Visit from Jessie of Stray Dog Arts

FROM STRAY DOG ARTS BLOG:
This past weekend a dog-loving friend of mine (Mary) and I took a road trip up to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue to deliver a car load of donations that began with 2 igloo dog houses from Rachel of A Rotta Love Plus.

MARYThe dog houses turned into a shout-out for more donations on Facebook and in less then two weeks we had our vehicle filled to the brim with more that we were weren't even able to take!

Quite frankly, I am amazed by how little effort it took to gather so much STUFF. I can only wonder how many hundreds of pounds of dog food, cat food, kitty litter and miscellaneous goodies we had packed in the back of my Honda Element. The load also kept us firmly attached to the snowy roads on the way up.

Karen Good of RLRR sends a great big THANK YOU to all of the individuals, organizations and businesses that went out of their way to get this stuff to us. You can be sure that every last bit of it will be put to good use.

It was good to see Karen and to be at the shelter again. It had been almost a year since the last time I've been there and, being my home turf, it felt good to be back again. The landscape of northern Minnesota is where my blood and bones feel most at home. Of course, being surrounded by dogs, trees, fields, open sky and really incredible people makes it even better.

ZENITHIt should come as no surprise that I met some beautiful beings in the process. There was one in particular that I especially fell in love with. A husky named Zenith. Had conditions for adopting a new babe been better, this little guy would have come home with me (without a doubt!). Despite my inability to adopt him, he has lodged himself deep in my heart. In my imagination I've named him "Jack," after my Grandpa Jack whose spirit I always feel near. I have no doubt that this little guy will find a home quickly. And hopefully it will be the best home in the universe, since this is what this lil' puppy deserves.

There was another puppy that stole my heart as well: a baby Spaniel mix who was shaking with cold due to the fact that she's so skinny that her rib and hip bones are sticking out. Puppy food donations are sure to fatten her up. She also lacks a full coat of hair due to mange. What she did receive, however, was a new polka-dog fleecy jacket and a warm place inside the cat house along side another puppy named Boots. The spaniel girl LOVED being held and could not give enough kisses. While I held her close and rubbed warmth back into her little body she just kissed and kissed and kissed me. As you can imagine, I felt a wee bit spoiled with love.

There were puppies galore. So many, in fact, that we took 16 of them back with us to Minneapolis the following day. And so, from Karen's vehicles to ours, we loaded the back of the Element with precious souls headed for the warm houses that awaited. Winter weather has arrived in Minnesota and Karen was so relieved to see her babes get out of the cold--and we were thrilled be taking them.

All in all, it was a great trip filled with more dog-love than one blog post can possibly contain. It's difficult to write about a trip to Red Lake Rosie's. The experience is always deep and full and expansive. It lodges itself somewhere deep inside your spirit and makes it impossible to return as the same person you were before you got there.

KAREN GOODKaren is an amazing, glowing spirit who does amazing and incredible work. I love every moment that I've been able to spend with her and urge you to take the plunge and get involved in whatever way fits you best.

Maybe you want to take a trip up to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and help hands on. Maybe you want to do a transport. Maybe it's easier for you to simply donate resources or money. Maybe you have a special talent that you're able to contribute.

Personally, I love working hands on with the animals. I like getting dirty. I like being kissed to death. I like the smell of puppy breath. I like winning the trust of an unsure dog. I like seeing Karen in action. She inspires me. Red Lake Rosie's inspires me. These puppies and dogs inspire me.

MARY & JESSIEA special thank you to MARS, TLC, Animal Ark and The Pet Project
for fostering these little babes until they find their forever homes!

with love,
Jessie
Stray Dog Arts

ROAD TO RED LAKE ROSIE'S RESCUERLRR VAN

Gypsy and her bff Gidget

HAPPY ENDING:
In February of ’09 when I lost my 10 year old shepherd mix [Max] to cancer. I thought I’d never be able to look at another dog again, but then I was hit by the puppy bug. After looking at hundreds of puppies on the internet for a few months, I ended up coming across a picture of a tiny puppy and her litter mates on Red Lake Rosie’s site.

GYPSY AT RLRRShe was listed as “No Name #2” and was part of the litter of 8 pups from this post in June -- the third puppy from the right with her paw on the fence. Something told me that this was the dog I had been looking for.

BABY GYPSYI applied & met with T. who was just great through the whole process & my boyfriend and I were approved to adopt No Name #2. She was so small when we first brought her home, just around 12 lbs. We renamed her Gypsy. Her full name is Gypsy Maxine Chompers, because she does this funny chomping at the air thing with her mouth when she gets silly.

GYPSY NOWThat was a little less than 4 months ago and she’s now 40 pounds and seems to be growing by the day. Everyone remarks on her interesting markings, soft fur and big ears. I’ve never felt a dog with softer fur! She’s a maniac for food and treats! She loves bones, running around & playing fetch.

GYPSY & GIDGETBut more than games or treats she loves her “cousin” Gidget. Gidget is my sister's dog, a Boston Terrier mix who was adopted from the Gentle Touch Animal Sanctuary earlier this year. Gidget used to be bigger than Gypsy -- for about a month. Gypsy is more than twice her size now but she still rolls onto her back every now and then and lets Gidget think she’s the big dog when they play. They have such a great time together!

I am so thankful for rescue organizations, because if these two were never rescued they would’ve never received a second chance at life, we wouldn’t have had our lives enriched by such great pets, AND they wouldn’t have known each other.

Thanks to everyone who is involved in animal rescue and thanks so much for approving our adoption application for No Name #2!

Thanks,
M

Monitou moves in to Kitty's house

All I can say is Good Luck, Kitty -- Stand your ground ;-)

Hello! Just thought you would like an update on Monitou who was just adopted a couple weeks ago.

She is adjusting pretty well and loves her new family, even the kitty. The kitty is being pretty patient with her roughhousing and I think before long they will be pretty good buddies.

Thank you so much for doing what you do. She has been such a blessing and I am so glad someone took the time to help her find a home!

A-

Earn $$$ for RLRR at the Mall of America!!!

LOOKING TO VOLUNTEER?
Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue has two fundraising events this Fall and needs your help!

When: Saturday, October 24th 4:15 – 10:15 pm
Sunday, November 29th 11 – 7 pm

Where: Nickelodeon Universe Park at the Mall of America (Bloomington)

What: The volunteers at these fundraising events will work at the Nickelodeon Universe Park scanning ride wristbands and welcoming guests into the park. Each volunteer will make $50 to be donated to Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue.

Guidelines:
* Must be at least 16 years old
* Must be able to stand for long periods of time
* Must be reliable and punctual

~ If interested, please contact Lauren at coxla03@aol.com ~

Foxie Moxie fosters Scout

Check out this marvelous photo! I was just thinking that we hadn't had an update on Moxie in a while. Her mom was an early contributor to this blog. I'm so pleased to hear that she is fostering now, too.

SCOUT AND MOXIEHi all!
Took the dogs, Moxie & her foster brother, Scout, for a hike at Banning State Park, 10/11/09. They are so good off-leash!! Staying close, coming when called. They had such a good time, and made being there even better!

Thanks to you all for the dogs you have helped bring into my life, for working hard to keep bringing dogs into peoples lives, and for helping me to join you in this gratifying work.

Love
Darcie ~ mom of Moxie, foster mom of Scout

Mollycoddling

Molly has surely stolen their hearts! Karen

UPDATE FROM MOLLY'S NEW FAMILY:
Dearest Karen:
It has only been a week, but we have fallen in love with Molly. She is doing soooo good on the potty training; she actually goes to the door when she needs to go outside. I get up about three times during the night and stand out in the rain, the cold, or whatever is necessary, to let her "relieve herself"".

She spends her days with Tom, while I am at work, and he is so good with her. She is definitely an "inside dog"; although she loves to go outside. She had her first bath; she loves her toys, and she loves food! She is growing fast! We have found a vet in Bemidji which we plan to take her to for her shots; she is getting her "city dog tags", and she is loving life.

She suffers from "separation anxiety" when I go to work; she takes my shoes, my purse, whatever is necessary to keep me from leaving the house; but then sleeps with Tom in our bed, and finds out life is not so bad at all. She is very excited to see me after work!

Tom keeps her busy during the day; he is excellent with puppies. We haven't left her alone yet; luckily Tom's current job is after 5:00 pm, and I get off at 4:30. She gets a treat every time she goes potty outside; she is learning fast, and is soooo smart....We are so happy with our choice of puppies.

Thank you for the opportunity to enjoy Molly. We will give her all the love she needs. We will keep you updated on her progress. Enjoy!

Max and friends

NOTE FROM PET HAVEN:
Max was one of the first of our Red Lake dogs and a big black dog. He came to us in December 2007.

He looks great and is obviously well-loved along with his cat sibs and Lilly the Shep/Rottie.
NOTE FROM MAX'S HOME:
Max joined our family in early 2008. He quickly fit in with us and our two resident cats.

We finished putting up a fence that summer, and he has since staked his claim on that yard by chasing down all squirrels and rabbits that might come visit. We're thinking he's at least part greyhound - not only does he stay skinny no matter how much he eats, but he literally goes from 0 to 60 in no time flat! He practically breaks the sound barrier when he runs, but he'd much prefer to take a nap curled up near us.

We added Lilly to our family this spring - she's a German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix (we think). They are absolutely best buddies - Max taught Lilly how to squirrel chase, and Lilly reminded Max how awesome chewbones are.

We now have 120 pounds of dog tearing around our house on top of the 20 pounds of cat... two giant dogs and two stubborn cats might seem like a houseful, but we wouldn't have it any other way. Max has definitely been an incredible addition to our home. Thank you to Pet Haven for bringing him to us!
A note on the photos - the first is Max and Lilly teasing each other with a chewbone (one of their favorite games), the next is Max and my cat Pangur on the couch - they pretend not to like each other, but I think this photo proves otherwise. And the last is Max asleep in coachroach position - his ultimate position of comfort.

He's a great guy!

Best,
M