Navajo Nation Dog Rescuer Earns National Recognition

When Chantal Wadsworth (Diné) and her partner Vernan Kee took a road trip across the Navajo Nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, she noticed something for the first time. Amid the breathtaking landscape of towering red stone mesas, soaring buttes, and endless sprawling desert, were countless dogs.

“You see them everywhere,” Wadsworth said. “Gas stations, junctions, grocery stores, the side of the road. Sometimes we would see dogs in the middle of nowhere, and it’s like they couldn’t possibly have a home out here, nobody out here, and they probably were abandoned. So that’s when we started asking ourselves: how can we help?”

That question led Wadsworth and her partner to start Rez Road Rescue in 2023.

Her efforts have not gone unnoticed; earlier this month, the Humane World for Animals — formerly Humane Society International — nominated Wadsworth for its More Than a Pet Community Hero Award. The honor recognizes individuals who work to bring equal access to pet care and resources to their communities.

“I couldn’t believe I was chosen,” Wadsworth told Native News Online. “The first thing I thought was that I don’t want to use this opportunity to highlight myself, but the people here who are doing this work. There is a viewpoint of people on the outside that ‘oh, they aren’t doing anything to help the dog situation,’ and that we depend on outside organizations to fix everything. That is just not the case. We see people, families, every day who are helping these dogs.”

According to various sources, there are an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 dogs and cats on the Navajo Nation, a reservation that spans 27,000 square miles and includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.

On many reservations, stray dogs — often called rez dogs — are ubiquitous. They can be seen lounging in parking lots, trotting along the side of the road, or walking through housing developments. Some are feral, but the canines may not be strays in the traditional sense: many are cared for by the community. They may wander during the day but sleep at a residence. Oftentimes, a community member, or several, will feed them. And, they come in all shapes and sizes.

The numbers amount to an animal welfare crisis that drives the spread of infectious disease, bites, and injuries.

The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends a series of core vaccines for puppies starting at 6-8 weeks of age, with the final vaccines given at around 16 weeks. Many animal welfare and veterinary organizations advocate spaying and neutering cats and dogs to combat overpopulation. For pet owners, keeping up with this baseline care means 3-5 vet appointments in as many months.

In 2024, there were just three licensed vets serving in the Navajo Nation. Rescue organizations and volunteers like Wadsworth are essential to keeping animals healthy and making headway against a seemingly endless deluge of strays.  

“People can’t take care of multiple litters.” Wadsworth said. “So sometimes that leads them to dumping them because they can’t take care of them, and it’s just the cycle is just repeating itself, and it won’t stop until we spay and neuter.”

Along with taking in stray dogs and collaborating with a dozen other rescues to rehome them — more than 3,000 dogs since 2023 — Wadsworth focuses on helping families keep their pets. She coordinates with pet owners and pop-up vet clinics that visit the reservation to provide free and low-cost vaccines and spay/neuter services, sometimes even providing transportation. She emphasizes that no one has turned down her offer to help with their pets.

“People just don’t have a lot of options out here,” she said. “But the need is so great, if they do have an opportunity [to get their pet spayed] they will find a way to make it work.”

Along with helping people access vet care, she runs the only pet food pantry on the Navajo Nation.

The pantry is a drive-thru held throughout the year, and people can get food for their dogs, cats, and livestock animals. Wadsworth said many times that cars will start lining up up to two hours before the pantry opens.

“A lot of times, not having food is the deciding factor in people keeping their pets,” she said. “It’s really rewarding to be able to offer these multiple services to families, and the need is never-ending.”

Loyal Rez Dogs

Wadsworth and Kee have 12 dogs of their own, all rez dogs they rescued. One stands out as a testament to the resilience of dogs that survive the harsh conditions of the remote desert. Named Acorn, a butterscotch-colored mixed breed with an ombre black nose, she was rescued from a mountain pass with eight other canines.

While some rez dogs are accustomed to interacting with people, Acorn wasn’t one of those dogs.

“You could tell she didn’t have any interaction with humans, and if she did at one point, it was not a good interaction, because she was very terrified of humans,” Wadsworth said.

It took Acorn four months to come out of her shell. Now, she is a friendly, calm pet who is cherished.

“Acorn changed my perspective on dogs that are feral,” she said. “Sometimes they’ve been mistreated, but that is not their fault, and it really just takes time for them to open up and trust again. Rez dogs are really special. They’re so smart and loyal and loving. If you give them a chance, you will get so much love in return.”

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