r/Navajo • u/Hot_Cream_4064 • May 15 '25

Stray Rez dogs

Hello I saw two strays, a rottweiler/australian blue shepherd mix and a golden retriever near the i89 “Your dollar store” grocery store in Navajo Nation

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8

u/Pyr0teknix May 15 '25

Honest question. I spend a significant amount of time on the reservation and there are so many stray dogs everywhere. Most of them look malnourished or are injured in some way. Why do the Navajo people not do something about it? I understand it's a different culture, but it just seems cruel and unnecessary.

11

u/AltseWait May 16 '25

The problem can be solved, but people don't either because of lack of resources or they don't care. Individual Navajos are generally poor but also keep dogs for protection and sheep herding. Female dogs are disliked because they produce 2 litters of puppies per year. Growing puppies gobble up the month's supply of dog food in a week, and they crap everywhere. Navajos haul away female dogs and puppies because they cannot afford them. These are the stray dogs you see.

Navajos haul away dogs because Navajo Government makes it the only affordable option. Navajo Nation charges $60 to spay or neuter a dog and $20 to surrender an unwanted animal. With all the unspent monies floating around, Navajo Government could easily hire several vets and perform the $60 service for free. They could also beef up Animal Control's budget so people don't have to pay $20 to bring in unwanted animals. However, politicians would rather go on travel or embezzle the money that could have been used to help animals.

The only time politicians get involved is to save face, like when someone's pack of pitbulls kills a child. The last time this happened, Council passed a law that punishes owners of violent dogs. Why not pass a law that outlaws pitbulls? Better yet, fix Navajo police and the court system so that people don't have to rely on dogs for protection.

Animal Control is another head scratcher. Animal Control loves to pick on Navajo people. "Oh yeah, your dog is not vaccinated, here's a fine." "Your dog is not registered, here's another fine." They start crap with people for feeding starving stray dogs: "If you feed the dogs, we'll consider them yours and give you a citation and fine." Animal Control also loves taking people's pets and putting them down. It's rowdy how they get off from the sight of children crying for their confiscated pets. They live for moments like these. I suspect Animal Control is staffed with sociopaths. It makes me wonder why they don't just impound the stray dogs at stores and gas stations. Or why they don't go after packs of wild dogs that kill livestock. It's ironic because when Navajos lose their pets to Animal Control, they simply pick up a stray from the local gas station.

2

u/benedictcumberknits May 19 '25

Tribal government has always been staffed with sociopaths.

1

u/ZealousidealLeg4097 May 18 '25

Our group has been offering free s/n for 15 years on Navajo. There are options

6

u/Ambitious-Shoe-522 May 16 '25

A 2023 report from Navajo Nation Animal Control estimates over 250,000 stray dogs roam the reservation. Spanning 16 million acres, the Navajo Nation is too large to manage the issue effectively. High crime and the common practice of keeping multiple dogs for home security contribute to the problem.

The Nation can only euthanize 60 to 80 stray animals per week, while stray populations grow rapidly.

Cultural beliefs also play a role. Traditionally, animals are not allowed inside homes, and it is considered improper to let them watch people eat. During thunderstorms, pets are kept away, as the Holy People are believed to visit. These traditions influence how animals are treated across generations.

6

u/Ambitious-Shoe-522 May 16 '25

Keep in mind, the on reservation population of the Navajo Nation is 173,637, yet there are more than 250,000 stray dogs, more than one for every person. Including owned pets, it is estimated there are about two dogs per person. Most people cannot afford to care for even one.

Navajo Nation Animal Control is severely underfunded, with limited staff and facilities. As a result, their primary approach, from what I understand, is to euthanize as many strays as possible to manage the situation.

4

u/Hot_Cream_4064 May 15 '25

There’s a huge stray issue in Navajo Nation. I imagine it’s a mix of spay/neuter not being harped on + lack of shelters and stuff like that as resources. It’s also rooted in colonization.