A New Leash on Life

Journey Home Animal Rescue saves North Dakota strays.

Webster, a Mastiff mix, was stuck in a rural North Dakota pound. 

The massive puppy wasn’t well; he had a large, mysterious wound on his side. Webster needed help.

A call went out, and Leslie Hagert Rethemeier, ’09, with Journey Home Animal Rescue, answered.

Leslie’s journey began in 2004, her freshman year at UND. “I started learning about many unwanted animals in North Dakota and became aware that there was a big need in Grand Forks for foster homes and rescues.”

She, fellow UND alum Jennie Belanus, ’06, and two other Grand Forks-area animal advocates launched Journey Home in 2019 after fostering pets for several years. The four founders were immediately inundated with requests for help. “People told me, ‘If you build it, they will come,’” said Leslie.

Journey Home has become a crucial resource for animals in the region, particularly in rural areas where options are scarce. Police officers from Mayville, Hillsboro, and small towns with limited facilities, like Cavalier, Devils Lake and Spirit Lake Nation, regularly turn to Journey Home for help with stray animals. “We’ve taken in dogs hit by cars, dogs that have been shot, and others that are simply not thriving,” Leslie said.

Journey Home has helped over 7,000 animals, offering transportation, housing, and care. At any given time, around 150 animals are in foster homes. “Our priority is to place animals in foster homes where they experience the least stress and the best care,” Leslie said.

Calling All Animal Lovers

UND students and faculty make up 60% of Journey Home’s volunteer team. “College is not a great time for students to have their own dogs. They’ll come to hang out with the dogs and cats and eventually, some adopt or foster,” Leslie said. “It’s the gateway to becoming more involved or finding your own dog.”

During the 2023-24 school year, diverse groups across campus rallied to help. A team of six from the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration visited weekly; the UND Cheer team, led by head coach Dani Thompson, ’09, ’16, – who fosters animals – brought their spirit to rescue efforts. UND Track and Field athletes joined in, helping with dog walking and unloading heavy food shipments. The Women’s Basketball team volunteered and UND Hockey hosted meet-and-greets and introduced dogs – on the ice – to large audiences at the Ralph.

When a Foster Becomes Furever

Every adoption of an animal that might otherwise have been euthanized is a victory. “I have had foster dogs that I have rehabbed through a life-saving surgery and gotten them through the first nine months of their lives and then they meet their forever family,” Leslie said. “It’s rewarding but bittersweet.”

Connections formed during fostering make the separation hard. “When volunteers spend enough time with animals, they become the dog’s person,” Leslie said. “You can see the way the dog looks at them; you can just feel the bond.”

Webster’s Happy Ending

After Webster’s surgery, he had a 12-inch incision that required a large drain, and he needed eight medications daily. “He was a sight to see,” Leslie said. “It was a chore to keep the 100-pound puppy, who just wanted to play, stimulated in other ways.”

After weeks of recovery in Journey Home’s emergency placement program, Webster found a foster home to settle into before adoption. “His goofy, sweet personality came out,” Leslie said. “He quickly became a volunteer favorite.”

It wasn’t long before Webster found his forever home with a family that included kids and another dog. “The first thing he did when he arrived was jump on the couch and sit on our laps,” his new family said. “He loves to chase us around the kitchen island, and when we play catch, he does this funny jump to catch the ball.”

Webster, known now as Andre, or “Dre,” loves to sleep on the top bunk bed. Now a different dog – healthy, happy, and loved, Webster has made his Journey Home.