Imagine living within the borders of a nation…that had animal control facilities and veterinarians equaling zero.

And we are not talking a neighborhood, or a little community, we are talking about a mostly rural environment the size of the state of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. With no animal control vehicles. And I say again…with no veterinarians. And thousands of free roaming unowned or unwanted animals. Most who will be born not belonging to anyone and who will die not belonging to anyone.

You have lived here your whole life. And there has never been regular go-to help for the sick, starving and abandoned animals that you must live amongst. Imagine that you are an animal lover and you can do little or nothing.

So a cycle begins. No alternatives. No options. You take one home here and one home there and you try your best but most of the time…You look the other way. It’s all you can do. No options.

But then things change…

A few years ago a small group of people showed up making themselves available part of each month. To take in the sick, the starving, the homeless and abandoned. But they were outsiders. Could you trust this option?

But then things changed again. And now it is so very different. Because as a community member on this reservation you can now reach out to other community members and they will help you. 365 days a year those who live among you have been empowered to help you. You can call them about a dog in such bad shape her pictures are shown only in black-and-white. You can reach out to them through their Facebook page through their number that is handed out by police officers and they will come if humanly possible. They will come. They are an option.

And for the first time in your life your phone call about an animal makes a difference to that animal and to the relief in your heart. For the first time in your life and the generations before you…you have options every single day of the year.

And it is called Rescue.

And so you call. And so they come. And now you are another pair of eyes and your community because you know you have options and you’re on the watch.

We don’t always have happy endings. Sometimes a successful Rescue is just making the suffering and the sickness and the pain stop. That’s what we were able to do for this girl. Because a community member did not look the other way because she knew she had an option.

Your help is needed to keep us there. To put gas in our tanks to get to the dogs and to help with the veterinarian bills to keep them going forward or to end the suffering which is as much a part of Rescue as anything. You have the option to help us so The Lakota people have the option to call us.

Www.PayPal.me/RezDogs or the donate tab on this page allows you to use a credit card. Checks can be sent to PO Box 36 Whiteclay NE 69365.

Donations can be sent directly to our veterinarians. In Hot Springs, South Dakota at 605-745-3786 or Valentine, Nebraska at 402-376-1500 or Martin, South Dakota at 605-685-6620.

Thank you for letting us touch you sweet girl. Thank you for letting us help you in your transition to pain-free.

Options. Always a good thing.

And on we go.