Leech Lake Legacy 2011

Now that 2011 is officially in the books, I thought it was time to take a breath, sit back and reflect on the things we accomplished, and learned, in our first year of rescuing and re-homing animals from Leech Lake Reservation.

April 2011

One transport – 20 dogs (Alexander, Andrew, Annie, Aspen, Bellie, Brian, Buddy, Cassio, Kane, Katie, Lola, Lottie, Lucky Louie, Madeline, Max, Minnie, Nellie, Rex, Scout, Sprocket)

April 30, 2011 - My first trip to Leech Lake

I traveled with Julie, Diane, Heidi and Lisa.  I had no idea what to expect on this first trip.  I will never forget how my senses were assailed when I walked into the Impound.  The stench of urine was overpowering.  The noise was overwhelming.  I didn’t know nine dogs could make so much noise!

As I walked to the back of the Impound toward the kennels, my eyes needed to adjust to the darkness.  I walked up to the first kennel and was met by a pair of big brown eyes, looking at me with curiosity.  It was Madeline – an emaciated, starving, very pregnant St. Bernard who waited patiently while I fumbled with the rusty latch.  When I finally opened the gate and hooked the leash to her collar, Madeline took over.  She dragged me out the front door of the Impound and yanked me toward the nearby woods.  At the time, I had no idea what she was trying to tell me but in hindsight, I think she knew it was time to find a place to nest and have her babies (she gave birth to 21 puppies a few days after being rescued).

A very pregnant Madeline

We rescued nine dogs that day (20 if you count Madeline’s 11 surviving puppies).

May 2011

One transport - 2 dogs (Barry, Boots)

May 12, 2011

I received a call from Rory, the Animal Control Officer in Leech Lake.  He had picked up two injured dogs – Barry who had a large, nasty wound on his back and Boots who had been hit by a car.  Both of the dogs needed immediate vet care and since Leech Lake had no funds for vet care, Rory was wondering what I wanted him to do.  I told him to bring the dogs to the vet – I would take care of the bill and figure out a place for the dogs to go.

Boots #1

ACT V Rescue took Boots, fixed his injuries and found him a forever home.  Animal Allies took Barry, fixed his injuries and found him his forever home.

This was my first interaction with ACT V and Animal Allies.  Both of them have become critical partners in our work in Leech Lake.

June 2011

Two transports, 13 dogs (Boots #2, Carter, Cass, Cedar, Chester, Cinder, Cindy, Clem, Clementine, Cleo, Coco, Conan, Pepper)

June 10, 2011

Déjà vu – I received a call from Rory about another dog named Boots who had been hit by a car and needed emergency vet care.  I reached out to Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley who agreed to take Boots.  They fixed his broken pelvis, placed him in a foster home for eight weeks while he healed and then put him up for adoption.  Boots was adopted within hours of being placed on the floor.

Boots #2

Cass

Cass was a big, sweet, older Shepherd mix who had been at the Impound for more than a month before he was finally transported on June 18.  As do all dogs we transport from Leech Lake, Cass went into the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley where it was discovered he had a large tumor growing in his throat.  The decision was made to have Cass euthanized.

(Before Cass was surrendered, he had lived in a home in northern Minnesota.  Soon after he was surrendered, he escaped the Impound and found his way home.  His former owners returned him to the Impound.)

After the decision was made to euthanize Cass, Marilou decided to bring him home so he could enjoy his last day out of the shelter.  He spent the day with Marilou and her dogs, basking in the sun, eating as many treats as he wanted and that night, sleeping next to Marilou’s bed.

Marilou brought Cass to her own vet the next day, where she was with him as he peacefully went to the Rainbow Bridge.

Cass on his last day

July 2011

Six transports, 37 dogs (Ardon, Asha, Austin, Daisy, DJ, Dolly, Diablo, Dusty, Eddie, Edgar, Edwina, Ellie, Elsa, Emmit, Emmy, Fabiola, Falana, Fannie, Farley, Felix, Fletcher, Flicka, Flower, Frankie, Fidelis, Fredericka, Garbo, Geddy, George, Gertie, Goblin, Gully, Hickory, Holter, Jake, Lilah, Lobo)

Emmy

Emmy and her three puppies were rescued from the Impound on July 9.  They were brought into AHS where the three puppies were almost immediately adopted.  Emmy, however, was passed over again and again.  She had spent some time in the Shy/Fearful Dog Program at AHS but even after that, no one wanted to adopt Emmy.

On Friday, August 5, Emmy was featured as WCCO’s Pet of the Week.  Emmy was adopted the very next day.

Emmy

Jake

Jake was brought in to AHS on July 30.  He was behavior tested, vetted and placed on the floor for adoption.  Soon after Jake was placed on the floor, he suffered a seizure and was no longer able to be placed for adoption at AHS.

We tried for two weeks to find a place for Jake.  We struck out again and again.  Everyone was full.

On Friday, August 19, Jake had been in the shelter for 19 days.  He was becoming anxious and stressed.  The reality was that there was nowhere for Jake to go and it was time for us to make the painful decision about Jake's future.

Jake was scheduled to be euthanized on Saturday, August 20.  Marilou and I visited Jake one last time and took him outside for a long walk.  He cavorted and frolicked and thoroughly enjoyed being outside.  My heart was sobbing as I shut Jake in his kennel and said good-bye.  I was distraught that this sweet, lovable goofball was going to die.  What a terrible tragedy.

Thankfully, Jake’s story has a very happy ending.

Marilou was as distraught as I was and was not going to let Jake die.  She reached out to her friend Tom at Lucky Dog Pet Lodge who agreed to house Jake until he could be adopted.

Jake did not spend much time at Lucky Dog before he was adopted by a very nice family.  He currently resides in Richfield.

Jake

August 2011

Four transports, 26 dogs (Ichabod, Justice, Karma, Kasper, Kibbles, Kimba, Koda, Kuma, Laddie, Lady Bug, Lancelot, Larry, Lazarus, Legacy, Lenny, Leona, Lilah, Lola, Loretta, Lorraine, Lotus, Lucian, Luigi, Lulu, Luna, Slim)

August 27, 2011

There were 18 dogs on the August 27 transport including 13 puppies.  All of the dogs had been removed from one house on the Reservation.  The three vehicles that made up the transport were all packed to the roof with dogs.

We needed to find a place for the 13 puppies to stay for a few days before they could be brought into AHS.  I somehow convinced Marilou to agree to house them in her writing studio – with the understanding that I would be there to take care of them.  Little did we know what we were getting into.

Five of the puppies were no more than four weeks old and were barely able to eat (meaning we were bottle-feeding them).  All of the puppies had severe worms and on Day Three, we wormed all of them.  We then did nothing but clean up poop for two solid days.

The 13 Poop Machines

By the time we dropped the puppies off at AHS on Day Five, I was so tired I could barely form a sentence.

Three of the puppies were too small and weak to leave Marilou's, so they were brought into ACT V Rescue and Marilou continued to foster them.

Two of the left-behind puppies - Lazarus (renamed Rez) and Little Lenny were adopted by two different families.  They are both thriving.

Little Lenny

Lazarus

The third left-behind puppy was Legacy.  He quickly won Marilou’s heart and became her fourth “failed” foster.  He now resides at her house in Bloomington and has become the "spokes dog" for Leech Lake Legacy.

Leech Lake Legacy

September 2011

Eight transports, 31 dogs, 1 cat (Maddie, Maggie, Magoo, Maize, Maple, Maria, Marley, Max, Melvin, Missy, Mister, Monty, Munchkin, Mystic, Nate, Nester, Orson, Peanut, Percy, Persimmon, Pete, Petunia, Pippin, Puck, Qain, Qbert, Quacks, Qualla, Quazzi, Quincy, Rambutan, Roo)

September 14, 2011

Orson was brought down from Bemidji on a transport in the middle of the week.  I met the transport in the Cities with the intention of bringing Orson into AHS.  During the drive, Orson suddenly went stiff and I thought he was dead.  I was close to South Hyland Pet Hospital which is where Dr. Vicki of ACT V practices so I bee-lined it for Dr. Vicki’s as fast as I could drive.

I rushed Orson in the front door.  Vicki took one look at him and immediately brought him in to be examined.  Orson had a lot of health issues.  Most of his teeth were gone and the ones that were left were rotten.  His fur was so matted that he could barely walk and he could not lift his leg to go to the bathroom.  While Vicki and the vet techs were working on de-matting him, it was discovered that maggots had burrowed their way into his skin and were eating at his flesh.

Orson - Before

Orson was groomed and bathed and fixed and then fostered by Diane.  He has recovered from all of his health issues and has found his forever home.

Orson - After

October 2011

Two transports, 14 dogs (Samson, Sawyer, Shen, Sidney, Sigmund, Smurf, Spanky, Spirit, Stanley, Stella, Stormy, Sullivan, Susie, Talullah)

Two of the dogs - Smurf and Sydney - went to AHS in Golden Valley.  Stella (momma) and her 11 puppies were transported to Animal Allies in Duluth.

November 2011

Three transports, 18 dogs and 6 cats (Snoopy, Vader, Vandy, Vassar, Veronica, Victoria, Vicuria, Vincent, Vinny, Viola, Virgo, Waffles, Wanda, Waseca, Wee, Willow, Willy, Winky, Winnie, Winston, Woobie, Xanadu, Xavier, Xenio)

November 19, 2011

Wanda and Winston were brought into AHS on a transport on November 19.  On December 12, both of them broke with Parvo.  Generally, when a dog breaks with Parvo, they are euthanized (Parvo is a deadly disease and incredibly contagious and it is very costly to treat).

Dr. Vicki at ACT V Rescue brought both dogs into ACT V Rescue and after many long nights and a lot of money, Wanda and Winston were nursed back to health.  They are both currently in foster care.

Wanda

December 2011

Three transports, 32 dogs (Algonquin, Angeni, Animosh, Apisi, Ariel, Avigdor, Yadra, Yankee, Yanni, Yarrow, Yasmine, Yaz, Yentl, Yeti, Yoda, Yogi, Yoko, Yolanda, Yosemite Sam, Yoseph, Yoshi, Young Blood, YoYo, Yukon, Yuri, Yvette, Zamboni, Zen, Zephyr, Ziggy, Zippy, Zoomer)

December 18, 2011

On December 18, I received a call from Nancy, a Leech Lake volunteer who lives in Bemidji.  She and her husband Tom had stopped by the Impound to drop off a dog at the supposedly empty Impound and were quite surprised to be greeted by 18 puppies - all barking and wagging and hoping to be picked up by the nice lady or her husband.

I immediately called Rory (the ACO) to find out where the puppies had come from.  It turns out they had been picked up the night before from a farm in northern Minnesota and brought to the Impound.

I knew we needed to get the puppies out of the Impound as soon as possible.

After many phone calls and pleas for help, all 18 were transported to the Cities and brought into AHS where they were quickly vetted and placed up for adoption.

Yasmine - one of the 18 puppies

Yoko - one of the 18 puppies

Reflecting on 2011

I have always believed that each of us has the capacity to make a difference in our own lives and in other lives – be it human or animal.

What was proven to me over and over again during my work with Leech Lake in 2011 is how BIG of a difference we can make when we work together.

The last story about the 18 puppies proved it again.  In less than 24 hours:

• AHS agreed to take in 18 puppies with no time for their usual preparation
• AHS donated the use of a van and a volunteer to meet the transport in Motley
• Nancy and Tom from Bemidji picked up the puppies at the Impound and drove like maniacs to meet the AHS volunteer in Motley (both of them needed to get back to work)
• Marilou met the transport at AHS to take photos and video
• AHS staff met the transport and worked closely with us to name the puppies, vet the puppies and get them settled into their temporary home
• Potential adopters stepped up and adopted many of the puppies within 24 hours of them being placed up for adoption

I see so much negativity in the animal rescue world and people so quick to point fingers.  My wish for 2012 is for all of us to try and set aside our differences and instead of pointing fingers, ask what we can do to help each other.

If we all do that, think of everything that we could accomplish – TOGETHER!

Perhaps we can all make that our New Year’s resolution.

I would like to extend special thank yous to the following for their assistance in our efforts at Leech Lake:

All of the volunteers, both in the Cities and in northern Minnesota, who worked tirelessly to help rescue 200 animals
Rory, the Animal Control Officer in Leech Lake
ACT V Rescue & Rehabilitation
Animal Allies Humane Society
Animal Humane Society
ARVSS (Animal Rescue & Veterinary Support Services)
Lucky Dog Pet Lodge
MnPAW (Minnesota Partnership for Animal Welfare)
Pet Haven
Pet Project Rescue
RAGOM (Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota)
Red Lake Rosie's Rescue
Second Hand Dog
Secondhand Hounds
South Hyland Pet Hospital
Tri-County Humane Society

We recently set up a Facebook page for Leech Lake Legacy:

Leech Lake Legacy Facebook Page

And here is a video of the happenings at Leech Lake in 2011:

Leech Lake 2011 Video

See you soon.

Eighteen…No Wait…NINETEEN Puppies!

I received a call this past Wednesday morning from Nancy in Bemidji who had stopped by the Leech Lake Impound with her husband Tom to drop off a dog.  When they opened up the door to the Impound (expecting to see four adult dogs wagging their tails), they were hit with an insane chorus of barking.

Yadro

Yankee

Much to Nancy and Tom's surprise - the Impound was FILLED with puppies of all sizes, colors and ages - all carousing happily in their own poop and crazily wagging their tails - and all of them wanting to be picked up and snuggled.

Yanni

Yarrow

After talking to Nancy, I contacted Rory, the Animal Control Officer, who told me that 18 puppies had been dropped off at the Impound the previous evening.  He only had time the night before to vaccinate and feed them and had not yet found a minute to let me know they were there and were going to need transport to the Cities.

Yasmine

Yentl

I knew we needed to get the puppies out of the Impound as quickly as possibly and immediately started reaching out to my Leech Lake contacts.

Yeti

Yoda

All of the dogs we bring down from Leech Lake are brought into Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley (AHS) where they are tested and vetted and put up for adoption.  I generally give AHS at least a few days’ notice when I am bringing critters to allow them time to prepare.

Yogi

Yoko

I must have sounded a little frantic when I talked to my contact at AHS – she told me she would do everything in her power to get the puppies into AHS as quickly as possible.

Yolanda

Yoseph

After many calls and emails, a transport was set up for yesterday.

• AHS graciously found a volunteer to make the trip and also donated the use of a cargo van to transport the puppies.

• Nancy and Tom from Bemidji went through hell and high water to get the puppies loaded in Leech Lake in time to meet the transport in Little Falls and hightail it back to work.

• The staff at AHS met the transport and worked with us to get the puppies unloaded, vaccinated and named.  As is usual when puppies are coming in, a huge contingent of AHS staff met the transport and oohed and aahed over every one of the puppies.

• Out photographer Marilou, met us at AHS and took pictures and video of this amazing transport.

Yoshi



Youngblood

And somehow, an extra puppy made its way onto the transport - we ended up with NINETEEN puppies!  Not really sure how THAT happened...

YoYo

Yuri

This transport is another shining example of just how much we can do when we work together.  Nineteen sweet little puppies will be given a chance at a better life because of the generosity of so many people.

Yvette

If you happen to count the pictures of the puppies in this blog, you will note that there are only 18 pictures.  In the chaos of the intake, we neglected to get a picture of Yosemite Sam.

Thank you again to everyone who helped make this transport a success.

If you are interested in adopting any of these puppies, some of them are already up for adoption at the Golden Valley location of AHS.  You can view them online or even better, go see them in person.

Yaz

And one more thing…

Marilou Chanrasmi was interviewed by Sidewalk Dog about a month ago on our efforts to help the animals up at Leech Lake Reservation. They are getting ready to send out their December e-newsletter, which will feature the following story:

http://www.sidewalkdog.com/blog/2011/12/oh-give-me-a-home-local-groups-unite-in-the-leech-lake-legacy/

I would like to send a special thank you to Meredeth, Ali and Beth at Sidewalk Dog for this fabulous story.

See you all soon.

 

Winter and the W Transport

This past Saturday started out with such promise.  Even though the all-day transports to and from the Leech Lake Impound take a lot of hard work and planning, I have come to love these Saturdays.  At the end of each transport, I drive home with a smile on my face, knowing that I have been a part of rescuing needy cats and dogs and that this day is the first day of a better life for them.

I got on the road early and after an uneventful trip, arrived at the Impound.  Hot on my heels was Sandra, the other volunteer who had driven up from the Cities.  We opened the door of the Impound to a chorus of barks and meows.  The animals always seem to sense that transport day is a big day for them and never cease to let us know that they are happy we are there.

Winky and Wee

Waffles

Today’s transport seemed easy enough on paper – waiting at the Impound were four German Shepherd/Lab mix puppies (Winnie, Wanda, Winston and Waseca), a female German Shepherd mix named Woobie, a yellow lab named Willy and three small kittens (Wee, Winky and Waffles).  Also scheduled to be on the transport was Willow, a white husky who was waiting at the Impound in Bemidji for us to retrieve her.

Willow

As we walked in the Impound, we were overwhelmed with the stench of urine and feces.  The four puppies were being housed in the bathroom of the Impound and had obviously been on their own for a while.  Feces and urine covered every inch of the floor.  The puppies of course, were ecstatic to see us, and jumped and howled to be picked up.  Nancy, Tom, Carolyn and Alyssa (the awesome volunteers from Bemidji) arrived just after Sandra and I did and immediately began the unenviable job of scrubbing out the bathroom.

Waseca and Nancy

I had picked up Wanda to carry her outside and immediately noticed a large wound around her right eye.  Part of it looked old and infected and a larger area looked fresh and raw.  I somehow sensed that Wanda’s injured eye was the beginning of a very long and hard day.

After loading the animals in kennels, we headed to the dog wash in Bemidji where one by one, the animals were unloaded and brought inside for a bath.  During the 14-mile ride to Bemidji, the wind had picked up and become very cold and bitter.  Each trip outside to retrieve animals or towels or clean kennels got colder and colder.

Willy - Patiently waiting for transport

Nancy was in the middle of bathing Woobie when I heard her gasp, “Oh Jenny, look at this, the poor girl.”  Woobie had a large, draining wound on her shoulder which looked like it had been caused by a bullet.  Had we not bathed her, we never would have found it.  Woobie had never given us any indication that she was hurt – what a brave girl.

Woobie - A very brave girl

We were late getting on the road and I knew we needed to hustle if we wanted to make it to AHS by 5:00.  Sandra was following me and we were making good time.  We stopped in Brainerd for a potty break and a snack and were quickly back on the road.  As we were leaving the gas station, I happened to glance up at the sky and I suddenly became worried about the weather.  The sky had blackened and the air smelled like snow.

I found a weather station on the radio and after listening to the forecast, I felt a pit in my stomach.  Blowing snow and slippery conditions were forecast from Brainerd to Minneapolis.  I knew the next few hours were not going to be fun.

In fact, the next few hours were hellacious.  The weather grew steadily worse the closer we got to the Cities.  Blowing snow, drifting snow, cars in ditches, areas of white out and slippery roads.  I kept two hands on the wheel and my eyes on the road and said lots of prayers that all of the humans and animals on this transport would arrive safely in Golden Valley (I heard later that there were 450 accidents in Minnesota during this storm).

We finally arrived in Golden Valley with 10 minutes to spare.  The normal trip of three and a half hours had taken almost five.  The staff at AHS was patiently waiting for us and had a large contingent of people ready to welcome the animals with a warm bed and a well-deserved dinner.

As I drove away, the stress of the day began to melt away.  I thought of the 10 animals we transported and the chance we were giving them for a new and better life.  I smiled as I drove, vowing to meet Old Man Winter head on.

If you are interested in getting involved with the Leech Lake Legacy project, whether through transports, fostering animals in your home or donating, please contact Jenny Fitzer at jennyafitzer@gmail.com.

If you are interested in adopting any of these animals, please log on to the Animal Humane Society's website.

Following is a list of Items which are always needed for Leech Lake:

Old towels

Stuffed toys (but NOT Beanie Babies or any other toy which has “beans” for a filler)

Rawhides

Hard rubber chew toys

Dog treats

Stainless steel food and water bowls

Paper towels

Money for emergency medical care

Gas money for transports

If you have items to donate, please contact Jenny Fitzer at jennyafitzer@gmail.com


We are now at 165 animals who have been given a second chance at a better life since our efforts began in early May to rescue and re-home the animals of Leech Lake Reservation. This has been a true collaborative effort involving many volunteers, shelters, rescues and even businesses. Special thanks to the volunteers of Leech Lake Legacy, the Leech Lake tribal police, Rory (Leech Lake ACO), Animal Humane Society, Animal Allies, Minnesota Partnership for Animal Welfare (MnPAW), Pet Haven Inc of Minnesota, Act V Rescue & Rehabilitation and Lucky Dog Pet Lodge. 


Click here to watch a video created to celebrate the 165 animals!


See you soon!

The V Transport and Snoopy

After a few weeks with no transports, this past Saturday (November 5), there were nine dogs and three cats patiently waiting for transport from the Leech Lake Impound to the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley.

The transport crew (Lisa, Mike, Sandra and Heidi) rose early on Saturday to begin the long trek to Cass Lake.  This transport was unlike most of the other Leech Lake transports in that all of the animals needed to be bathed before they were brought into AHS.

Transport Team
Sandra, Lisa, Mike, Heidi

After loading up the dogs (Snoopy, Vader, Vandy, Veronica, Vinny, Vincent, Viola and Virgo) and the cats (Vassar, Victoria and Vicuria), the transport crew headed out to meet up with the Bemidji crew (Nancy, Tom, Carolyn and Alyssa) at the Kleen Pet Dog Wash in Bemidji.

Snoopy

Vandy

Veronica

Nancy’s comments about the dog wash:

I believe the dogs all loved this 3 on 1 attention with bath-time......one kept closing his eyes out of pure enjoyment of getting a nice rub-down.  The bathing was good for all of them on many levels.

Tom, Nancy and Carolyn bathing Vinny

Smiling Viola

Once the dogs and cats were all bathed, buffed and dried, they were loaded up in clean kennels for the ride back to the Cities.  Marilou (the photographer) and I met them at AHS to meet and photograph each of the animals and to help with unloading and check in.

Check In at AHS

Virgo



Vinny and Mike

As always, every one of the dogs was as sweet as could be.  We called one of them “the Leaner”.  If you were walking her and stopped, she would instantly lean into your legs.  These dogs absolutely crave human attention and of course, we were all very happy to give it to them.

Vader (the Leaner) and Heidi

The three kittens were not as fired up about baths and transporting but they all made it safely into AHS (and Victoria has already been adopted).

Vassar

Victoria

Vicuria

Thanks again to everyone who made this possible – the transport crew, the Bemidji crew, the photography crew and AHS.

The Bemidji Crew - Carolyn, Alyssa and Nancy
(Tom is not pictured)

These 11 animals bring the total number of Leech Lake rescued animals since May to 155!

Simply amazing.

Vincent

Vinny

If you are interested in adopting any of these great dogs or cats, visit the Animal Humane Society’s website at http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/adoption.

See you soon.

P.S.  If you are wondering why all of the animals except Snoopy have names beginning with “V”, Snoopy is five years old and lived with a family until he came into AHS.  I thought about renaming him Voopy (so it would sound familiar and also follow my naming convention) but the intake crew at AHS would not have been happy about it.  So I left it at Snoopy.

The Generosity of Frank

I never cease to be amazed at the generosity of people.  Recently, an amazing Good Samaritan came into my life and I need to share his story.

We have transported over 130 animals from Leech Lake since May.  As proud as we are of this number, we also know that we will never solve the problem of dog and cat overpopulation on the Reservation until spaying and neutering becomes a common occurrence.

Northland Spay/Neuter in partnership with Animal Allies Humane Society in Duluth contacted me recently about a grant they had received for spaying/ neutering on the Reservation.  I met with them on Friday, September 30 to discuss the details and during our conversation, I discovered that the grant would only cover the cost of the surgery.  It would not cover the necessary vaccinations for the dogs and cats ($20 per animal times 27 animals equals $540).

On my way home on Friday, I was running all sorts of scenarios through my head as to where I was going to get $540 to pay for the vaccinations.  Imagine my surprise when I got home on Friday and opened my mail to find a check for $500!

Here is how that $500 came to be:

The day before I traveled to Leech Lake to meet with the animal people from Duluth, I received a call from a guy named Frank who fishes up in Cass Lake.  He told me he had recently been in Cass Lake and found a black lab puppy in a ditch.  He called all over but not surprisingly, could not find the owner.  He brought the puppy home with him but apparently, his wife had reservations about keeping the very bouncy, five-month-old puppy.

During one of the calls he made while trying to find the owner of the puppy, someone told him about "the lady who rescues dogs".  He was calling to find out if I would take the dog if he could not keep it.  Of course I told him I would.

He asked a lot of questions about how we raise money and where we get volunteers and at the end of the conversation, he asked for my address so he and his wife Bonnie could send me a donation.  I had no idea they would be sending a check for $500.

There will be 27 animals from Leech Lake being spayed or neutered in November.  And because of Frank and Bonnie, they will also receive the vaccinations that are necessary to keep them happy and healthy.

Frank and Bonnie are wonderful examples of the goodness that lives in all of us.

From the bottom of my heart – Thank you Frank and Bonnie!

And the dogs and cats thank you too.

Some of our recent transports:



Rambutan

Sidney

Smurf

Tallulah