Rangers beginnings...
This story begins in South Dakota ;
one hot 2013 summer day
on the vast Oglala Sioux Pine Ridge reservation...
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| "Mama Cleo" Photo courtesy of OPP |
The mama dog knew this would be the best place to keep her pups
away from the heat, predators,
and the passing traffic on the highway...
-a 100 foot long culvert right under the highway-
For Mama Cleo and her 10 puppies,
this was their home on the Oglala Sioux Pine Ridge reservation.
Enter the The Oglala Pet Project(OPP)!
The OPP are a fantastic group of volunteers and Oglala community members who care what happens to the animals on the Oglala Sioux Pine Ridge reservation. They have no physical building and have very limited resources, however they have what is most important; dedicated people who volunteer their time and energy through various ways to help the animals. OPP's primary concern is to help fund free spay and neutering programs; this helps control the animal population on the reservation. They also fund a pet food bank for the Oglala community, sponsor traveling humane pet care education, along with pet wellness & vaccination clinics; as the closest vet clinic is over 60 miles away!
OPP has helped over 800 animals
since they first began as a non-profit in 2011.
This is quite a huge feat considering The Oglala Pet Project has a very limited budget.
But yet OPP still rescues and find homes for the feral ones,
who live loose on the Pine Ridge Oglala Sioux Reservation without a caregiver.
Because they care.
This is where Ranger's story begins.
He was one of Mama Cleo's pups!
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| Rangers puppy belly! Photo courtesy of OPP |
The pups whimpered; it was time to eat.
But Mama Cleo was finding it hard to even get enough food for herself.
Though she could count on the limited food placed out for her and the feral others,
the odds of all of the pups surviving was slim.
They needed help.
When the caring people of The Oglala Pet Project were notified there was a feral Mama dog and her 10 pups in a culvert on the Oglala Sioux Pine Ridge reservation, they sprung into action. It was no easy task to wrestle with all those wild pups that hot August summer day, and unfortunately one pup would just not come out; they had to leave her behind at first (later they got her to come out, the naughty girl! Yay!). Soon Mama Cleo and her pups were in the OPP's Foster Care system where they were assessed, vaccinated and acclimated to people. Mama Cleo's wonderful disposition was very evident; and her pups followed suit. OPP's volunteer Foster Care system is a great network of people from the surrounding areas of the Oglala Sioux Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota . This committed group of Foster pet parents care for the animals in their homes until they are available for adoption. Sometimes there are health concerns such as flea and tick infestations, mange, even injuries that take time to heal, along with spaying and neutering. The wonderful OPP Foster network does the task of getting the animals healthy again to find their forever homes.
For Mama Cleo and her 10 pups,
once they were weaned it was time for for their adoptions!
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| Boris aka Ranger! courtesy of OPP |
OPP always try to do their best in screening potential adopters with their required home checks, referrals and adoption contract; they even have a policy in their contract that if for some reason the animal can no longer stay with the Adopter, all animals must be returned to them, no questions asked. This is because The Oglala Pet Project truly believes all animals should be loved and cared for...
So with their adoptions complete it was happy endings everywhere;
Mama Cleo and her pups found their foreverhomes right away!
Well...
All except for one little puppy named Boris.
His happy ending came in a little later...
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The Oglala Pet Project is a non-profit that relies
on donations to do what they do.
They ARE a people of action,
and
make the most of what they have
to do great deeds for the Oglala Sioux Animals.
Please click on the underlined links below
if you would like to see exactly how wonderful they are!
if you would like to see exactly how wonderful they are!
&
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| courtesy of OPP |
(Stay tuned for Ranger's finale coming up on Friday ! )
~
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Im feral, I dont respond at all like most domesticated bloggers- However thank you for even wanting to leave a comment, as long as it doesnt involve death threats or name calling, I might even respond.