We held our first in-person adoption event in three years, and it was easier to get drivers for transports. Our Prescott contingent has since organized a weekly adoption day at Petco and registered us for several fun events in that area.
On the minus side, a lot of people had adopted pets during the pandemic, so adoptions were down (about 150 as of late September compared to 175 at this time last year). The year 2023 also marked 20 years since Blackhat was registered as a 501(c)3 nonprofit on the Navajo Nation. A lot has changed over the years, but I think the biggest thing was the advent of social media, which has helped tremendously in raising funds and placing our animals.
Opportunities for low-cost spay-neuter on the reservation have also increased considerably. At least five non-profits come to various parts of the reservation regularly to conduct spay-neuter and vaccination clinics.
Unfortunately, we’re still not keeping up with the demand. Animals are still regularly dumped at windmills and gas stations, and the tribal shelters still euthanize excess animals daily. Pet owners on the Rez were recently dealt a big blow when the tribal vet clinics stopped treating small animals. There are no more tribal vets, although the last holdout, Dr. Kelly Upshaw-Bia, has started a non-profit practice specializing in spay-neuter and wellness.
Thanks to Best Friends (a large non-profit shelter and animal advocacy program in Kanab, Utah), rescue groups Navajo Nation Animal Control, and the Navajo Nation Veterinary and Livestock Program are meeting regularly and coordinating efforts. Best Friends recently set up a website at NavajoNationPets.com, that includes a calendar of all the spay-neuter clinics and acts as a clearinghouse for information.
Best Friends has dedicated new a Navajo Nation Pets website (NavajoNationPets.com) and a Facebook page (BestFriendsAnimalSociety) that act as clearinghouses for information, spay/neuter and vaccination clinic dates, and education/resources.
Fiscally, donations remained about the same while vet bills skyrocketed. Fortunately, Dr. Cat Roberts in Flagstaff offered to coordinate our fundraising activities. She has already brought in thousands of dollars in small grants as well as developed an ongoing relationship with Purina to supply our foster volunteers with dog food. As we welcome 2024, our work is cut out for us. Thank you so much for your ongoing support.
Exciting Changes for Rez Dogs and Cats
Blackhat Humane Society was one of the important involved reservation rescues that attended the Nihik’is Conference for Rescues on the Navajo Reservation in late August. Nihik’is is “our friends” in Navajo which conveys such a powerful message.
Participation at the conference included the Navajo Nation Vice President and Speaker of the Council, Diné Animal Control, as well as other influential Rescue Groups such as Nuzzles, the Parker Project, Rez Daug Rescue, and Soul Dog. The conference was sponsored by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah.
The plight of over 300,000 street animals on Navajo Lands may feel daunting, but the exciting news is that people who can shift a change are coming together to do just that.
One big plan is for the new Western Agency Spay/Neuter Clinic and Pet Resource Center that’s opening in Kayenta, thanks to another Best Friends grant. Veterinary services, pet-care information, a pet foodbank, and resources for pet issues are also offered. The big bump in the road is finding licensed vets who are able to get involved since the current providers are limited to vet technicians, who are indeed performing vital and great work for the pets in need.
Currently, there are only four small holding buildings and four animal control officers to cover the entire four-state Navajo Nation. With assurances from Best Friends and other invested rescues, the staff at these holding buildings are trying to keep adoptable pets long enough to let them be retrieved for rehoming to other areas.
Staff are also opening up days for animal surrenders so the pets are not abandoned on the street. This makes rescue-group involvement critical and necessary to saving lives! If the shelters know they have prompt back-up support, it means many adoptable pets no longer need to be euthanized, which is a huge step forward for saving lives.
Best Friends is also going to collect and analyze data from the Navajo Chapters including numbers of strays, financial needs, number of dog bites, animal injuries and altercations, so priorities can be established. Again, rescues with available resources are a very important player in achieving resolution for so many animals without homes or options.
Now is the time to get involved with BlackHat Humane Society. We provide an easy way for you to help make the dire changes we need to improve animal lives for the better. Please join us to make our efforts all the more powerful. For more information, visit our website at BlackHatHumaneSociety.org.
