Navajo Nation pets overcrowd local shelter COMMISSIONERS DISCUSS STRATEGIES TO HANDLE THE INFLUX
By Deswood Tome Sun Correspondent
T
he Gallup-McKinley Humane Society has one troubling constant: they are always over capacity, with domestic animals – mostly dogs and cats – that are dropped off at the shelter from residents who live on the neighboring Navajo Nation. Clyde C.B. Strain, city planning director, addressed the McKinley County Board of Commissioners Dec. 12, speaking about the influx of animals. “There are a lot of strays being dropped off,” he said. “There’s no fee to drop them off.” Strain explained that the Ga llup -McK i n ley Hu ma ne Society makes patrons aware of a suggested $15 donation for animals to “save their life.” The high rate of drop off has left animal control with 34 percent of its budget remaining for the next six months. The city and county share a 60/40
budget responsibility for nearly $620,000 a year. Strain told the commission that only $211,000 remains. More than 1,700 animals have been dropped off at the
humane society since January from residents who live on the Navajo Nation, 67 percent of the total number brought into Gallup. A Gallup city memorandum
The memora ndum also reports that Gallup animal control does not have the budget to house and care for animals outside their jurisdiction. Commissioner Bill Lee asked Strain about efforts to
LOCAL SHELTER | SEE PAGE 22 Animal Control Coordinator Cosy Balok from Strain’s office reports: “Several Navajo Nation clients have stated they were instr ucted by the Nava jo Nation to bring their animals to the Gallup shelter.”
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Gallup Sun Publishing, LLC Publisher/Editor Babette Herrmann Editorial Assistant Abigail Rowe Correspondents Boderra Joe Deswood Tome Tom Hartsock, emeritus Calendar Editor Lealia Nelson Photography Knifewing Segura Design David Tsigelman On the Cover: Main: Police respond to an open-area death (undated). Photo by K. Segura. Top left: Community Service Aide Officers Colton Lee & Juston Olvera. Top Right: Police use an UTV during nightly ditch patrols. Photos by R. Abasta. The Gallup Sun, published Fridays, is not responsible or liable for any claims or offerings, nor responsible for availability of products advertised. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The Gallup Sun distributes newspapers in McKinley, Cibola and Apache counties. Office: 102 S. Second St., Gallup, NM 87301 The Gallup Sun, pending USPS number 1, is mailed weekly. Application to mail at periodical rates is pending in Gallup NM. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gallup Sun, PO Box 1212, Gallup, NM. Mailing Address: PO Box 1212 Gallup, NM 87305 www.gallupsun.com Phone: (505) 722-8994 Fax: (505) 212-0391 gallupsun@gmail.com Letter to the editor/guest column ACCEPTED BY EMAIL ONLY. State full name and city/town. No pen names. ID required. All submissions subjected to editor’s approval. Guest columnists, email Sun for submission requirements.
Gallup Sun • Friday December 15, 2017
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