The Forgotten Dogs of the Navajo Nation

An unaltered stray or lost dog or cat who survives on their own continues reproducing, which only adds to the overpopulation of stray dogs and cats in this country. The Navajo Nation's problem with their overpopulation of stray dogs isn't unique, but it does come with an indifference to the plight of the dogs because of culture and poverty.

The forgotten dogs of Kayenta is a story told by Susan Stoltz, who witnessed first hand, groups of stray dogs gathered in parking lots like gangs on the streets of New York as she passed through a small town in Arizona. It's in her heartbreaking and vivid descriptions and pictures of the homeless dogs that we see through her eyes, the everyday struggles of these dogs whose existence depends on the kindness of passing strangers for food that keeps them alive for another day and keeps this story alive. It's also a reminder of life on the Navajo Nation, their culture and the people who share their land with these dogs and cats. A way of life we may not understand, but one we must respect.

There are no exact numbers of stray dogs and cats living in the United States. Estimates on cats alone puts the number around 70 million and there are no accurate estimations for stray dogs. Every year, 8 million pets end up in shelters for one reason or another and three million are put down just because there's no one to adopt them. Most strays were, at one time, someone's pet who become lost or escaped their pen or home. The lucky ones who eventually find their way back to their owners are identified with microchips, tattoos or with ID tags. The forgotten dogs of the Navajo Nation have no microchips, tattoos or ID tags and most of them have never had a home with people who love them.

Kayenta is a small town of around 5,000 residents that tourists pass through on their way to Monument Valley, Lake Powell or the Grand Canyon. It's a place to stop for gas, food or overnight lodging. Around 150 miles northeast of Flagstaff, AZ, Kayenta is located in the Navajo Nation and it's in this small town where you begin to see groups of dogs, some barely holding on to life, littering parking lots and roaming along the road.

The dogs of the Navajo Nation fight for survival everyday and live off of handouts from sympathetic tourists passing through and by scrounging from dumpsters or eating roadkill, some of which are dead dogs. Many of the dogs are living with injuries suffered from being hit by cars, from fights with each other or wild animals and from bullet wounds from kids using the dogs for target practice. It's not uncommon to find dogs with Parvo or other diseases.

An estimated 160,000 stray dogs and cats, many who are feral, have become a major problem for the Navajo Nation as the stray pet population continues to grow. In fairness to the residents of Kayenta and the surrounding area, the groups of stray dogs struggling to survive live among people who are doing the same. Poverty and a glaring apathy of the dogs' plight make a complicated issue more complicated.

It's important to understand a way of life and culture that's been centuries in the making. Changing attitudes and beliefs of the people living in the Navajo Nation come slow. As harsh and cruel as it sounds, for the people of the region, this is their way of life. The land is barren and life is hard for the people who call this area their home. They don't think of dogs as man's best friend. Dogs have a job to do and in the old days when the Navajo people tended to their herds of sheep, the dogs were used to guard the herds and give the people protection. Dogs and cats are household pets, but most pets aren't pampered like ours are. Nicknamed Rez dogs ( dogs living on the reservation), at one time in the culture of the Navajo people, dogs were important members of the family, but today's view of dogs is much different. So the forgotten dogs are left on their own to survive the best they can.

The Navajo Nation is the largest Indian reservation in the United States. It covers over 26,000 square miles in northeastern Arizona, southeastern Utah and northwestern New Mexico and is a nation in and of itself. They have their own form of government and this land is considered to be a sovereign nation inside the U.S.

Rescue groups and some tourists who have traveled through Kayenta have been trying for years to do what they can to rescue some of the dogs, but without a reliable rescue system in place in the area, it's been a challenge for them to help these forgotten dogs. People passing through the area also need to be mindful of where they are. The dogs live on land owned by the Navajo Nation, a sovereign land. Even though the dogs are strays, it's illegal to pick up one of the dogs and put it in your car to take back home. It's considered theft and you must first get permission before trying to catch one or more of the dogs or cats. But, the main reason why you shouldn't pick up a stray dog or cat is because of possible diseases you may not be aware of. Some of the dogs are friendly, but not all of them are and if you don't understand how to read a dog's body language, trying to pick up a stray dog can be dangerous. Many of the dogs are considered feral and it takes an expert lots of time and patience to catch most of the dogs.

Every so often, a story comes along that opens your eyes and heart to the plight of stray dogs and cats. A small group of people have been doing what they can to help the dogs living on the Navajo Nation, but they need help in the form of donations and foster homes or shelters willingly to give dogs that can be rescued a brighter future and a chance for a better life with a family who loves them.

Susan Stoltz has been working tirelessly for years trying to do what she can to help the dogs and cats. You can follow her progress on her Facebook page or blog. Along the side of her blog page is a section of archive posts. Scroll down to "The Dogs at Kayenta, AZ - Burger King to the Rescue" to begin reading how she and others are trying to help the forgotten dogs of the Navajo Nation.

Susan R. Stoltz, The Dogs at Kayenta, Life With Dogs

Navajo Nation History - The People, Indian Health Service

The Navajo Nation Profile, The Official Website of the 21^st Navajo Nation Council

The Navajo Nation - Largest in the U.S., Legends of America