Kayenta Animal Control & Shelter (KACS)
Hope from Within

Progress Report: May/June 2005

May and June were very busy months for Kayenta Animal Control & Shelter. KACS participated in drafting animal ordinances for Kayenta that were presented to the public and sent out for a 30-day comment period, and have since been approved. Two meetings were also held in Window Rock with Navajo Nation Animal Control and the Assistant Attorney General of the Navajo Nation about the Kayenta Township animal control ordinances.

Frank Ramsey of KACS volunteered at the "superclinic" in Tuba City May 2-6. The superclinic is when two or more mobile spay/neuter providers bring services to one town, and humane educators also gave presentations to all of the elementary school children and some middle school children. You can read about the week in Tuba City here. (Photo of Frank Ramsey, volunteering at Tuba City clinic. Photo courtesy of Sue Mattson, Northern Arizona Second Chance Center for Animals.)

In the middle of May, Navajo Nation Animal Control agreed to release some dogs that were rounded up in a sweep in Chinle, and then taken to the Navajo Nation Animal Control facility in Many Farms, to off-reservation humane groups for adoption. KACS volunteered to help with dog handling and transport services for the release of these animals. These animals were transported to different facilities where they would receive assessment, veterinary care, socialization, and eventually be placed for adoption. A total of 30 animals were released. 21 of the animals went to the Second Chance Center in Flagstaff. The rest of the animals were moved to other humane groups in Arizona and Colorado. Thank you to Arvin Trujillo, Gloria Tom, Larry Spencer, and Brenda Roanhorse of Navajo Nation Animal Control, Navajo Nation Fish and Wildlife, and Navajo Nation Division of Natural Resources. Thank you also to Sue Mattson of Second Chance for your tireless efforts. Thank you to Save Our Strays of Chinle for alerting everyone to the round-up and need for rescue. We also want to thank Ann Swissdorf and Donna Marino for transporting some of the Chinle/Many Farms animals on the long ride up to Colorado. Thanks also to the Pegasus Foundation for help with fuel funds.

Arizona Humane Society donated a box unit to KACS. All that is needed now to get a solid relocation program in place is for a working truck to be acquired.

The Spay/Neuter Assistance Program delivered free spay/neuter services May 30 - June 3 in Kayenta at the Township parking lot. They provided a total of 90 spay/neuter sterilizations (including 12 Neutersol chemical castration) for dogs and cats. The generator on the truck stopped working Thursday afternoon. Thanks to the flexibility of staff, Friday was spent delivering Neutersol chemical castration to male dogs, so that services could still be continued. Other treatment over the course of the week included 5 parvo puppies (fluids and drugs and recommendation that owner follow up immediately with a vet in Page, AZ). 2 dogs with SEVERE ear ticks, 1 dog with infection from imbedded foxtails in paws. 1 dog was treated for multiple injuries resulting from attack from another dog. The dog was anesthetized for treatment and sent home with antibiotics, and 7 dogs were treated for mange.

Due to staff limitations, SNAP is only able to vaccinate animals that are accepted into the spay/neuter clinic each day. KACS networked with many other groups to maximize the services provided. KACS dispensed 145 5-in-1 vaccinations for dogs, 15 5-in-1 vaccinations for cats, and 111 rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats, which is a total of 271 reduced-cost vaccinations for walk-up clients. The Office of Environmental Health also dispensed free rabies vaccinations on Tuesday, May 31. Distemper/parvo is prevalent in epidemic proportions on the Navajo Nation, so it is very important to get all dogs vaccinated against these two diseases.

Also in conjunction with this week of free spay/neuter, KACS participated in rescuing, acquiring vet services for, and transferring 33 animals (including 9 cats) to other groups. KACS wishes to thank all the people and organizations that participated in transporting and accepting animals for placement. They include Noah's Ark Animal Rescue in Phoenix, AZ, Northern Arizona Second Chance Center for Animals in Flagstaff, AZ, Boulder Valley Humane, in Boulder, CO, and Colorado 9 Lives Rescue in Colorado Springs, CO and Donna Marino in Boulder, CO. KACS also wishes to thank Best Friends Animal Society for their assistance in transporting animals to Colorado.

We know that getting animals placed in good homes is a time consuming process, and that transferring them is only one step in this process. But without groups willing to accept animals for placement, Kayenta would be in even worse shape than it is now. On behalf of the animals and the community, KACS thanks all these groups for networking and participating with us in helping the animals.

Gallery of Animals

Here are some of the animals that were rescued.

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