Navajo lawmakers are in support of new legislation that could provide much-needed funding and veterinary services to support the fight against rabies outbreaks and stray animal populations across Indian reservations.
Navajo Lawmakers Approve
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A Senate bill has been endorsed by Navajo Nation lawmakers, which focuses on providing more veterinary services to reduce public health risks in rural tribal communities.
Veterinary Services Act
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The bill is S. 4365, also known as the Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act, which was introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska in May.
A Risk Across Reservations
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The potential for animal attacks and subsequent rabies infection is disproportionately high across tribal reservations, particularly on Navajo Nation land where approximately 250,000 dogs reside.
Addressing the Problem
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This new bill will address these concerns, and a range of others, by providing funding and veterinary services. Heightened veterinary services would be provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Indian Health Service.
The Indian Health Service
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The IHS is an arm of the DHS, and the main system providing medical and dental care to Indigenous peoples in America. It does not typically provide veterinary services, but it has the funding and infrastructure to boost those efforts.
Spaying and Neutering
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Together, the IHS and DHS would provide spaying and neutering services for domestic animals across Indian tribes and organizations and also provide protection from other zoonotic diseases.
Other Benefits of the Bill
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Along with funding and extra services, the bill would also supply communities with extra veterinary officers, aid communications between the IHS the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and conduct studies on the best ways to improve the distribution and use of rabies vaccines in certain areas.
Alaska and Beyond
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While the bill was proposed by Alaskan lawmakers, as rural Alaska has the highest rates of dog bite hospitalizations in the country, the law would apply to all tribes that approve it.
“Disproportionately At Risk”
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“Rural communities are disproportionately at higher risk of rabies transmission to humans due to uncontrolled dog populations in remote areas, which is particularly concerning given the challenges of providing health care in many rural and remote villages,” said Murkowski, who is also vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
Good Timing
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The decision to approve the bill could hardly have come at a better time for the Navajo Nation. Last month, Navajo County health officials reported a sudden surge in rabies cases.
Gray Foxes Testing Positive
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The Navajo County Public Health Services District found nine gray foxes that tested positive for rabies, with more cases suspected.
Multiplied Four-fold
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This number was significantly larger than in 2023, where only 2 rabies cases were confirmed. It also shows that even beyond the large number of dogs on reservation land, rabies is still a high risk.
70% Higher Rates on Reservations
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The risk of rabies outbreaks on reservation land has been a long-running problem. According to data from the Navajo Nation Washington Office, Native children living in the Southwest were bitten by dogs at a 70% higher rate than the general population between 2001 and 2008.
Reservation Struggles
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Historically tribes have been unable to afford the sufficient resources needed to control stray dog populations, and tribal animal control programs have been issued dozens of citations for violations of rabies vaccination requirements.
Praised Across the Board
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Since the bill was first introduced it has been lauded by public officials, community leaders, medical professionals, and public health officials in impacted states across the country.
A Bittersweet Solution
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Cindy Yurth leads the nonprofit animal rescue group Blackhat Humane Society, and despite advocating for the Navajo Nation Council to sign off on the new bill, she describes its success as bittersweet.
Addressing a Dire Need
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“On the one hand, the Navajo Nation has a dire need for veterinary services, and the IHS already has the structure to deliver them if they can hire enough veterinarians,” Yurth told The Arizona Republic newspaper.
Failures of Another Kind
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“On the other hand, I’m sad that the Nation has let its own veterinary program atrophy to the point that it needs these services,” she continued.
Other Threats
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Rabies aren’t the only threat that stray dogs pose to people living on reservation land. Navajo Nation has also reported a number of fatal dog attacks over the years.
“A Threat to Public Safety”
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“Free-roaming dogs in the desert Southwest in the U.S. are a clear threat to public safety,” said Dr. James W. Crosby, an associate at the Harvard research project The Canine Brains Project. “Typically, human fatalities in these areas are from roaming, unmonitored and most likely reproductively intact domesticated dogs that have returned to a nearly feral state.”
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