AHA's Red Star Emergency Services Travels to Navajo Nation

American Humane Association
Monday, 22 April 2002

April 22, 2002 - American Humane Association's (AHA) Red Star Emergency Services will be visiting the Navajo Nation in Window Rock, Arizona April 22-26, to assist local efforts to curb a serious pet overpopulation problem. Red Star will be working alongside the Navajo Nations' Veterinary and Livestock Program to spay and neuter 250 cats and dogs, all at no cost to the owners.

Red Star's 82-foot Animal Planet Rescue Rig will serve as the primary on-site surgery facility, providing two of the three surgery tables and acting as the prep and recovery area. AHA's Shelly Sandel, DVM, and Lorna Lanman, DVM, a member of the Veterinary Medical Assistance Team from Phoenix, AZ, will be working with two other veterinarians from the Navajo Nation to spay and neuter 50 animals each day.

Spanning 26,000 square miles and three states, the Navajo Nation is home to an estimated 160,000 stray dogs and cats that have created serious problems for the reservation. For example, last year 3,000 people were treated by Indian Health Service clinics for dog bites. Additionally, the two primary industries on the reservation, tourism and sheep raising, are adversely impacted as stray dogs attack and kill livestock and drive tourists from the area. With a majority of the people living below the poverty level, the Navajo Nation has few resources to combat this epidemic.

"The American Humane Association is excited to be a part of this event and knows that by providing free spaying and neutering services, we'll have a positive impact on a huge problem affecting the Navajo Nation. We're taking a giant step toward helping a segment of the population who needs our assistance the most by helping them address the tremendous problem of pet overpopulation," said Shelly Sandel, DVM, AHA's Red Star Emergency Services' specialist.

Sandel further points out that spaying and neutering efforts like the one at the Navajo Nation are directly linked to AHA's mission to protect children and animals from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Center for Disease Control statistics indicate 60 percent of all dog bite victims are children 12 years and under. Also, because pet overpopulation often leads to problems with animal neglect and abuse, AHA views spay/neuter efforts as an animal welfare issue.

Founded in 1877, the American Humane Association is the nation's only national organization dedicated to child and animal protection. From its headquarters outside Denver, Colo., and from regional offices in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, AHA provides national leadership in the development of programs, policies, and services on behalf of children and animals who are abused and neglected.

For more information, or to contact American Humane Association, see their website at: www.americanhumane.org