RED LAKE ROSIES RESCUE INC

Red Lake Rosie's Rescue, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located on the Red Lake Reservation in northwestern Minnesota. Its mission is to decrease the overpopulation of companion animals and to educate the residents in the humane care and treatment of the animals.

Karen Good, a Native American who lives on the reservation, had been rescuing about a dozen dogs a year and distributing food to starving dogs when she decided that she had to do something that would enable her to help more animals. The overpopulation of companion animals and the resulting homelessness, disease, starvation, and abuse have remained unchecked for generations on the reservation. Red Lake Rosie’s (RLRR) is named after Rosie, one of the first dogs Karen rescued. Karen is 60 years old and cares for an average of 35-65 dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens daily at her shelter.

The Red Lake Reservation, which is approximately the size of Rhode Island, has about 9500 residents. There have been no other programs in the history of the nation that address the needs or protect the rights of companion animals. The annual per capita income, $8,372, is lower than any reservation in the state. About 40% of the population live at or below the poverty line. There is a 36% unemployment rate and the median age is 20.1 years. Crime and violence, often drug related, have been significant problems. Murder and suicide rates are high. In 2004, one of the largest school shootings in the country occurred at Red Lake High School.

The isolation, poverty, substance abuse, and cultural attitudes concerning companion animals have led to the overpopulation of dogs and cats. There are no veterinarians on the reservation, and pet health care, vaccinations, and spaying/neutering are almost non-existent. Even those animals that are not homeless often live outdoors without shelter and are expected to forage for their food. Many have malnutrition, dehydration, gunshot and other forms of abusive wounds, injuries from collisions with autos, as well as infection with mange mites and other parasites. It is a common and acceptable practice for residents to drop off litters of puppies and kittens, as well as adult animals at the community garbage dumpsters, where they are left to die of starvation, exposure, and/or disease.

On her property, Karen has built an animal shelter with 28 outdoor dog/puppy kennels, and she houses cats, kittens, and very young puppies in an older building. All of the animals at the shelter must be transported to rescues in the Minneapolis/St Paul area, 270 miles away, since there are very few potential adoptive homes in the rural communities near the reservation.

There is a Twin Cities group of volunteers who support Karen’s efforts by assisting with animal, food, and supplies transport, fostering, staffing spay/neuter clinics, and fundraising.

2006 – 500 animals rescued and transported; 346 animals neutered/spayed

2007 – 503 animals rescued and transported; 455 animals neutered/spayed

2008 – 619 animals rescued and transported; 526 animals neutered/spayed

2009 – 859 animals rescued and transported; 599 animals neutered/spayed

2010 – 771 animals rescued and transported; 700 animals neutered/spayed

Red Lake Rosie’s Board of Directors:

Jolene Tallchief – Chair

Julie Westbrook, Secretary

Karen Good – Treasurer

Carol Priest

Polly McMaster

Cathy Chaboyea