A Different Year

We made a really bold move earlier this year. We took down our public Facebook page. It had served us well the last decade plus, but it had become overwhelming. The world of social media can get that way sometimes. 

So we took a chance. A calculated risk, if you will. And it has turned out to be an excellent decision for this group of women who are not getting any younger. 

Between the mailing list that we have built up all these years And all of the friends that I have on my private profile from both on and off Pine Ridge and Rosebud…We believed we had plenty of supporters to reach out to in these media environments. We have met every matching challenge since the Page has come down. 

And after many years on these two Reservations, we have built relationships on the ground, and the reality of it is is that we know where to go to look for dogs. We know the communities most beleaguered by the stray population, and we know where the dumps are. We know the roads where animals are most likely to be put out. 

Rescue has continued nonstop this year, but in a more manageable way. Making It more manageable will play into the longevity. And we need to look at the big picture. Pine Ridge alone is a very, very big picture. 

On the Reservations, there are things at play in everyday decisions that many people would never even think of. Yes, there are free clinics on Rosebud more often than there are on Pine Ridge, but many people do not even have vehicles to get to them. If a clinic takes place in a specific community, there will be families who are 100 miles away from that. Overwhelm regarding a dog situation in a family comes into play. Households already struggling to get through every day, can make the dogs almost invisible, even on their own property. Drugs and alcohol getting in the way of decision-making can certainly be a factor in some families. Remote locations of many houses and trailers will keep the situation off of anybody’s radar. 

A generational attitude toward the dogs in some families is a hard one to change. How the dog situation is at a home, is maybe how it always has been and how it always will be.

It simply is what it is and we can only do what we can do. And I think what we do is a lot. There are tens of thousands of residents of these Reservations and thousands upon thousands of dogs who are free roaming. Sure, some have owners, but many will be born not belonging to anybody and will die not belonging to anybody. And that is where we come in. Making a difference to the ones who cross our path.

Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations make up over 5000 mi.² of South Dakota plains and prairie. 

Just know that there is no easy solution here and there may never be, but we help who we can and  the majority of the ones we rescue make their way to Minnesota. Many of you reading this have had or currently have a Rez dog in your life.We will stay in motion and power through this winter, in an effort to save as many lives as possible, just like we have done for the past twelve winters. 

Give To The Max is a fantastic opportunity for you to participate in helping us get through another year, whether it is assisting with veterinarian bills for the many, many animals we take in every month, maintenance on the vehicles that we have that are truly road warriors, the cost of transporting these animals to Minnesota, etc. 

The services of our five veterinarians are to see to it that every animal is seen by a veterinarian before transport, many times, life-saving stabilization and surgeries needed as a result of car hits, gunshot wounds and even abuse. With the numbers that we rescue these numbers add up. And your donations whether large or small add up as well. Ride along with us in the form of your support in this very important time of year.

And on we go. 

And you...Please go with us.

- KC Willis