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This is a small story about some teeny kittens. These one-week-old tinies saved themselves because they had little lungs powerful enough to reach the ears of nearby humans from deep within a woodpile that had been set on fire.

With no idea that a mama cat had given birth and was raising her kittens beneath the woodpile, a family doused it in gasoline, threw a lit match on it, and with a big whoosh, a fire erupted.

Within seconds, they were shocked to hear loud cries and screams from beneath the pile of blazing wood. Frantically, the family put out the fire and discovered 6 hungry baby kits at the bottom, covered in gasoline, their hair mostly burnt off.

The kits had been wailing in terror for their mother as the searing heat and flames began to scorch them, singing their fur, the acrid smell of gasoline no doubt overwhelming their nasal passages as it was breathed into their lungs. Their eyes not even open and being too young to have the mobility to escape, these little guys did not stand a chance of survival, had the family not acted as quickly as they did. The family called LTAR, who responded immediately.

Of the six, one kitten did not survive, but five are now safe in the care of LTAR volunteers. Nobody knows where mama may be, or whether she was even alive and able to care for her kittens at the time of the fire. Although a very scary event, maybe it was a miracle in disguise. Maybe without the fire, the babies would never have been discovered, and if mama was unable to care for them, they certainly would have perished. We’ll never know.

What we do know is that the five kittens are now being cared for by LTAR and will be transported to a Rescue Partner this weekend for eventual adoption. Of course, caring for these babies is taking many bottle feedings with special kitten formula, which isn’t cheap. Our LTAR volunteers are hand-nursing them every few hours. The time and devotion that’s been necessary to ensure that the kittens survived is freely given by LTAR volunteers. But the veterinary bills, feeding syringes and Kitten Replacement Milk or five constantly hungry tummies aren’t free.

In honor of these humble little souls who, through their loud cries for help made sure the universe knew about them…..we at LTAR humbly ask for your help to cover their costs. Maybe a dollar for each kitten, with an additional dollar for the one who didn’t make it. Or perhaps 3 dollars each. Every dollar helps. And when you look at the photos of four tiny, squirmy orange ones and their tabby sibling – smile. Your support ensures great futures for the five of them.

Parvo again!
We are back to battling the dreaded parvo yet again! We took in four 4-5 month old puppies: Eclipse, Venus, Astra and Sully. Eclipse and Venus broke with parvo Thursday night, just before they were planned to go on transport to one of our rescue partners. We regularly purchase parvo tests that we can administer, so we can test pups the minute we suspect they could have parvo. Early detection and treatment is critical in saving these dogs. So far Astry and Sully have have remained healthy.

We had great success with Hanwi, our last parvo dog, getting the new parvo monoclonal antibody treatment. It’s very expensive, but works quickly and reduces the impact to the pup. So, we rushed Eclipse and Venus over an hour away, to the nearest vet that has this treatment on hand. This new treatment is just one component in curing parvo. The pups also get anti-nausea and antibiotic shots, along with IV fluids. Our total bill for this single day of treatment for the two dogs was $2550!

Alisa has been up all night the last two nights, trying to push fluids and caring for these dogs. She had great news to report today: The girls got up today, ate a bit and are acting spunky!

If you can help us cover this bill, there are several ways to donate: Use Paypal, credit or debit card here: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2134262
CashApp: $LTAR1
Venmo: @laketraverseanimalrezcue code 3420
Or you could call Westside Animal Clinic at (605)878-7297 (M-F)and make a contribution towards our bill. (If you do the latter, please reach out so we can send a donation receipt, since the funds won’t be coming through us, we won’t know who donated.)

A goat?
We got a call from someone that was losing their home, and had several animals that they needed to surrender. One of them was a tiny baby goat! Meet LTAR’s first goat rescue: Lloyd, a Nubian kid buck! He was only about 10 lbs! Luckily our President Alisa Fonder has a farm and has goats herself, so she was set up to take Lloyd in. We found rescue immediately, and Lloyd went to Protecting Paws Animal Rescue in Prior Lake, MN.

Pet House Candle, Car Freshener and Room Spray Fundraiser
Reduce pet odors in your home and vehicle! Purchase any item using our link and LTAR will receive 20% of your purchase price as a donation! This fundraiser runs from April 22nd- May 6th. https://www.onefurallpets.com/pages/collections?rfsn=6227323.b9f233

Artists for Animals Auction April 22nd-28th
We’re trying something new! There’s a Facebook group dedicated to running one auction per year, with all proceeds benefitting animal rescue organizations. This auction is a bit different in that artists and crafters can post items and list the rescue beneficiary of their choice. So, this auction will benefit many different groups. Check in the description of the items to find those that are benefitting the Lake Traverse Animal Rezcue. We haven’t participated in this before, so we have no idea how many items there will be, and how many groups will be beneficiaries. Things we know will benefit us include artwork by Catherine Saucier, Watercolor cat themed greeting cards from Clarissa Wolf, a Custom Pet Watercolor Portrait by Jennifer Mikenas, and jewelry items from Cheryl Anderson. If you’d like to donate an item, you can email laketraversedogs@yahoo.com or PM our Facebook page, or you can post directly on the Artists for Animals Auction page. (If you post, you’d collect the funds yourself then donate them.) https://www.facebook.com/groups/1924057194512095

Thank you for your continued support,
Cheryl Anderson
Vice President, Lake Traverse Animal Rezcue

Our first spay/neuter clinic in 2022 was May 14th and 15th at the Youth Center on Veterans Memorial Drive in Agency Village.

Our second clinic will be Nov 5th and 6th. Location TBD.

Please donate what you can on the day the service is received. It helps us help more animals!

Our next spay/neuter clinic will be with the SNIP team from Fargo, ND. We are still working on a location for the clinic.

We’re also working on a vaccination clinic, that we hope to hold in October. Watch here and our Facebook page for more information on both events.

We held a MNSNAP clinic Thurs, Aug 12- Sat, Aug 14th at the Sisseton Wahpeton College on BIA 700, in Agency Village. We spayed/neutered 85 animals at this event.

Email laketraversedogs@yahoo.com for information about our LTAR Community Vetting Program, where we partner with the Wilmot Veterinary Clinic, year around.

2020. What a crazy time for our 10 year Anniversary!
The Lake Traverse Animal Rezcue was at risk of a major setback this year. The only spay/neuter clinic we had planned for the year, was cancelled. We scrambled to figure out what we could do, to keep the animal population in check. Working closely with the Wilmot Veterinary Clinic on the reservation, we started up the LTAR Community Vetting Program! Community members contact LTAR through our Facebook page, or via email, with information about the animals that need vetting. Volunteers pass the information to the vet clinic, then the pet owner contacts the veterinarian to schedule an appointment. The vetting is free for pet owners on public assistance, or $20 for those that are not. Over 70 pets have been approved for this program!

At the end of September, we got a surprise offer from the SNIP group from Fargo. They had a cancellation for the first weekend in October and wanted to know if they could come to Lake Traverse. Of course, we said yes! We hurried to secure a location for the event, plan and advertise it. Due to Covid, we required mask use and had the animal check in outside, to keep people safe. During a two-day clinic, the volunteer vet crew were able to spay/neuter exactly 100 animals! Many more stopped in for vaccination boosters.

You can help us continue our LTAR Community Vetting Program by donating for Give to the Max Day here.

Success stories from the year
This summer, there was a little scruffy white stray dog in a neighborhood on the reservation. No one wanted to get near her, because she was a bloody mess. Then one resident noticed her, gave her some food and water, and called us. We picked up the dog and rushed her to the veterinarian. The poor thing had a flesh-eating bacteria! We named her Coral, and No Dog Left Behind stepped up to take her in to their rescue. Coral had about $2,000 in vet work, but is now disease free, and adopted in to a great home.

In October, we sent a young dog to rescue, and he’s now in training to be a service dog!

In early November, one of our volunteers drove from the reservation to the Twin Cities with her husband, son, and a 4-place horse trailer. They made several stops around town and returned to Lake Traverse with a trailer FULL of donations! Thanks to everyone that donated items, including Purina (pet food), Wayzata High School (dog houses), Feeding Furry Friends (wire crates and dog houses), Fur-Ever Home Rescue (crates), Native America Humane Society (cat litter and pet food), and several individuals that donated crates and cat litter.

Our 10 Year History by the Numbers
The Lake Traverse Animal Rezcue began in November 2010, when it was announced that there would be a ban on dogs in tribal housing. Our volunteers petitioned the Tribal Council and prevented the ban from taking place. We knew that there was a long-term need for animal rescue in the community to keep the animal population healthy and keep the number of animals under control.

Since November 2010 we have accomplished:
– 16 spay/neuter & vaccination clinics, free for animals living on the reservation
– 3 vaccination only clinics
– Over 2000 total animals spayed/neutered
– 3624 Animals removed from the reservation and transferred to our rescue partners
o 2017 dogs
o 1573 cats
o 13 rabbits
o 10 horses
o 5 guinea pigs
o 4 mice
o 1 ferret
o 1 donkey


Thank you for your continued support! Stay safe and healthy.
Cheryl Anderson
President, Lake Traverse Animal Rezcue

On Thursday, August 8, 2019, a sick puppy from Crawfordsville/Agency Village was euthanized. The body was sent in to the State Board of Health, and it was determined the puppy had rabies. If you are on the reservation, and have pets, please get them in for rabies vaccines as soon as possible, if they are not current on vaccines. This will impact dogs, cats, rabbits or any other domestic animal that spends time outside. This puppy most likely contracted rabies from a skunk, or raccoon. We are working closely with Tribal authorities and the State board of health.

If you are not able to afford vetting for your dog, please email laketraversedogs@yahoo.com. We are currently fundraising to try to find funds to help those with financial need. If you can afford vetting, please schedule a vet appointment today!

At our clinic in April, we spayed/neutered 109 animals, and vaccinated many more that were already altered.

Be sure to visit our online auction, which ends Sun, July 30th at 7pm central time: https://laketraversear2017.eflea.ca/view

We’re working to set up a one day clinic in Browns Valley. Watch for more info.

 

 

You are making a difference!

With your help, we’ve rescued 2413 animals from the Lake Traverse Reservation since we started in November 2010.  And, although the majority have been dogs and cats, there have also been rabbits, horses, guinea pigs, mice a ferret and a donkey.  We’re just missing the partridge in a pear tree to make things complete!

But your biggest contribution, has been to spay/neuter and vaccinate 1400 animals during that same time.  When you donate, or participate in one of our fundraisers, you’re helping us provide this desperately needed service on the reservation.  In 2016, at one single clinic, we tied our record and vetted 120 animals in three days!  Although we provide the vetting services free of charge for animals that live on the reservation, vetting that many animals’ runs up a bill of just over $9,000!

Together, we are making a difference.  When I first went to the Lake Traverse Reservation in July 2009, there were animals running loose everywhere.  We were driving down a highway, and there was a little scruffy terrier type dog, running along in the ditch.  There were two German Shepherds living at a playground, under the slide.  There were dogs walking around neighborhoods, and we weren’t sure if they had homes or were strays.

LTAR started in November 2010 with a round up.  My team pulled in to the largest housing area on the reservation, and within half a block, we had 6 dogs that were roaming loose, without collars.    We went to another housing site, but we got there too late.  The stray population was so out of control, that one of the residents had taken it upon himself to shoot the strays in the area.  That was both a happy and sad day.  Happy that we saved a lot of animals, but sad that there were others that we didn’t get to in time.  Thankfully, we’ve gotten control of the animal population, through spay/neuter and removing unwanted animals.  Today if you drive around the reservation, you’d notice a huge improvement.  We’ve been able to keep the stray population down, preventing some of the devastating incidents that have happened on other reservations.

 

Help us keep the rezcue open!

In order to continue to provide the level of services we provide today, we really need support from the reservation community.  Today, we have only one person that is doing animal intake.  We have a few great foster homes and transporters, but not enough.  Help is needed with animal intake.  It could be a week per month, where you’d assist with picking up strays, sending cell phone photos and basic info about the animal, so we can post him/her on Facebook to find rescue, and taking the pet to a foster home.   Being a foster home means that you’d take an animal in and care for it until it can go to another rescue for rehoming.  We provide the food, supplies and any necessary vetting, and you keep the animal safe and loved.   Sometimes you’ll only have an animal for a couple days, but it could be two months if our rescue partners are full.  We also need assistance with animal transport.  It may be to get an animal to a vet appointment, or to drive the first leg of our transport to get animals to their rescue groups.  Animal transports happen on Saturday or Sunday mornings, and go from Sisseton to Alexandria, and we provide the crates.  Once in Alex, you’d meet up with another driver to take the animals the next section of the trip.

Even if you don’t live on the reservation, we still need your help!  We always need drivers for all legs of the transports.  It would be great if we could occasionally have a driver that would drive from Herman to Alexandria to shorten the first leg of transport.  We also frequently need help with our other legs, so if you live anywhere along I-94 between Alex and Maple Grove, we need you!   Want to make a day of it?  Offer to drive to the reservation and back to the cities!  We can load you up with donated food and supplies to haul to the reservation, and then you’d haul animals back.  You can also offer to foster LTAR animals for your Twin Cities rescue group, so they can get to rescue faster.  And, of course, donations to keep us going are imperative.  We are a 100% volunteer based animal rescue.  Since we don’t do adoptions, we run completely on donations and fundraisers.

Tis the season to get in those last minute tax deductions! 

 

The community comes together to save a dog!

Just as I was getting ready to send this newsletter, I heard a great story.  For the last few weeks, a dog was seen running loose, with an animal trap on her front leg.  Even with the trap on her leg, she was just too fast and no one could catch her.  But, as time wore on, she became skin and bones.  Luckily the community members were alert, and noticed when she finally collapsed on someone’s porch.  They took her in to the vet, afraid she would not survive.  Her paw was amputated, and she is doing better.  She is in the care of a community member, and will be going to rescue on the next transport.  Thanks to everyone that has, and continues to help this girl!

 

Thanks for your support!

Cheryl Anderson

President, Lake Traverse Animal Rezcue

Summer News from LTAR Successful Spay/Neuter event Last month we met a lot of great reservation residents and their pets during our first spay/neuter clinic of the year.  The Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program brought their mobile veterinary clinic to the SWO Housing Maintenance garage for three days of surgeries and vaccinations.  It was a great event with a lot of community participation.  During the clinic we fully vetted 48 dogs, 53 cats, and 2 rabbits.  We also provided vaccinations for an additional 30 animals that had already been altered at one of our previous clinics. The Lake Traverse Reservation provides this service free to pets living on the reservation.  But, this is not truly a “free clinic”.  LTAR pays for these events through donations and fundraising.  The bill for our spring clinic was a little over $8, 000.  Because of our great donors, and a lot of hard work with fundraising, we have been able to pay this bill.  But, now we have very little time to replenish our funds before our next clinic.  If you can help, please sponsor a vaccine for $10, or a surgery for $50.  Every donation counts.  Donations can be made through PayPal to laketraversedogs@yahoo.com , or by using the donation link on our website: http://laketraverseanimalrezcue.com/donate/donate-to-ltar/ .  Checks can be mailed to LTAR at PO Box 374 Sisseton, SD 57262. Since our inception, LTAR has now provided free spay/neuter services for approximately 900 animals living on the Lake Traverse Reservation! Volunteers Needed! We are desperately in need of volunteers and foster homes on the reservation: -Foster Homes– We are only able to help animals when we have a safe place for them to stay until they are transported to other rescue groups for rehoming.  LTAR provides the food, and other supplies, you provide the love and care. -Event volunteers– LTAR participates in a few community events during the year.  We need help with set up, and running our booth during these events.  We’re always at General Council, and often one or two other events. -Spay/Neuter clinic help– MNSNAP brings the veterinary team, but LTAR provides volunteers to help with checking in animals, potty breaks for animals, setting up and cleaning crates, cleaning surgical instruments and other tasks.   Our next clinic is Sept 14-16. -Transporters- We often need to get animals to vet appointments, and to their rescue groups.  We run transports about every other weekend, to get animals to the Twin Cities.  We just got a van that we’re planning to use for transports, more info to come. Here is a sample schedule for a transport: Drivers leave the Dakota Connection in Sisseton at 9am, and drive to Alexandria, MN Animals are transferred to another vehicle that leaves Alex around 11:15 and arrives in St Cloud at 12:15. Animals switch vehicles again, leaving St Cloud about 12: 30 and arriving in to Maple Grove about 1:30. We often have one more transport leg that leaves Maple Grove around 1:45 and gets to Burnsville around 2. Our transport coordinator and board member, Abby, makes all the arrangements. If you’d like to foster or volunteer at a clinic or event, please email Laketraversedogs@yahoo.com or call 605-742-0219.  If you can help with transport, please email LTAR.Transport@gmail.com. Fun Pasta Fundraiser We are excited to be partnering with FUN PASTA FUNDRAISING! Shop now and order some creative, delicious pasta goodies. It’s simple, and you’ll love the selection – great for any special occasion or just for yourself! With each sale, our group earns 40% which helps us reach our fundraising goal. Plus you get free shipping over $75! Our fundraiser will run now through the end of July! To shop, visit: /www.funpastafundraising.com/shop/lake-traverse-animal-rezcue Upcoming Events: SWO General Council– The Lake Traverse Animal Rezcue will have a booth at the SWO General Council at the Tribal building in Agency, on Thursday, June 25th and Friday, June 26th. Spay/Neuter Clinic– September 14th– 16th, plan to drop off your animal(s) between 7:30 and 9:00am, with pick up in the late afternoon or early evening.  Our clinics do fill up, so make sure to get their early.    We will do around 40 animals each of the first two days, and the last day we will take about 20.  The veterinary crew needs to pack up and drive back to the Twin Cities on the 16th.: Pet-a-Palooza–  Stop and see the Lake Traverse Animal Rezcue at the MN State Fairgrounds on Saturday, 6/27. CBS Radio is pleased to bring you Pet-A-Palooza presented by The Urban Dog at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds June 27thfrom 10am – 5pm.  Pet-a-Palooza is a gift to you…the pet owner, to celebrate our love affair with pets. It’s free to attend, free parking. Enjoy Live Music, Pet Entertainment, Kids Area, Exhibitors, and more!  Visit the many pet adoption and rescue organizations and start the process of adopting a new pet for your family.   Learn more online at Http://www.wcco.com/petapalooza Harvesting Hope for Animals– The Lake Traverse Animal Rezcue will once again be at this amazing event hosted by Pause 4 Paws MN on November 5th.  More information to come.