HIS GSD BUDDYDiesel loves to run (sometimes away from me) and can run flat out between 15 and 20 mph. Really. He looks like a Basenji on steroids but, more than anything, Diesel resembles carvings and paintings from ancient Egypt.

HELPINGWhen I fell outside early this morning, coming down hard and twisting my ankle, Diesel stopped scenting and came to my side. He showed as much concern as caninely possible. He stood next to me while I got to my knees and then to my feet and I deeply appreciated his presence. It was dark out there and he comforted me.

DOGGIE PALSPeople tell us how lucky we are in our adoption. I always agree.

JL~

First transport of December

We had a very challenging wintery transport on Saturday, December 4th. Once again the O'Sullivans and Kristin Ripley came through providing a ride out for 12 dogs/pups and one cat.

JOELLYNJoellyn arrived last Sunday. A young man from Redby found little Joellyn at the Redby garbage dump and took pity on her and drove her out to the shelter. She was scared, hungry and had signs of mange and fleas. As the week progressed she grew more confident and after only 6 days left for TLC in foster care.

LAMAR, LARENA, LARALamar, Larena, and Lara arrived the same evening. They were found in a brush den. There are 2 more of the litter still hiding in the brush pile which we are hoping to get soon. These three babies left for a RLRR foster home.

SUMIKOLittle Sumiko arrived on Thursday, and was sick. We feared parvo, however, took her to the vet and she was dehydrated, but, thankfully, parvo negative. She was readily taken in by Dr. Vickie at Act V so she is in good hands now and we are hoping for a speedy recovery.

DANTEDANTEDante, a little runt shep pup arrived on Sunday. He was moved into a cage in the cathouse surrounded by 24 cats who were very curious as to what kind of cat he was! Dante went to foster care with Act V.

SNUFFYSNUFFYSnuffy was brought to the shelter by Carol. He came from the projects as a stray who was rescued by one of the Red Lake students. She fed him and tamed him. He had an old laceration on his left leg, but left for Tricounty in very good shape, both neutered and vaccinated.

GIDEONTAMARTAJAGideon, Tamar and Taja were found on the highway by Tony on the highway and were brought to the shelter. They are all safely in foster care now.

So glad they are safe and warm!
Karen

Holiday fundraiser!

Red Lake Rosie's Rescue is having a special fundraiser in December. We have commitments for matching funds totaling $6000 -- Friends of Flicka ($1000) and the Lawson Foundation ($5000). For every dollar donated by Red Lake Rosie's Rescue supporters, that amount will be matched by the fund. If we can match the entire fund, that's $12,000!

NOTE FROM KAREN:
Well, winter is full blown at the RLRR shelter. Here are some pictures when the frost is on the trees and it looks like a storybook wonderland. We have 20 inches of snow which has fallen so far and another 8 inches may be on the way.

We are so happy to have the straw shed, full of nice dry straw to keep the dogs warm. It is a challenge to keep smaller puppies warm- so 2 are caged in the cathouse. The 24 cats, of course, are warm in the cathouse as well.

We have plenty of food for a while, and the snow plow attachment on the Bobcat which makes a world of difference. No more getting stuck at the shelter.

So - all in all- winter is here but we are prepared and well stocked with all that we need to make it through. We are hopeful that we will have a successful Holiday fundraiser to get funds for vetting, medication, and paying our electricity/heating bill.

As of December 1, we have transferred out 744 dog/cats and 1 rabbit and neuter/spayed nearly 700 animals in 2010 with one month to go. This will be a record year for neuter/spays.

Thank you for your support of Red lake animals.

Sincerely
RLRR Board of Directors

This fundraiser will continue through December 31, 2010. Red Lake Rosie's Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization so all donations are tax deductible.

You may send checks to:
Red Lake Rosie's Rescue
23880 So. Good Road
Trail, MN 56684

Or, donate using a credit card through www.GiveMN.org in the right pane of the blog or use PayPal on our website: www.redlakerosie.org

If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please contact me at blog@redlakerosie.org.

Merry Christmas from some Red Lake dogs!

Three of these four happy dogs are special needs dogs/pups that found their home with Tammy & Cliff. We want to thank Dr. Veronica Bartsch and her staff for saving them and finding them this great home.

The three from Red Lake are: Dylan who was not able to walk on his hind legs; Phoenix who was found with puppies, starving, full of mange, and shy; and Casey who came into a clinic with head development problems.

It is such a great story and makes all our work worthwhile.

Karen RLRR

Hi Karen! Thought I'd send you a Christmas greeting from several dogs - three from the Red Lake reservation.

CASEYCasey (the pup whose skull wasn't completely formed) is doing very well.
His skull has fused together, so he's back to running and playing like a
normal pup! He's affectionately called the "little construction
worker" since he's a big, solid puppy - and will try to go through things instead of around. He's got a lot of energy, but will only play with approved toys. I have stuffed animals around that he won't touch - he's very bright! He's about 11 months now.

PHOENIXPhoenix (aka Cinnamon) has become Casey's mom, and is constantly playing with him, but also is the disciplinarian. She went to obedience class this year and has passed her Canine Good Citizenship test! We're so proud of her! She is such a sweetheart, and quite a hunter. She's caught mice and loves to teach Casey how to chase squirrels. She's teaching him every day (is that good?) :-). From our guess, she's 3 years old.

DYLANDylan is doing very well, too, and loves to play with Casey. He has several nicknames "The Prince", "The Doctor", "The Scientist". He's very respectful of everyone and won't discipline Casey (that's Phoenix's job!), but will play fight with him lying on the floor for hours. He's become quite the talker.I'm thinking Casey may be learning this vocalization from him!. :-). He has become quite the prim and proper gentleman. He also went to obedience class this year and passed his Canine Good Citizenship test! He did so well! Dylan is 2 years old now and is starting to tease.(terrible 2's?)

APOLLOApollo has taken the role of "Uncle" to Casey. He occasionally tries to play with Casey, but I think Casey is still a little awed by Apollo's size, and will just wiggle his butt like crazy and try to give him kisses. It's pretty comical. Apollo is almost 10 - and still chasing his tail!

Thank you for everything you do for these animals. They are so precious.
Have a safe and Happy Christmas & New Years!

T&C

How much is that doggie in the window?

arf-arf!!

Here are the 6 puppies rescued by Nancy and Pat at the Pound. They spent a month at the Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and are now at Animal Ark.

Peace- Karen

Oh, aren't they the sweetest thing in the world!! And talk about that appropriate song you mentioned....how much is that doggie in the window.

I will never forget listening to these pups cry and scratch in the back of my wagon as we drove away from impound. I had no idea they were so miserable with mange until I found a pile of scratched away hair from their skinny little bodies.

And then you completely turned their lives around, Karen.....what a wonderful rags to riches story. Thank you!

Nancy

Lady & Man at Refuge Farms

FROM REFUGE FARMS HORSE RESCUE & SANCTUARY NEWSLETTER AND BLOG:

In the weeks prior to the annual fundraising Gala, I opened only those emails that were related to the Gala or I knew had a life depending on them. Except when I heard from Karen.

Two street dogs were causing her great concern as winter approached. I read the story of these two dogs hanging out at a clinic and finally finding John & Elaine who loved them but could not keep them. They wanted the two to stay together, if at all possible -- one male and one female. Karen said, "We call them Lady and Man."

Oh, my. How could I not respond? How could I let these two go by when their names brought memories of big brown eyes and the wagging tail of Little Man? And the love and endurance and comic behaviors of Laddee, the Little Belgian Mare? How could I not reach out to these two unwanted creatures? Little creatures with the names of "Lady" and "Man"?

We had been dogless here at Refuge Farms for over six months now. No tail wagging when the children arrived. No one to accompany me down the driveway to the big barn. And no one to sleep by the desk as I worked on this unending pile of paperwork. These two were destined for us.

The rest is history, as they say. Lady and Man appeared during the week thanks to the loving transport (and hundred of miles driven!) of Kristin and her Mom. The two dogs were larger than I had anticipated and much calmer than I had ever dreamed! I had the box stall ready for them - shavings, water, blankets. I was expecting street dogs. But what appeared were loving, sensitive animals who respected humans and wanted nothing but love and the absence of hollering and hitting. So the very first night they came into the house and found kennels with blankets and big bones waiting for them.

And it has been smooth sailing ever since. No accidents in the house at all. Man, the big "Bruiser" as I call him, will howl if he or his little sister need to go outside before I take them. Lady, the little girl, is a spitfire and ready to run into the pastures the second I am not looking. Not to chase the horses any more but to find the choice frozen clump of manure to bring back to her brother so they can dine together!

We have overcome the panic that sets in when they cannot eat the manure of the other. At first, I was totally unprepared for this behavior but soon figured that they had needed to survive and so they fed off of each other. But now, they know there is food twice a day and they no longer need to rely on each other for nutrition. That panic is gone.

The grass eating is significantly diminished, too. But not the horse manure yet. That will take time. I've been here before with Lady, the Dog. It does no good to fight it. When they've had enough, they'll stop. And I cannot convince them to stop before they reach that point. Really simple. Just don't let them kiss you. Not yet, anyhow.

MANThey seem very healthy. Man weighed in at 96 pounds when he arrived and he is weighed in at 112 just before Thanksgiving. He is stocky and strong and appears wise. Almost old in his eyes. I can see where he was the defender and the "big brother" of the two. He had to do the protecting and the guarding. He was the adult to allow his little sister to be the puppy.

LADYAnd Lady is just that. She is a handful of love and energy. And fear. Something about children has her running away from them. But that, too, will change in time. She will learn that the children here will not hurt her. She will learn to trust children again. Poor little Lady has been hurt. She shows enormous gestures of submission and fear if I should holler or reach for her collar. It is at this point that Man steps in and just works his way between us. He is The Protector. Still.

And play!! These two rough-house and play with each other just as puppies should. And don't think for a moment that just because Man outweighs Lady by fifty pounds that he has the upper hand. No way! Lady is quick and agile and she often shows him just how good a wrestler she is! And as I watch them, I think of how he perhaps is allowing her to win. The big brother, even in their playfulness.

So, there are two new kids on Refuge Farm. A little girl named Lady. A little girl with history and bruises on her soul. A little girl who will heal and become relaxed and playful as she learns of the love that grows here. Just like the other Laddee.

And a little boy named Man. With deep eyes and the tale of burden on his shoulders. A dog who has had to grow up well before his time but who holds no grudge toward anyone. Just wanting his back scratched, please. Just like the other Little Man.
It is a good thing we did here. These two do need to stay together. John was very right when he made that stipulation. These two are joined at the hip, most surely.

And by the way, John and Elaine, you did marvelous work with these dogs! They are great companions and fantastic house dogs! Never, ever could you tell that these two lived on the streets! Not once would you guess that as you would now see them in their kennels with their big bones and overturned bowls and bunched up blankets. Nah . . . not these two little puppies!

So now once again, trips to the barn are me and the dogs. Dogs who came here because of their names. Lady and Man. Oh, how sweet it is to call to them! I call loudly and clearly as I say their names! I call to the sky and these two little creatures appear. I call to their namesakes and here they come . . .

Enjoy the journey of each and every day,
Sandy and The Herd and Lady & Man

Sandra L. Gilbert
Executive Director
Refuge Farms, Inc.
home of "Horses Helping..."

www.refugefarms.org

Ronnie & Shawnee

We are so happy here to know that two of the pups, Shawnee and Ronnie (aka Roman) are healed, happy and now adopted through the efforts of Dr.Vickie at Act V.

RONNIERonnie-Roman arrived with mange and an injured leg- it looked like a
scrape- possibly a hit by car. Tony found him and brought him to the shelter, and Vickie took him into her rescue. He was a very scared and hurt little boy on arrival with his head often hung low.

RONNIENow look at him after his transformation with a big smile!!

SHAWNEEShawnee arrived at the shelter when Avis called and said she found this little pup at the Redby garbage dump. Shawnee was sick on arrival, vomiting and it appeared he may be a victim of parvo. Shawnee was put in the isolation pen and we just happened to have a transport in the morning. Well when Dr. Vickie was contacted, she said,"Send him".

Now Shawnee is also healed, happy and adopted.

Thank you to Act V and the faithful transporters for saving him!

Karen