Bringing Veterinary Care Within Reach in Minnesota

For generations, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe (LLBO) has faced severe constraints to land and resources. Federal and state policies fragmented and reduced Tribal trust lands, leaving less than 5% of their original homeland in Tribal hands for decades. The resulting resource constraints contributed to acute challenges in housing availability and—crucially—veterinary care.

The LLBO calls the Leech Lake Reservation in north-central Minnesota home. One of six bands of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, the Leech Lake Band is made up of 11 communities that are home to 11,388 people as of the 2020 census. The area is rural, surrounded by lakes and the Chippewa National Forest.

This rurality, combined with a shortage of veterinary professionals, makes it a veterinary desert, where care is difficult to access for many pet-owning community members. The Community Outreach Manager of the Leech Lake Tribal Police is currently the primary resource for animal health and welfare concerns.

A Community Reclaiming Its Future

This community is actively taking steps to build its own capacity to provide access to resources in the community.

Through steadfast advocacy, the LLBO secured the restoration of nearly 12,000 acres of ancestral lands for future generations in 2024. This restored land is helping the Tribe address critical housing needs, expand access to sacred wild rice beds, and strengthen relations with the federal government.

Today, an animal shelter and veterinary hospital are soon expected to open in Cass Lake, where tribal headquarters are located.

Amplifying the Good in Minnesota

This October, Greater Good Charities is partnering with the Leech Lake community to host our first ever free spay/neuter clinic in Minnesota. With the help of our partners and community members, we have a goal of sterilizing 500 dogs and cats.

Listening, Learning, and Building

This clinic is an important first step, and it’s about more than one clinic. It’s an opportunity to better understand what this community needs and how Greater Good Charities can be useful. By sterilizing, vaccinating, and microchipping 500 animals, we prevent unwanted litters, lower the risk of reproductive emergencies and preventable disease, and give lost pets a better chance of finding their way home. Delivering this essential care now also frees the new hospital to focus on animals’ more complex medical needs.

This approach is central to how we work. We listen to communities, respond to what we hear and tailor our outreach as needs become clearer. Our spay/neuter program takes a holistic approach, meeting with communities and following their lead on sustainable long-term plans.

Help Bring Veterinary Care Within Reach

With your support, Greater Good Charities can take this important first step alongside the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

Click below to support our first-ever Minnesota animal health clinic—and future clinics—to put veterinary care within reach for those who need it.