Coming to the rescue
By Betsy Ryan
Farmer Staff Writer
For nearly a decade, McKenzie County has had a stray and abandoned animal problem. Barkin in the Bakken Rescue opened last month, filling a desperate need in western North Dakota. Dumped at the county landfill, left to fend for themselves outside in harsh weather or simply lost as their owners moved elsewhere, Barkin in the Bakken is the first sustainable answer for local animals.
When the EF2 tornado touched down in Watford City last summer, animal lover Krystal Lapp had only lived in the area for five weeks. Recently relocated from Alaska, Lapp couldn’t believe the destruction she was seeing and her heart broke as she read online about the displaced and lost animals in the tornado.
“Post after post kept popping up with people asking if their pets had been spotted and others with stray animals trying to find the owners,” Lapp said. “I didn’t have the resources to help with tornado relief in many ways but I knew that I could help those animals.”
Experienced in animal rehabilitation, Lapp immediately got to work. She set up traps to catch animals in the Prairie View area and then gave medical attention to the animals she found. She didn’t stop until each animal was reunited with their families or placed into warm, loving homes. Once the emergency of the tornado had passed, Lapp realized that there was still a problem.
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