IF YOU BLINK...YOU JUST MIGHT MISS IT.
A PRISTINE PARK CITY RANCH -- KNOWN TO LOCALS...
AS A SAFE HAVEN FOR OUR FOUR LEGGED FRIENDS.
nats:
"This is new to them but they are friendly."
BISON IS NEW TO THE FACILITY..
nats:
"...not only do we have the medical care here but we have a rehabilitation program and a full time trainer."
AND WILL NOW GET FIRST CLASS TREATMENT.
KATHLEEN TOTH IS THE PRESIDENT OF NUZZLES AND CO. A NON PROFIT AIMED AT RESCUING ANIMALS.
YOU SEE EVEN THEIR JOURNEY TO GET HERE WASN'T EASY.
Darrell McCurtain/ Volunteer:
"They roam around, they're looking for food, and that's just their way of life."
DARRELL MCCURTAIN, A NUZZLES VOLUNTEER, SAYS THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HOMELESS PETS ROAMING UTAH'S RESERVATIONS...BECAUSE...
Darrell McCurtain/ Volunteer:
"There's very little resources on reservations themselves. This reservation in particular has no animal control facility, like you might find in a regular city."
VET CLINICS ARE OFTEN HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY.
WHICH IS WHY TODAY -- THE NON PROFIT TURNED THIS SCHOOLHOUSE ON THE UTE RESERVATION INTO A CLINIC...
TO SPAY AND NEUTER CATS AND DOGS OF EVERY BREED AND EVERY AGE.
SOME HAVE A MORE TROUBLED PAST THAN OTHERS.
Sonja Willie/ Lives On Reservation:
"'Blue' is a stray that someone dropped off in Fort Duchesne and I adopted him."
SONJA WILLIE GREW UP IN THE AREA -- AND HAS SEEN A CHANGE IN ATTITUDES OVER THE YEARS.
Sonja Willie/ Lives On Reservation:
"I just didn't want to add to the you know the population of our dogs around here so I decided that I would get her taken care of."
SHE'S ONE OF HUNDREDS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS FREE SERVICE, FUNDED BY DONATIONS.
THESE PETS HAVE OWNERS -- BUT THERE ARE HUNDREDS WHO DON'T.
Myleen Cornbeach, Resident:
"It's kind of sad you got all these dogs running around"
RESIDENT MYLEEN CORNBEACH SEES IT TOO...
Myleen Cornbeach, Resident:
"...some are starving and have no place to go."
BY COMING IN TODAY -- SHE HOPES TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
Kathleen Toth'/ President of Nuzzles & Co.:
"The big goal is to help a community and help them help their animals."
KATHLEEN SAYS THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO CONTROL REPRODUCTION AND FIND STRAYS -- A HOME.
SO, WITH TODAY'S EFFORTS...
Kathleen Toth'/ President of Nuzzles & Co.:
"That's going to have an immediate impact on these animals but a lasting impact for the community because just the animals that we spade and neuter today about 50 animals, they will not be contributing to the overpopulation."
Ashley Moser/ Reporter:
"Consider this, female dogs can have up to 2 litters per year if left to wander giving birth to 6 to 8 puppies per pregnancy. Over a lifetime, they can have about 100 puppies. Cats are in even bigger trouble. They can have up to 3 litters giving birth to about 6 to 8 kittens. And that cycle continues when puppies and kitten reproduce.
nats
VETERINARIAN ALYSSA HUGHES PERFORMS THE SURGERIES.
SHE SAYS WHEN YOU REMOVE AN ANIMAL'S DRIVE TO REPRODUCE...
Alyssa Hughes/ Veterinarian
"They tend to stick closer to home because they don't have the drive to go out to find somebody else to mate with."
A GOAL THE TEAM IS STRIVING FOR...BUT ONE THE COMMUNITY HASN'T ALWAYS SEEN EYE TO EYE WITH.
DARRELL BELIEVES CULTURE HAS ALSO PREVENTED MANY FROM SPAYING AND NEUTERING THESE CATS AND DOGS.
Darrell McCurtain/ Volunteer:
"So animals are brothers in the old tradition and beliefs and they have as much freedom as we human beings do. So they are able to do what they want to do."
ORGANIZERS THINK THOSE BELIEFS LED TO WHAT WE SEE TODAY.
THEY HOPE TO KEEP THE DIALOGUE GOING WITH RESIDENTS...
AND BRING STRAYS LIKE HOPE -- BACK TO THEIR RANCH...
SO...LIFE WILL GET BETTER -- ONE PAW AT A TIME.
Petting Zoo: Non-Profit Brings Vet Care to Needy Animals
