Watchlist: ‘Mobile vet clinic treats 'rez dogs' for free to prevent overpopulation’

By Kamiah Koch

Social media/digital journalist

Reservation dogs, common called “rez dogs,” are a staple across many Tribal reservations.

Grand Ronde has its own version of rez dogs, usually a family’s domesticated dog that has escaped its backyard and is seen running around Tribal housing. On other reservations, rez dogs live without the confines of a fence and are free-roaming members of the Tribal community. This also means that these dogs are often not vaccinated or spayed/neutered, leading to health concerns and overpopulation.

To combat that, First Nations Veterinary Director Gia Clemmer (Choctaw Nation) says they bring their mobile vet clinic to reservations to perform these necessary procedures.

Oregon Public Broadcasting followed First Nations Veterinary’s mobile clinic to the Warm Springs Reservation in central Oregon.

“Here on the Warm Springs Reservation, like so many other reservations, there is lack of access to veterinary care,” Clemmer said. “So, what we like to do is come up here and do 100 spay/neuters, which translates to about 300 births prevented.”

Clemmer advocates for high volume spay/neuter events like this because by reducing the overall population, it reduces animal suffering seen especially with rez dogs.

Former Warm Springs Tribal Council Vice Chair Aurolyn Stwyer is shown speaking to the volunteers at the mobile vet clinic about her Tribal Elder aunt who often spoke about how her people always took care of the four-legged friends.

“It’s been handed down in our generations,” Stwyer said. “She speaks very eloquently about how important it is that we look after the animals.”

At these mobile vet clinics, Tribal community members can bring cats and dogs to receive spay/neuter procedures, vaccinations, microchips and 12 months of flea and tick medication, all for free. 

According to the First Nations Veterinary website, the mobile clinic visits several of the Oregon Tribal reservations including Grand Ronde later this year. You can visit their website to find out more.

Watch the full OPB video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCAY_ajDlHw.