To continue with the Giving Back program, Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue is our August Rescue of the Month! This organization is dear to my heart, as they hosted the first spay/neuter clinic I ever attended, giving me a glimpse into both the desperate situation for animals on the Reservation, and how far they’ve come in turning that situation around. If you haven’t read it before, please check out the blog post from my first visit to RLRR in early 2010: https://sarahbethphotography.com/2010/03/27/red-lake-rosies-rescue/
According to oral tradition the Ojibwe, the Anishinabe had a very special connection to maheengun, or the wolf. Original man walked across the North American continent long ago with maheengun by his side. After their journey together as brothers, they parted their ways. What would happen to the wolf would surely happen to the Anishinabe. The Anishinabe were always to regard the ancestor of the wolf, animoosh or dog as a friend. Red Lake Rosie reminds the Anishinabe to keep their covenant with maheengun. “The health of a nation can be determined by how it cares for it’s animals.” Traditional Anishinabe respect all living things including animoosh and gazhigees.
There’s not much demand for adoptable pets in Northern Minnesota, so after the animals are rescued and brought into the shelter on the Reservation, they are transported to the Twin Cities for additional vet care and foster placement in other rescue organizations. RLRR is all volunteer-based, with many dedicated souls making the 5+ hour drive (one way) time and again for transport, taking food and supplies, working at the shelter and clinics, and more.
RLRR brought a couple of their fosters over for photos, and they couldn’t have been sweeter. First up is Schatzi, a cutie Dachshund / Chihuahua mix. She has a treatable eye condition, but once she has surgery to correct it, she’ll be more than ready for her new home!
Then we’ve got Gidget, a mystery mix… best guess is a Shi Tzu / Dachshund. She’s so cute and scruffly, I doubt she’ll have much trouble finding a home!
If you’d like to help out Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue, they’re always in need of supplies and monetary donations, as well as volunteers and families willing to foster their wonderful creatures! Follow their blog or Facebook page for updates on animals and events.
