Underdog Animal Rescue and Rehab serves animals and communities in the Four Corners region of the United States, which encompasses Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It specifically supports Native American reservations, with most of its work taking place on the Navajo Nation.
“Our organization is so special because of the population of animals we work with,” Fundraising & Social Media Specialist Anna Ritchie told Lady Freethinker. “Our Rez Dogs are what make us special.”
Underdog’s headquarters and Rescue Ranch are in Moab, Utah. The organization houses many animals there and relies on a network of fosters to accommodate others. It also offers transport and veterinary care, donates pet food and supplies to local communities, and hosts monthly mobile clinics in remote areas that don’t have access to these services.
“We understand that our clients are doing the best they can for the animals they love, and that lack of resources restricts their options significantly,” Grants Manager Jennifer DeFosse told LFT. “We never treat a client with anything other than courtesy, dignity, and respect.”
The clinics are a crucial component of the organization. Here, animals receive spay and neuter procedures, vaccinations, flea and tick meds, deworming meds, microchips, and more. It’s also a time when Underdog provides information to community members about the importance of sterilizations, ways to care for feral dogs, and the warning signs of typical illnesses.
“We work with local contacts to recruit volunteers from the community to work at clinics so that they can help run the clinic and learn about our recommended medical protocols and also educate us, as people who don’t live on the reservation, about local and cultural information we may not know,” Field Clinic Surgical Manager Jessica Parry told us. “Our clients at field clinics all leave with paperwork to explain the next steps in their animal’s care.”
Underdog cares for more than 500 animal companions a month and donated 21,000 lbs. of pet food in 2024. However, they still face an uphill battle.
Approximately 500,000 stray dogs inhabit the Navajo Nation alone, with their average life expectancy being a mere two years. Additionally, many dogs cohabiting with humans live outside and have the opportunity to mate indiscriminately with other canines in the vicinity, thereby worsening this crisis.
Besides that, a large portion of the residents of the Navajo Nation live in poverty, lack electricity or running water, and don’t have access to a running vehicle. As a result, many animal companions suffer and die because they lack access to food, water, shelter, and veterinary care. Dogs are also often shot to prevent them from drinking water meant for livestock.
“One of the biggest challenges is that very few people outside of the Four Corners know that the animal welfare crisis on the Navajo Nation even exists,” DeFosse added.
To learn more about this fantastic organization, please visit their website.