Approximately 1.5 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each year, and the growing issues of disease and overpopulation only worsen these statistics. We fight for these homeless animals and struggling shelters through Reservation Animal Rescue® (RAR), a program of Partnership With Native Americans® (PWNA). Our tribal partners like Round Valley Animal Rescue in Springerville, Arizona, work hard to foster, rehabilitate and adopt-out abandoned dogs and cats, and RAR helps with food, blankets and other supplies.

Our program partner and manager at Round Valley, Amanda, shared that there was an influx of shelter admissions in 2021 after most spay and neuter services were stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout her 18 years in animal rescue, Amanda shared, “The last few years have been the worst.” While their rescue services never waver, they are still struggling to find foster families. Caring for 81 cats and 47 dogs with only 32 kennels, they have started renovations to expand their facilities.

Demonstrating the need for both rescue services and fosters is the recent story of a kitten named Storm. A couple of travelers contacted Round Valley after hearing a cat meowing in a storm drain on Main Street in Springerville. Staff responded immediately by setting up a trap and bringing the kitten back to their shelter. “We realized very quickly that something was wrong,” Amanda said.

The kitten was covered in lesions, and its tail was practically dragging behind with no muscle. After one of Round Valley’s four partnering vet clinics confirmed the kitten’s tail was dead, it was soon amputated. Though they can’t be sure, Amanda and her staff assume Storm was likely hit by a car and either rolled or ran into the storm drain.

Currently being fostered at Amanda’s house, Storm is on the upswing following her surgeries. Amanda noted that Storm has been getting a lot of interaction and started eating almost immediately at the shelter, despite their new difficulties in finding available cat food.

Now about 3 months old, Storm weighs a little over two pounds and is scheduled to get her stitches removed shortly. When she is 4 months old, she will be spayed and vaccinated as Amanda stresses the importance of “always getting your vaccines.”

Amanda is happy to see the interest Storm has already been getting from potential adopters and feels confident that she’ll find her forever home in the coming months. Amanda shared her favorite part of the job, saying, “We get very attached, but rebuilding the animals’ confidence is the best part.” Showing her gratitude for PWNA and our donors, Amanda shared, “Storm has learned to survive, and without our donors, we wouldn’t survive.”

Your donation to RAR can be the difference in life or death for a homeless animal like Storm. Donate to RAR today.