Flash: An amazing transformation

Flash and Indy

Flash, a gorgeous black and white cat, was surrendered to Leech Lake Legacy at our Dec. 13, 2014 Surrender Event in Cass Lake. He was a stray on Leech Lake Reservation and was being 'watched over' and cared for by a Leech Lake Reservation resident. As volunteers at our Surrender Event were caring for him they noticed Flash had a rotting odor and noticed an area on his rear end that was bleeding and looked severely infected. As Leech Lake Legacy did not have any volunteer vets with us at our December event we took Flash to get checked out at a vet in Bemidji where he was 'cleaned up' and given meds to treat the infection. The sweet boy just needed some time  (and TLC) to heal. Flash spent about 6 weeks in a temporary foster home with LLL (thanks Nancy and Tom!) where he spent the holidays and made himself quite at home and got lots of love and pampering :). In the middle of January, our partner Pet Haven took Flash into their foster program. Flash is now being fostered in a home with a fellow Rez 4-legged buddy, Indy who is originally from Red Lake Reservation and adopted through All Dog Rescue.

Nancy got an update on Flash for Flash's current foster, Margaret .. we just had to share :)

"Flash continues to be such a little darling. I'm sending some photos of him, the last few are photos I took of him cuddling with my Red Lake dog, Indy, this morning. They are so adorable together! Indy never snuggles with other dogs but just adores Flash. I think it may be mutual:-)

Thank you for sending his toys! He just loves his fishing rod. I think we played with it for an hour straight today.  My son thinks it's hilarious. Flash even seems to like him; he walks right up to him and rubs against him and purrs.

Thank you for all you've done for him - what a transformation!"

A big thanks to the Leech Lake resident for caring for Flash (and other stray cats on Leech Lake) and bringing him to us; to Nancy/Tom for fostering and giving Flash the time to heal; to Sandra (LLL board member who provided Flash with amazing care when he was first surrendered in Dec. 2014 and continued to be his advocate); to Pet Haven (with a special thanks to Mary Ann, Pet Haven's Cat Adoption Director); and to Margaret (Flash's current foster) ... and oh, Indy, says, 'Me too!' :)

Flash celebrates Christmas with Nancy/Tom

Where's Flash?? :)

Next Surrender Event scheduled for Feb. 21, 2015

Leech Lake Legacy hosts first transport spay/neuter event on Jan. 10, 2015

Molly (post surgery) gets a 'lift' back to her kennel

Leech Lake Legacy/LLL kicked off 2015 with a new service for Leech Lake reservation residents - a transport spay/neuter event! LLL began hosting spay/neuter and wellness clinics on in Cass Lake on the Leech Lake Reservation beginning in March, 2012. All of our clinic have been hosted in collaboration with Kindest Cut, a mobile spay/neuter provider offering high volume, high quality spay/neuter services.

In the past we have never offered spay/neuter services in the winter months. At the end of 2014, Jenny Fitzer (LLL Program Director) asked the LLL Board if we could offer a one-day surgery clinic as she was getting many inquiries from residents about when our next spay/neuter clinic would be. She proposed that LLL would pick up the animals in Cass Lake and transport them down to the Twin Cities where they would be spayed/neutered by our partner Kindest Cut at their clinic in Golden Valley. The animals would spend Friday and Saturday night in the Twin Cities then would be transported back to their families on Sunday. LLL received a generous grant from Pause 4 Paws and the LLL Board easily and quickly voted that we would absolutely fund a one day transport spay/neuter event.

At our one day surgery clinic, we spayed/neutered, vaccinated and dewormed 29 animals (16 cats and 13 dogs).  Additionally, one of the dogs, Sweetheart, had an abscessed lump of quills removed from her neck.

Sweetheart goes for a potty break

Many thanks to our partner Animal Humane Society for letting us use their kennels and garage space and for hosting 29 animals for 2 nights. A big thanks to LLL volunteers who provided animal care over the weekend and a special thanks to Jenny Fitzer and Heidi Hunstad for logging over 1,000 miles in 3 days to transport precious animals.

We are also grateful to Leech Lake Reservation residents for trusting with their beloved pets ... all of them got lots hugs and kisses from our volunteers.

Stoni gets settled in on Friday night

Tiger (post surgery) 

Bentley reunited with mom and dad on Sunday :)

Molly and Chili (post surgery nap!)

Turbo and LLL volunteer Merry 'communicating' :)

Click here for more photos.