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- By Elyse Wild
A nonprofit working improve the lives of rez dogs and cats and the communities in which they live has been recognized on the global stage for its efforts to bring veterinary care to the Navajo Nation.
Daniel D'Eramo, executive director of Clifton, Colo.-based Rez Vet, will be honored this April at Humane World for Animals’ Expo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with the Trailblazer in Animal Welfare Award. The expo, hosted by Humane World — formerly Humane Society of the United States — is the largest international conference for animal welfare professionals, according to its website.
“It's truly humbling to be recognized in this way by an organization like Humane World for Animals, and I am so proud that the work of Rez Vet will be highlighted on a national stage,” D’Eramo said in a press release. “It's a testament to the growing awareness of animal care resource disparities in rural communities; no more glaring than on tribal lands across the United States. There are only a handful of organizations working tirelessly to fill these gaps in our most vulnerable communities, and I'm honored for Rez Vet to shine as a representative of this effort at Animal Care Expo.”
The award recognizes animal welfare professionals who are breaking barriers and forging new paths toward a more equitable and inclusive animal protection movement. Trailblazer awardees represent, work alongside, and serve historically marginalized and underserved communities to provide equitable access to animal care support services, according to a press release.
Rez dogs and cats are ubiquitous in many corners of Indian Country. The animals live a unique existence from strays in urban centers—while some are strays or feral, others may wander during the day and sleep at a residence at night, or be cared for by people in the community without having a home base.
It’s estimated that in the Navajo Nation, which spans 27,000 square miles, there are anywhere from 250,000 to 500,000 stray dogs and cats. As of 2024, there were only three veterinarians, according to reporting by CBS News.
A lack of veterinary care presents a public health issue: the Navajo Nation reported that rabies cases on the reservation increased fourfold from 2023 to 2024.
Since its founding in 2025, Rez Vet has provided free and low-cost veterinary care directly to communities on the Navajo Nation, offering vaccines, preventive care, and treatment for illness or injury. The organization aims to add spaying and neutering to its services in 2026. Spaying and neutering have long been considered by experts to be the foundation for mitigating the numerous pitfalls of pet overpopulation; without access to these sterilization procedures, the number of strays compounds.
Humane World for Animals has also named two of Rez Vet’s team members as scholarship recipients to invest in training.
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