Out In The Cold

When you are a dog or a cat, usually you depend on your humans for food and shelter, unless you are a stray dog or a cat in Cook County, Minnesota.

The City of Grand Marais has been without an animal shelter since the old block building was demolished by the city back in 2021 to make way for an upgrade to the marina.

Since then, Arrowhead Animal Rescue (AAR) board members have handled the housing and care of the stray and abandoned animals.

At present, all the board members’ homes are at full capacity fostering the cats and dogs that should have access to a city owned shel­ter.

This situation grew more complex when the Chair (and heart) of Arrowhead Animal Rescue suddenly passed away in November of 2022. She had been fostering eight cats that needed care, once they could be cap­tured! AAR Board members jumped into ac­tion. Each day one or more of the members went to her house to wash the bowls, feed the cats, and clean the cat boxes. Traps were set and eventually after about six weeks, all the cats were finally found and housed. Six went to an AAR members heated garage, one went to another member, and sadly, one did not survive. The cats are still there, awaiting socialization and new homes.

AAR has approached the city of Grand Marais for help in getting another shelter built, but as of this writing the building plans have not been approved and are stalled. The city has approved a lot in the Cedar Grove Business Park for a new shelter, and have appropriated some money for the shelter, but more funding is needed before building can start.

Arrowhead Animal Rescue is beginning a fundraising campaign to make this dream a reality, however we need your help. Speak to your city and county representatives and urge them to begin construction on a city owned shelter this season.

Your support would be greatly appreciated and your donations are tax deductible. A Go­FundMe account has been set up at: https://www.gofundme.com/raise-funds-towards-building-an-animal-shelter

We look forward to working with the city of Grand Marais and Cook County to bring this project from planning to reality.

Please contact Arrowhead Animal Rescue at:

218-877-7050

Email: Animals@boreal.org

Arrowhead Animal Rescue

PO Box 1274 Grand Marais, MN 55604