A Slice of Hope: Pizza's Rescue & Second Chance
Plus MeowStack, WCCO radio, reader remarks
In today’s news: Snickers & Midnight featured in MeowStack, Shiloh and me on WCCO radio, what readers are saying.
But first a story…
With slim cell phone tucked ear to chin, Jenny answered the phone, “Hello, Leech Lake Legacy. How can I help you?” The frantic pleading, “My neighbor’s dog has been injured! Can you help?” was not what she expected. A beloved dog named Pizza had been viciously attacked by either a stray dog or black bear two days earlier. He had retreated to the underside of a deep deck. Injured and frightened, he couldn’t be coaxed from his place of safety.
Knowing that bite wounds can lead to serious complications, Jenny rallied a team who had arrived for the weekend wellness clinic: Heidi, long-time volunteer and seasoned large dog whisperer, Teegan, an eager first-time volunteer, and Aaron, the non-profit’s board member, dog handler, tech support, and handyman extraordinaire.
They loaded a large crate into the transport van, typed the address into a map app, and headed south from Cass Lake. They traveled through the Chippewa National Forest to a remote, two-lane road and a grouping of small homes nestled in the thick woods.
As they pulled into the drive, Pizza’s fan club of kids and adults swarmed the van. Heidi and Teegan immediately laid belly-to-dirt to shimmy under the deck. The deck design impeded their process, so they switched to throwing bits of cooked hamburger to Pizza instead. The hungry pup inched forward, gobbled the food, then backed further from their reach. Heidi and Teegan continued to toss treats to Pizza in a back and forth game while the kids called his name from the other side of the deck.
Aaron stood with an elder to learn Pizza’s story and to offer options. The elder considered himself Pizza’s principle caretaker while the people who lived among the pines welcomed Pizza as he moved freely from home to home. This tiny community loved Pizza deeply but together could not afford the necessary care to heal his wounds.
Turning to Aaron with logic to temper the emotion, he suggested it was time for Pizza to find a new home. Pizza had done his job watching over them. He should have the opportunity to live where he would be safe. The elder signed the surrender papers to enable Leech Lake Legacy to oversee Pizza’s immediate medical care and journey to a new home.
As the elder handed the papers to Aaron, a collective “whoop!” echoed off the tree trunks. Pizza had emerged from under the deck! Heidi quickly secured a slip lead over Pizza’s head and slowly led him to the dog crate. It was then they could grasp the extent of his injuries. Dirt was matted to the blood and puss still oozing from a severely swollen leg.
The van returned to a waiting veterinary team of Dr. Joanne and vet tech Dani. Both had ventured north from the Minneapolis area to volunteer for the weekend wellness clinic. They immediately sedated Pizza, provided pain medications and antibiotics, and began irrigating the lacerations in his groin.
While they attended to Pizza, Leech Lake Legacy’s headquarters buzzed with the activity of a typical wellness weekend. Local residents who’d lost jobs, lost housing, or had too many animals due to lack of access to spay and neuter surgery brought in animals for surrender. Others carried cats and kittens in portable carriers, puppies in baskets, and dogs on leashes for exams, vaccinations, and toenail clips. These wellness weekends offer a low-cost local alternative to driving 20+ miles to the only veterinary clinic in nearby Bemidji.
On Sunday morning, the transport vans were loaded with surrendered cats and dogs to be taken to rescue and shelter partners across Minnesota. Once settled, their medical needs would be addressed, spay and neuter surgeries performed, and new homes found. Pizza, not stable enough for transport, was brought to Animal Care Clinic (Leech Lake Legacy’s local vet partner) for continued care under the supervision of a veterinary team.
While Pizza convalesced, Jenny worked the phones. She called Leech Lake Legacy’s partners looking for a rescue organization with an experienced foster who could tend to Pizza’s medical needs while teaching him how to live inside a home.
Two weeks later, local resident and long-time volunteer Nancy drove Pizza from Bemidji back to Leech Lake Legacy’s headquarters in Cass Lake. He joined a small transport of surrendered animals heading to the Twin Cities and his foster home with Ruff Start Rescue.
A few weeks after Jenny waved goodbye, she received a text from his foster. “He is doing really good!...he’s SUCH A GOOD boy!...He loves to play with my resident dog, too. He has an interested adopter that is coming to meet him tomorrow…” The worry Jenny carried about Pizza not being able to adjust to indoor living or that he’d be too traumatized to be with other dogs evaporated. He was healed. He was happy. He was on his way to a new home.
I asked Jenny why she picked Pizza’s story to tell. “We’ve been building this organization with resources, volunteers and partnerships to address the ever-present and growing need for animal care. When the stars align, the success is uplifting for everyone who has stepped in to help.”
Leech Lake Legacy is a non-profit organization who provides veterinary services, including spay/neuter surgery, assistance with animal emergencies, and resources to assist residents with rehoming unwanted animal). Their current waiting list for spay/neuter surgery is more than 800 animals long!
There are 574 federally recognized tribal nations in the U.S. Only a handful have veterinary services which means very few animals and the people who love them have access to care. Got time? Got money? Please consider a donation to support non-profits serving reservation communities and programs that empower the advancement of veterinary education and professions in Indigenous communities.
SNICKERS & MIDNIGHT FEATURED IN MEOWSTACK
After six months of healing in my care, my two perfect gentlemen found a fine home. Kris, a retired school teacher and seasoned dog lover, was looking for a pet who wouldn’t require walks in a Minnesota winter. She intimated to her veterinarian that she was interested in a senior cat. That veterinarian, who volunteers with me at Leech Lake Legacy, had met the pair the same weekend I brought them home. Dr. Erika convinced Kris that a bonded pair would be more fun than one. Kris is head over heels in love with Snickers and Midnight. Many Substack readers fell in love, too. Their story continues with a feature in MeowStack by Robin Cangie and Gabe Dreer.
ME & SHILOH AND OUR ON AIR DEBUT
April 11 was National Pet Day. According to Shiloh, we should celebrate it every day. To honor her wish, I’ve included the link to her/our radio debut with Vineeta Sawkar on the WCCO Radio Morning News. Shiloh is a rather reactive dog. As a preemptive attempt to calm her barking, I distributed treat bags to the radio staff to dole out goodies to Shiloh. With her treats consumed and energy level still high, the group began rolling and tossing her ball from one side of the studio to the other. She ran under the tables and around our legs, spreading joy. See if you can pick out the moments during the interview she chose to add to the conversation. The Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
Thank you so much for the most beautiful shout-out 🙏😍 I truly appreciate all the work you do, well beyond creating that safe launch pad for dogs into a happy life with loving people 🐾From reader Anke Herrmann of Soul Touched by Dogs about her story in PetStack (my other newsletter) and how her bond with her dogs gives her purpose.
Yes, Cindy. My dog IS the reason I get up in the morning. She typifies “Fido” in so many ways. When my wife and I got her I assumed we’d taken on a dog we’d likely outlive. Some recent changes in my health, one possibly indicative of cancer, offer another. Making sure my companion is secure in her days - loved, food and water, walks, hang outs with her dog buddies - as she has come to expect in her life with two hoomans. My wife already shares in her care, and I’m confident she’ll continue if I’m out of the picture. At 76 ya I’ll remain a follower of Great Spirit, as I’ve done for years. Thanks again Cindy for your wonderful and thought-provoking post. 🐕🐶 From reader Gary Spangler responding to PetStack (my other newsletter) and how his bond with his dog gives him and his wife purpose.
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The work that rescues do is often invisible. Thank you for bringing their work to the light and honoring their service!