For three days in late May, volunteers from Pet Haven, Chuck and Don's Pet Food Outlet, MN SNAP and Red Lake Rosie's Rescue converged on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota for a spay/neuter clinic. Over the course of the clinic, more than 90 animals were brought in and spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and given free food and heavy doses of love from the volunteers. Dr. Kim Culbertson of MN SNAP spent three grueling days performing surgery from 9:00 am to as late as 7:00 pm. Her staff - Erin, Jessica and Niki - were amazing and in such great spirits. While it was hard work, they obviously enjoy what they do and have a great time. The warehouse was filled with laughter for much of the day and their energy was infectious.
Each day began at 7:00 a.m. for the volunteers with paperwork and preparation for animals that were arriving. These animals need to be crated, prepped for surgery and many of them required vaccinations as well. As the animals were recovering, they had to be kept in their kennels where the volunteers watched over them. There is a lot more work involved in facilitating these clinics than one may think and it takes a team to pull it together successfully. There is also a lot of behind the scenes help, too - for example, one Pet Haven volunteer concentrated on making food, so that the other volunteers could focus on helping the animals, and Karen Good from Rosie's spent much of her time transporting the animals.
Christine Stanton, one of Chuck and Don's store managers, came away from the experience a changed woman. "Nothing could have prepared me for what I experienced at Red Lake," said Christine. "I have never met a person like Karen. She has endless energy and a true unconditional love for what she does. The challenges that she faces on a daily basis makes my day-to-day life seem so easy in comparison."
While the focus of the clinic was mainly on spaying, neutering and vaccinating, there were a few cats and dogs that were brought in with other problems they needed to be seen for such as porcupine quills, and flea and tick infestations. There were enough ticks on some of these animals to fill up small coffee cups. Keeping these animals healthy and happy means getting rid of parasites, making sure they are getting enough of good food and helping their owners to understand their needs.
A few animals were surrendered that day, which will ultimately mean a better life for them with the hopes of being adopted to a forever home. Some dogs were brought in on chains, some were severely underfed and all were in need of some love. While we could not do anything to improve their home life, we did have an opportunity to make their lives a little better while they were with us. For some, it was as simple as giving them food and fresh water, and a soft place to lie down for a while. It was hard to fathom that a plastic kennel with a blanket was the nicest place that some of these animals have ever been in, and it was even harder to see the animals that were clearly being neglected and possibly abused. But as Christine stated, being able to see in their eyes and body language that they knew they were in a good place was comforting. All they wanted was love and affection, and at least for a day, they got all of the love they could handle. Each and every one of us wanted to take them home and give them a better life.
While you may have heard stories about the conditions that the animals of the reservation struggle with, the reality of it is impossible to put words to. The accounts of the abuse and neglect have not been exaggerated - not even a little. Luckily for the animals, there are good people working to educate their owners. Talking to pet owners about how to handle their animals, and the importance of providing them with a nutritious diet and exercise, is helping to improve the lives of so many of our furry friends. It is also clear that the clinics are helping with the animal overpopulation problem. I was told that just five years ago, it was common to see a dead dog by the side of the road every quarter-mile. Those numbers have declined drastically. In my three days on the reservation, I saw only two. It still broke my heart, but I cannot imagine what it must have been like before the spay and neuter initiative helped to slow down the out-of-control reproduction of strays on the reservation.
To learn more about Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and how you can help, visit www.redlakerosie.org.
To see all of the photos from the Red Lake spay/neuter clinic, click HERE.
Photos by lmj Originals