Leech Lake Legacy believes that by working together and collaborating with a larger network of animal welfare organizations, we will be able to do more for reservation animals and pet owners (www.leechlakelegacy.org)
*Leech Lake Legacy is a 501(c)3 tax exempt non-profit organization
Envisioning a world where every reservation dog and cat is well cared for
Showing posts with label Spay Neuter Clinic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spay Neuter Clinic. Show all posts
Leech Lake Legacy will host our first 2014 spay/neuter and wellness clinic of 2014 on March 21-22 in Cass Lake. Our March 2014 clinic is partially funded by Pause 4 Paws and the FAIR School. We are truly grateful for their support. We would also like to thank the Leech Lake Tribal Police for providing food for all of our volunteers and for providing lodging for our vets and vet techs.
Due to construction going on at the Leech Lake Tribal Police garage we have moved the location of our spay/neuter and wellness clinic to the Big Garage behind the Palace Casino. The Veteran's Memorial Building has also been opened up as space where volunteers can sleep. We are truly grateful to the residents of Leech Lake who helped us make the connections so that we were able to secure additional space to host our clinic. Miigwech to the Palace Casino and the staff of the Veteran's Memorial Building for welcoming us :)
Our spay/neuter and wellness clinic is open to residents of Leech Lake Reservation. We will also be accepting surrenders on both days (Friday, 3/21 and Saturday, 3/22).
Leech Lake Legacy, in partnership with the Leech Lake Tribal Police will be hosting a ONE day spay/neuter clinic and a Great Puppy Roundup on Friday, November 1, 2013 at the Leech Lake Tribal Police headquarters in Cass Lake, MN. Many thanks to the City of Cass Lake, Pet Haven of Minnesota and the ASPCA/Live Oak Bank for providing funding for the spay/neuter clinic and the Great Puppy Roundup.
If you live in the Onigum area on Leech Lake Reservation and have animals you would like to surrender but are unable to make it to the Tribal Police headquarters in Cass Lake on 11/1 please email us at leechlakelegacy@gmail.com. If there is a need, we will arrange to have a volunteer pick up surrendered animals in the Onigum area and transport them to Cass Lake.
Winter is here and conditions are harsh for the animals. If you live on Leech Lake Reservation and are aware of strays and litters of puppies or kittens please contact us at leechlakelegacy@gmail.com. Injured animals and puppies and kittens are the most vulnerable and will not survive through the winter.
We are gearing up for our 4th spay/neuter and wellness clinic for 2013 this coming weekend:
Spay/neuter and wellness/vaccination services will be available at the Leech Lake Tribal Police headquarters in Cass Lake on Friday, 8/11 and Saturday, 8/12. Doors open at 8:00 am (first come, first served).
We will also be hosting a wellness/vaccination clinic in Onigum on Friday, 8/11 from 11:00 am - 3 pm at the Onigum Community Center.
If you have any animals to surrender please come after 10:00 am on Friday or Saturday at the Leech Lake Tribal Police headquarters in Cass Lake, or any time between 11:00 am and 3 pm on Friday at the Onigum Community Center.
A majority of the funding for our clinic was made possible by a generous grant from the ASPCA and additional funding by the City of Cass Lake. We are also extremely grateful to the Leech Lake Tribal Police for partnering with us in hosting these clinics and for providing food and lodging for volunteers.
LLL volunteers Jenna and Shaldon helping a pup to the recovery room
It's been a month now since Leech Lake Legacy (in partnership with the Leech Lake Tribal Police) hosted our 5th spay/neuter and vaccination clinic at Leech Lake. At this clinic we also offered a kids educational session.
I thought I would share with you emails sent by Jenny and myself (Marilou) to our volunteers after the clinic, and an email written by Sally Thorton, an Animal Humane Society employee who volunteered at our August clinic.. It will shed some insight on just how much these clinics mean to us ...
Email from Jenny to LLL volunteers on 8/13/2013:
Hi everyone - I finally fell into bed on Sunday night around 10:30,
completely exhausted but oh so very thankful for another great clinic.
I spent Monday relaxing and reflecting on how far Leech Lake Legacy has
come in just over two years. When Marilou and I first began the
endeavor of transporting dogs and cats from the Leech Lake Impound, I
had no idea what I was doing. I simply answered an email from my friend
Karen Good, telling her that yes, I would be happy to help transport
animals from the Leech Lake Reservation. Little did I know what the
next two years would bring - heartache and worry and stress but also so
much love and happiness and sometimes, even pure joy.
Before I started helping in Leech Lake, I had worked
clinics in Red Lake and had some experience with coordinating them. Our
first Leech Lake clinic in March 2012 was a success but also full of
chaos and a lot of "oh crap, how did I possibly forget that!". I hardly
slept at all that first clinic but it was a great experience and we
learned a lot. A large part of our success since our very first clinic
has been the support of our tremendous contingent of volunteers who give
their heart and soul to the animals and residents of Leech Lake
Reservation. This clinic was no exception.
Resident talks to volunteer vet at the wellness clinic
When I heard the news on Saturday that we had
reached 100 spays/neuters, I could hardly believe it. I have attended
all of our clinics and this was, by far, the smoothest-running one we
have hosted. And the biggest reason it ran the way it did was all of
you. You are an amazing group of people with a depth of loyalty and
compassion that never ends. Your hard work this weekend impacted the
lives of many animals and many people.
So thank you all again for spending this past
weekend volunteering in Leech Lake. You should be proud of what we were
able to accomplish:
- 100 spay/neuter surgeries (this is the most we have ever done at a clinic!)
- 8 specialty surgeries (hernia repair, mass removal, eye enucleations and laceration repair)
- 58 wellness checks and vaccinations
- 29 surrenders
- Educational event for kids - here's a link to a video showing an activity at the event: http://youtu.be/uSYgPl8N2Nw
Education team with Ahnung who worked with the kids to demo rallying
Here are links to Marilou's Flicker site with lots and lots of pictures:
And I wanted to send a special thanks to Caitlin Miller and her mom who provided us with the delicious lunch on Saturday.
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And my (Marilou's) email to the volunteers:
I echo everything Jenny says and would like to also extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you!!
I
am sure we all carry in our hearts, a moment (or several moments) that
touched us deeply, whether it was an interaction with a fellow
volunteer, or an interaction with a resident of Leech Lake, or both. 26
months ago, when Jenny and I met for the first time, and took our first
baby steps into unknown territory, one thing we knew was that we were
not alone. We were committed to building a community and walking side by
side with the Tribal Police, with the community members of Leech Lake,
with fellow friends in the animal welfare community ... Thank you for
joining us in this journey.
I put together a video from photos I took at the clinic:
Every
clinic reinforces for me the strength of our growing LLL community.
Miigwech (thank you) for opening up your heart to a community in need of
support and resources ... on the first day of the clinic, I got down on
my knees so I could be at eye level with a woman seated, waiting in
line to register her dog for spay surgery. With tears in her eyes, she
said, 'thank you ... thank you for offering these services.' She held on
tightly to her small terrier pup; it was clear there was a deep bond
between the two; it was also clear there was hardship she had endured.
She held back tears, as she held onto her dog who appeared to be her
only source of comfort. There were no more words that came out of her
lips but so much more came pouring out of her heart. I put my hand over
her hand ... and slowly ... quietly ... whispered, "your welcome'. I
thanked her for welcoming us into their community. She nodded as she
continued to hold back tears. Her heart was full of gratitude. I have
come to learn that often the most powerful messages are in the unspoken
word. And over the course of the 2 day clinic I observed volunteers in
kind, compassionate conversation with residents, or a reassuring arm
wrapped around a resident ... those images are what resonate in my
heart .. thank you for caring .. thank you for your passion .. and
thank you for opening up your heart, and listening with your heart.
And I wanted to share one more email ... this was written by Sally Thornton who works at the Animal Humane Society and volunteered at the August clinic:
This
month, I had the honor of working at a two-day subsidized spay/neuter
clinic held on the Leech Lake Reservation. This was the fifth clinic
held in Leech Lake and is collaboration between Animal Humane
Society/Kindest Cut, Leech Lake Legacy, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and
the tribal police.
During
the two-day clinic, Kindest Cut performed 100 spay/neuter surgeries
with an additional eight specialty surgeries and 58 pets were seen for
wellness checks and vaccinations. Spay/neuter surgery with
vaccinations cost just $15 and a vaccination/wellness exam was $10.
Thirty volunteers and four veterinarians helped out.
I
worked at the vaccination/wellness desk and registered owners and their
animals. One couple in particular stood out to me during this
experience.
Jolayne and her husband, Tom, came to have their three cats (Sabrina,
Tasha and Maya) vaccinated. I explained to them the cost would be $30
and, with concern, they said they didn’t realize there was a charge. I
asked them what they could afford and Tom said
he had $6. I said, “How about we do this for $6?” They were so
pleased. During this effort we turn no one away for inability to pay.
As
we visited, I learned Jolayne and Tom had lost their home of 13 years
to foreclosure in July and they were homeless. They were staying with
relatives or sleeping in their truck, which had a topper so they could
let the cats out of their carriers. I gave them their $6 back and
offered to provide the vaccinations and exams for free. They mentioned
how they wanted to save up and come back to the
October clinic to have all three cats spayed. I said, “Let’s take care
of everything for you today at no charge.” Jolayne accepted with a
smile; and tears in her eyes.
The
three cats spent the night at the clinic and the next day Jolayne and
Tom came back to pick them up. Jolayne told me how she missed the girls
so much during the night. We also had donated food at the clinic and I
supplied them with bags of dry food and canned food. Jolayne hugged
me, three times! Jolayne told me since her husband just turned 62 some
housing opportunities may become available
to them – they were hopeful.
As
I watched them walk away, I thought, they were going through such an
incredibly difficult time yet the care of their cats was foremost. The
strength of the human/animal bond is so strong and when we talk about
how much we love our pets it brings us all together.
We are gearing up for our next clinic on October 11-12 ... stay tuned for more info! Miigwech ...
Leech Lake Legacy volunteers are gearing up for our third spay/neuter and vaccination clinic in 2013 at Leech Lake Reservation (Friday and Saturday)! We will also be hosting a free kids event on Saturday at 1:00 pm at Pike Bay Townhall (see the flyer below for more info).
A big thanks to Pet Haven Inc. of Minnesota, FAIR School of Downtown, Minnesota Spay Neuter Project, and the Leech Lake Tribal Police for being major partners/sponsors for our August spay/neuter and vaccination clinic!
Leech Lake Legacy, in partnership with the Leech Lake Tribal Police and Kindest Cut, hosted our 4th spay/neuter and vaccination clinic at Leech Lake Reservation on May 17-18, 2013. The clinic was funded in part by the Leech Lake Environmental Health Services and a generous donor. Vaccinations for surgery patients was donated by Minnesota Spay Neuter Project.
Leech Lake Legacy had approximately 25 volunteers, including Dr. Mary Wictor (shelter vet from Animal Allies in Duluth, MN) and a couple vet techs (thanks Danielle and Jill!). Most volunteers drove from the Twin Cities area and arrived in Cass Lake on Thursday afternoon/evening to begin setting up for the clinic. We had a few volunteers from the Bemidji area and from Federal Dam. Many thanks to the Tribal Police for providing lodging and food for the volunteers, and to Pike Bay Township for the $200 grocery store credit. Many volunteers took time off from work ... and we were very fortunate to have such an awesome group of volunteers.
On Friday morning, we were extremely fortunate to have Mike Smith, a Leech Lake spiritual elder, open up our clinic with an invocation and prayer. Migwitch Mike. Doors opened at 8:00 am on Friday, however, we had residents lining up starting at 6:30 am. The weather was gorgeous and the flow of residents and their pets was constant throughout the day. The Kindest Cut team was busy all day and worked till 10:00 pm on both Friday and Saturday night. Dr. Wictor provided wellness checks and vaccinations on Friday and Saturday. On Saturday, 4 specialty surgeries were also done (in addition to the spay/neuter surgeries): a hernia removal, a tumor removal, an eye enucleation, and surgery on a small dog with severe puncture wounds from a dog attack.
Here are stats from the clinic:
- 92 spay/neuter surgeries were completed (50 spays and 42 neuters)
- 63 animals were surrendered (37 cats, 25 dogs and an injured duck)
- 46 wellness checks and vaccinations were provided to pets of residents
Of the 63 surrendered animals, 34 went to the Animal Humane Society and 29 went to Animal Allies in Duluth. All will be vetted then placed up for adoption.
We are extremely grateful for all the amazing people who come together to make our clinics as successful as they are ... the Kindest Cut staff, the volunteers, the Tribal Police, the residents, the Leech Lake Environmental Health Division, our partner shelters, Dr. Wictor, and our donors who make it possible for us to continue our work.
And I would like to give a special shout out to Jenny Fitzer (co-founder of Leech Lake Legacy). Jenny organizes all of our spay/neuter and vaccination clinics and does a phenomenal job recruiting volunteers and ensuring everything runs smoothly. Thanks also to Rory Haaland (Leech Lake CSO) and to Natasha W. (Leech Lake Environmental Health) for your efforts in helping us get the word out about our clinic, and to Ken Washington (Leech Lake Police Chief) for your continued support; thanks to the absolutely amazing Kindest Cut team!; and finally, thanks to all of the amazing LLL volunteers who helped at this clinic: Heidi, Diane D, Sandra, Terri H, Jean, Jenna, Shaldon, Jill, Danielle, Melissa, Martha, Sarah B., Kathleen, Laura B., Matt K., Emily, Nancy and Tom, Amber, Dinie, Kay, Carrie, Ashley, and Dr. Wictor.
And my role for the clinic was to take photos ... I did my best to capture the essence of the event ... the camaraderie, the spirit, the friendship, the love, the kindness, the patience and the desire to help each other in community was truly moving .... so to our friends at Leech Lake Reservation, thank you for welcoming us into your community; thank you for trusting us and for partnering with us.
I put together a video from some of the photos I took:
We are gearing up for our 2nd spay/neuter and vaccination clinic in 2013. Our clinic will be held on Friday and Saturday (May 17-18, 2013) at the Leech Lake Tribal Police Headquarters in Cass Lake (Leech Lake residents only).
We will also be offering wellness checks and vaccinations only.
Our clinic is held in partnership with the Leech Lake Tribal Police and Kindest Cut.
Funding for our May clinic has been provided by the Leech Lake Environmental Health division and a generous donor. Vaccinations for surgery patients has been donated by Minnesota Spay Neuter Project.
Leech Lake Legacy, in partnership with the Leech Lake Tribal Police, will be hosting our first spay/neuter and vaccination clinic at Leech Lake Reservation on March 22-23.
Many thanks to Pause for Paws, for contributing $2,500 towards the cost of the clinic. It costs us approximately $6,000 to host a spay/neuter and vaccination clinic. Many thanks to donors and supporters of Leech Lake Legacy for helping us raise the needed funds to offer these much needed services to residents of Leech Lake Reservation.
And if you haven't checked out our website, be sure to check it out at:
It's been almost a month since we had our second spay/neuter clinic (August 25-26) in partnership with Kindest Cut and the Leech Lake Tribal Police ... this blog post is LONG overdue!! Many thanks to everyone who helped make our second spay/neuter clinic a big success. On Saturday the first resident was in line at 4:15 AM with his dog Scooter! It was obvious Scooter was very much loved by his owner :)
Over the two-day clinic a total of 93 animals were spayed/neutered ... 51 were given vaccinations only, and 42 animals were surrendered and taken in by the Animal Humane Society and placed up for adoption.
Many thanks also to Minnesota Partnership for Animal Welfare/MnPAW for contributing $2,500 towards the cost of funding a 2-day spay/neuter clinic. The remaining $3,000 was raised and funded by Leech Lake Legacy through a collaborative fundraiser with Kindest Cut in June (a garage sale and dog wash) to raise the needed funds.
Our efforts to help the animals up at Leech Lake Reservation would not be possible without the help and support of so many.
Scooter and his owner were the first in line at 4:15 AM!
We are also extremely grateful for the opportunity to meet so many of the wonderful residents of Leech Lake Reservation. Thank you for welcoming us into your community.
If you are interested in volunteering or getting involved please email us at leechlakelegacy@gmail.com. We have weekly transports and are always in need of volunteers able to help us in transporting animals from Leech Lake to our partner shelters.
To view pictures from the 2-day spay/neuter clinic click here.
