Issuu

about Rez Dogs FUR SUNSHINE IN THEIR

A

Zine

Published by Abalone Mountain Press www.abalonemountainpress.com

This zine project explores Rez dogs and their importance in Native communities. The project centers on my dog, Sandy, adopted from Coconino Humane Society, and Rez dogs I fostered through Tuba City Humane Society, including abandoned homeless puppies from various locations in Tuba City, Arizona, located on the Navajo Reservation.

INTERVIEW WITH A NAVAJO VETERINARIAN

Q: What can owners do to create a healthy environment for our rez dogs?

A: It is best to properly contain your dog and other animals by setting up a secure yard where your dog is protected. While some dogs are cared for and have access to food and water, allowing them to roam freely can be dangerous. When dogs run in packs with other neighborhood dogs, they can become aggressive or wild.

Spaying and neutering pets is also important. If dogs are not spayed or neutered, female dogs will go into heat and reproduce naturally, leading to multiple litters. Spaying and neutering help prevent overpopulation and keep communities safer.

A: Fostering is needed wherever there is an abundance of dogs and cats. It involves providing a safe and caring environment for animals. Fostering is also beneficial for the community because it helps educate people about responsible pet care. The main goal is to help manage and reduce the overpopulation of dogs and cats.

Q: how can we support you as one of the few Navajo Vets on the Navajo Nation?

A: It all comes down to using your local veterinarian. On the reservation, there are not many veterinarians available, and many work in private practice. Supporting local veterinarians is important. Encouraging people to visit their local vet and to foster animals can make a diﬀerence. Animal control has been around for a long time, yet animal overpopulation continues to grow. Female dogs can have two to three litters, with each litter producing six to ten puppies.

By educating people about fostering and getting more involved in rescuing animals from harmful situations, we can help individual dogs while also strengthening the community. In terms of resources, Tuba City Humane Society has been very helpful. Even though they do not have a physical building, they do an excellent job focusing on foster care.

The problem of stray dogs and stray cats is ongoing, and it truly takes a team of people to care for these animals.

Last week, a dog showed up at someone’s home, and she went out of her way to bring the dog to us. We were able to start treatment right away, and she even paid out of her own pocket to help. The dog was then transferred to a rescuer in Page, where it received the care it needed. This was a dog that could survive and eventually become someone’s best friend.

We are currently experiencing a shortage of foster homes. Even caring for just one animal makes a diﬀerence. While fostering is a commitment, helping animals reach a healthy state allows them to be adopted. We also need help with transporting animals from one location to another.

Please consider donating to Tuba City Humane Society.

https://tubacityhumanesociety.org/how-you-can-help/donate/

https://www.paypal.com/US/fundraiser/charity/2178816

What if snoopy were a Rez dog?

Would his owner’s name be Chauncey or Charletta instead of Charlie?

Instead of a red house, would a plastic igloo that was donated by Rez humane society suﬀice?

Instead of woodstock, woodie jr. could be an eagle flying sky high

The closest thing to snoopy being a rez dog is his brother spike

whispy mustache hairs, check tumbleweeds gather up against his house, check lives in a cactus, check toughs it out in desert terrain, check and check!

Spike also has a rez twang to his name as well

Spike is also a bit of a loner just like the local rez uncle, what is he doing in that saguaro?!

Now, snoopy, could his heart harden or soften at the beat of a drum

We’ve seen his teeth snare with just a sharp growl around the meanest arctic huskies

I think he has what it takes :)

Fast heart, little girl sits big, slowly curls

tip toes down Peshlakai Ave. Is this where she learned to frown and punch up like a pup born to duck the rocks of the morose moons. From the hands of the haunted hearts and stilled visions.

Paws once pure punch love with a girl from Moenave st. other side of town.

in the land of many houses months later

We tap paws in your wiry cage your belly and tiny chest protrude as you stand

My dad falls in love with you We can keep her if you want

She is all mine, even though she can be hard to love at times with her sharp bark and an urge to protect The sunshine in her fur warm me

SAND GLOW

Sand glows on her face

Look at this face, the sand shows and glows in your little bones

A friend amongst a trace of souls A heart to lend, a base with no end

I am here for you, as you curl and cold as the sand blows and you close your eyes

Outside this town neighs a call for a soul in need of a bold paw , the street of a dog and the fleet of an homage

The sands glow on her face like sun shinning on water

leading all down her path without a trace

When I used to walk Sandy at the high school, a friendly dog appeared out of nowhere and immediately wanted to play with her. They quickly became friends and would run around the grassy field together.

I later realized the dog, Ponyo, was a stray when he ran onto the football field during a game. The players had to carry him oﬀ, and I remember saying, “Hey, that’s the dog Sandy plays with.”

About a week later, a loud thunderstorm hit our town, causing flooding in several areas. The next day, while walking Sandy at the high school, Ponyo slowly approached us. He looked exhausted, like he hadn’t slept all night. When I sat down to watch Sandy run around, Ponyo rested his head on my lap and immediately fell asleep. I worried that he might have gotten sick from the rain and cold weather, so I invited him to come home with us. He hesitated at first, stopping at the street and looking back at the other stray dogs near the school. Then, after a moment, he crossed the street and followed us home.

The next day, I took Ponyo to the local vet and explained his situation. I didn’t have much money, but I was willing to pay for medication if he needed it. That’s when the vet told me about fostering and introduced me to the Tuba City Humane Society (not Tuba City High School). I contacted TCHS about fostering Ponyo, and soon he became my very first foster dog. Over time, he gained the confidence to sleep indoors and take his medication.

Once he was ready to be adopted, my parents took him home to be spoiled in Flagstaﬀ.

They call him, Askii Yazhi, Little Boy. And Ponyo :)

have guessed she’d had a life-changing surgery that same morning. A tough little girl

The two brothers were from Shonto. I was working a shift in Tuba City when my grandma unexpectedly called to tell me she was on her way with two boy puppies and wanted to know if I could get them checked by a vet. I hesitated, I hadn’t planned on fostering, let alone two puppies. I think she thought I worked for the Tuba City Humane Society, but I only fostered when I truly had the time and capacity.

She arrived at my job with the puppies in a crate in the back of her truck. They were tiny and terrified. She told me she had found them at a sheep camp. My uncle named the black-and-white one Spotty, and since the other didn’t have a name, I called him Coral because of his reddish-colored fur.

This was my first time fostering two young brothers who weren’t socialized. As soon as I brought them into my backyard, they hid under the shed. I assumed they’d come out at dinnertime, but I was wrong. They would only emerge once they knew I was gone, eat quickly, and then run straight back under the shed. If I opened the door to check on them, they would yelp and scatter. I gave them space until the humane society staﬀ warned me that they needed to be socialized immediately or they might remain fearful and unsocialized. One of the volunteers generously helped me trap them one morning. Once we finally got them out, we blocked oﬀ the shed so they couldn’t hide there again.

I had an outdoor crate set up with toys and water. Within thirty minutes, they were playing with me—smiling. I had never worked so hard for a smile, but it was absolutely worth it. Those little boys stole my heart so easily. Within a week, they were sleeping inside on a big dog bed, taking five naps a day, and bursting with energy.

Then my partner and I broke up, and I had to find a rescue to take them in as soon as possible. Eventually, a rescue in Phoenix was able to take the future rez dogs who need homes. But I think about Spotty almost

FOSTERS

Brothers from Shonto

I try not to think of you too deeply

I will cry And crying gets me nowhere

You were there the week I told my hosh I did not love him anymore All week, you sat with me in the backyard

I would cry into your little faces Heartbroken and halted

Your little Shonto Blue Heeler Hearts bounced in our yard's corners

the purest of puppies gently paw the fine dirt

Then I couldn't foster you anymore because I was leaving the rez

we both had to be ripped away from the land

I took you to phoenix for a new home

I cried the entire time at the animal rescue center

Spotty and coral- my foster babies

You saved them, the humane society said

I did not trust giving them up

Spotty had become my baby

I think of him everyday with his puppy smile and Shonto heart

The latter I've seen pure from pubby dog

I hope we see each other in another life

She’s my naughty little girl

Paws fright with protruded grass

Goat mouth and crimped earfluﬀ

She can be hard to love sometimes

as she is all mine, unlike our first rescue Pacino,

the easiest to love, but he belonged to the whole family

Now my Sandy girl has the face of an angel

People welcome her but she’s is mean, mean, mean!!!

Short tempered, with a boy crazy dash

Boot sniﬀer and Lotion licker

“Anti-men” my brother says as he smiles and pets her with applause

He loves her because she is naughty like him

For a time being—

There was a Navajo family living in darkness many of us were broken we kept breaking each other

Our love would bounce oﬀ each other we didn’t know howto love ourselves

You weren’t a rez dog but you were our first light— our first sunshine cow patterned and bright the heat of your heart melted each of us especially shizhe’e he needed this unconditional love A little pitbull baby mended whatever darkness dwelled within us

Abuse of the unspoken kind, when one of them was a child —a motherly love that never was broken spirits can be unkind to one another that is why this bright spirit shone over all of us gave spirit to love How frivolous to say all this came from a mixed pitbull who lay in a cage

until brother boy, wrapped his arms around him the gangster in him wanted a pit but little did the little boy in him know that these are mere babies mere love spirits who we are lucky enough to love and let us lick our dark days and let light in, with family and with fate

How can such a being teach love that doesn’t language

we listened like a good navajo family and we heard that love doesn’t have to be said but just shines

We listened and the best gift shone on our faces in a time of fright

Have you ever thought about fostering?

Fostering is a temporary yet profoundly impactful commitment that can save a life. It typically lasts a few weeks to a couple of months, providing a safe and nurturing environment for an animal in need. While fostering, you might encounter some challenges, such as a bit of chewing on shoes, occasional messes, or helping your resident dog teach boundaries. These are all part of the journey of fostering, where patience and love can lead to remarkable transformations. With fostering, you play a crucial role in helping an animal learn the ropes of home life. Over time, they stop unwanted behaviors, become house-trained, and gain confidence in social situations. Watching a shy or unsocialized animal blossom into a happy, confident pet is incredibly rewarding. Eventually, these animals are ready to walk proudly into adoption events, showcasing their true, loving selves. And one day, they leave your home for their forever home, equipped with the skills and confidence you've helped them develop. By fostering, you are not just providing a temporary shelter; you are giving these animals a second chance at a happy life. It's a journey filled with hope, transformation, and the joy of seeing an animal you've cared for find their forever family.

Foster information taken from souldog.org

Rez Dog Resources in the Southwest

• Rez Roads Rescues (Shiprock, NM)

• Tuba City Humane Society (Tuba City, AZ)

• Geronimo Animal Rescue Team (Bylas, AZ)

• Turquoise Paw Rescue (Shiprock, NM)

• Hopi Dog Rescue (Hotevilla-Bacavi, AZ)

• Underdog Animal Rescue and Rehab (Moab, UT)

• Lost and Found Pets of the Navajo Nation- FB Page (online)

• Rez-Solutions Animal Care Center (Gallup, NM)

• Desert View Veterinary Clinic (Tuba City, AZ)

• Blackhat Humane Society (Tse Bonito area of the Navajo Nation)

• Soul Dog Rescue (mobile clinic)

My dad’s dog was a Rez dog. My dad was out on the Rez one day and saw this pup kind of wondering. He approached him thinking he was going to take off, and he plopped over on his back and showed his belly. And that’s how he got a dog. He was the sweetest and an extremely loyal and protective member of our family. He was in rough shape when my dad took him in. Broken ribs that hadn’t healed properly, a bad knee, malnourished, and had quite a few ticks. The vet thought he’d been hit by a car and beat up by other dogs. I know a lot of people who’ve had Rez dogs and from what I’ve witnessed, and from personal experience they’re the best dogs you can have be apart of your family. A lot of them need patience and trust building, but once you earn it, THE BEST DOGS.

-Tangerine Speedo (Reddit post thread)

Amber McCrary is Diné poet and zinester. She is Red House Clan born for Mexican people. Originally from Shonto, Arizona and raised in Flagstaﬀ, Arizona. She earned her BA from Arizona State University in Political Science with a minor in American Indian Studies. She received her MFA in creative writing with an emphasis in poetry at Mills College. McCrary is also the owner and founder of Abalone Mountain Press, a press dedicated to publishing Indigenous voices.