Photo fundraiser for Leech Lake Legacy

 

Here's an easy way to help support Leech Lake Legacy and to make a difference for the animals of Leech Lake Reservation .... 

For a $40 donation to Leech Lake Legacy (through July 31, 2013), you get a FREE pet portrait session and 1 FREE 8x10 print at Photographers Guild in St. Paul, MN.

Call The Photographer's Guild today and schedule your session. 

Ahnung (Legacy's sister) has had a couple photo shoots at Photographers Guild!!

 

Consider a year-end gift for the animals

A new Cotton ... with foster mom Jenna.

It has now been almost 20 months since we made our first transport up to Leech Lake Reservation to meet with the Leech Lake Community Services Officer. We have had 111 transports, covering approximately 45,000 miles to bring over 1,100 precious animals to safety. Since our first trip up to Leech Lake Reservation our network has grown as we continue to collaborate and build partnerships both within Leech Lake Reservation and outside of the Reservation.

As 2012 comes to a close, it is difficult to pick one story to share as each animal has touched our hearts. But tonight, I would like to share with you an update on Cotton (who arrived on 10/28/12) with her brother Caster. Cotton had 75-80 quills on her face and Caster had over 200 quills over his entire body. On November 11^th, I shared incredibly sad news … the passing of sweet Caster (click here to read the blog posting on Caster). Along with the 200+ quills removed from his body, face, legs, and chest there were apparently more quills inside of his body. Quills migrated in his body and penetrated his heart, liver, lungs and kidneys. We shed many tears for Caster but his spirit continues to live on in his sister Cotton. The next day (November 12^th), Cotton went home with foster mom Jenna and in the month or so Cotton has been hanging out with foster mom Jenna and her many foster 4-legged siblings she has become a totally new dog. She has come a LONG way from when she arrived and was extremely fearful of people. Now she loves to be held and to sleep on laps. She also gets along great with her foster siblings and rumor has it she sleeps on foster mom’s bed with two of her siblings, Yukon and Rue. Just 6 weeks ago, Cotton was fending for herself up at Leech Lake Reservation, starving and in excruciating pain with a face full of porcupine quills. Today, she naps on a couch and gets pampered like royalty. She will be up for adoption soon and whoever adopts this sweet princess will be a very lucky person! Thank you Jenna for everything you have done and continue to do for Cotton.

Cotton and Caster when they arrived on 10/28/12

Cotton’s story is just one of more than a thousand stories. We are now at over 1,100 animals who have been transported and given a second chance. We could not do this without the support of so many … from volunteers, to donors, to the Leech Lake Tribal Police, to our partner shelters and rescues.

2012 was an amazing year for Leech Lake Legacy:

• We transported and re-homed more than 900 dogs and cats.
• We hosted two spay/neuter clinics on the Reservation where 184 dogs and cats were altered.  We also provided wellness checks and vaccinated another 126 dogs and cats.
• We held two “Great Puppy Roundups” where more than 100 animals were surrendered and transferred to rescues and shelters in Minnesota.
• We provided emergency medical care to countless dogs and cats who were brought in to our veterinarian in Bemidji with injuries that needed immediate attention.

The following video gives you a glimpse into our first 20 months!

 Our goals for 2013 are even greater.  Our plans are to host four spay/neuter clinics on the Reservation and during the months without scheduled clinics, to host vaccination clinics and Great Puppy Roundups.  We will also continue our weekly transports of dogs and cats from the Leech Lake Impound.  And inevitably, there will be injured animals on the Reservation who will need immediate and often expensive medical care.

In order to continue the transports, clinics, roundups and provide emergency care to injured animals, we need your support.  We are an all-volunteer grass roots organization. Every single cent you donate is used to help these animals.

Please consider making an end of year donation. You can make an online donation through Paypal by clicking here. You can also send a check to:

Leech Lake Legacy

P.O Box 385454

Bloomington, MN 55438

Thank you again for supporting Leech Lake Legacy.  Together, we are making a difference.

Please consider donating to Leech Lake Legacy

As non profits in Minnesota are gearing up for Give to the Max Day on November 15th, we hope you consider also making a donation to Leech Lake Legacy. As a brand new non-profit we are unable to join in the major fundraising effort through GiveMN.org this year. We filed for federal tax exemption and 501(c)3 status in October, 2012 and if this designation is granted, the full amount of your donation will be deductible for federal income purposes. But next year, you can count us in with the Give to the Max effort !!) ... Not wanting to miss out, however, we thought we'd ride the coat tails of the massive fundraising effort on Thursday!! :)

We are an all-volunteer grassroots organization. We began our efforts in May, 2011 and partner with the Leech Lake Tribal Police to transfer dogs/cats from Leech Lake Reservation to our partner shelters and rescues in Minnesota. Since May, 2011 we have been able to transfer 1,013 dogs/cats to our partner shelters/rescues. We hosted and sponsored two spay/neuter clinics with Kindest Cut in 2012 and spayed/neutered 184 animals and also provided wellness checks and vaccinations to residents at the clinic.

All donations raised will be used for our medical emergency fund or to fund one of our 2013 spay/neuter and vaccination clinics. We are planning on hosting 4 spay/neuter clinics with Kindest Cut in 2013.

We are grateful for the the following video which was created by our partner the Animal Humane Society and documents the tremendous need for spay/neuter efforts at Leech Lake Reservation.

Kiki .. one of many needing medical emergency care and taken in by the Animal Humane Society (stay tuned for a special update post on this amazing girl!)

Ilke - hit by a car. Taken in by Faeirieland Rescue. He had orthopedic surgery and is doing great. Ilke, now Tanner is up for adoption!

Lil' Dougie .. shot and had 3 bullets in his spine. We were unable to save him but he was free from pain and surrounded with love when he left us.

Clementine, a very pregnant rottie was picked up by the Leech Lake Community Services Officer at the end of October with a face full of porcupine quills. She was immediately taken to our partner vet in Bemidji where she had the quills removed. She was in labor on the transport ride to the cities on 10/28. She is now safe in rescue with Second Hand Hounds. She had 8 puppies in total. 4 of her puppies didn't make it, but 4 are thriving.

Cotton and Caster arrived on the 10/28/12 transport along with Clementine. They were immediately taken into surgery at the  Animal Humane Society and their quills removed. Over 200 quills were removed from Caster (pup on right) and 80 removed from Cotton (pup on left). Unfortunately we lost Caster on Sunday, 11/11. There were quills that were beneath the surface of his skin and they had migrated to his heart, kidneys and lungs. Rest in peace sweet Caster. We are happy to say Cotton is now in a foster home (in Morrison County Animal Humane Society's foster program), and is quickly coming out of her shell and learning to trust humans again. Thank you Jenna for taking her under your wings.

To make a donation by credit card, click on the 'Donate' button on the right hand side of our blog and it will take you to paypal. You do not need to have a paypal account to donate by credit card. You will also notice and option to make recurring donations ... we have set up a recurring donation of only $25 a month (that's less than $1/day!). Please consider also setting up a recurring donation.

To make a donation by check please mail your check to:

Leech Lake Legacy
PO Box 385454
Bloomington, MN 55438

If you have any questions you can email us at leechlakelegacy@gmail.com.

If you make a donation we would very much appreciate it if you would also add a comment to our blog post letting us know that you donated :)