United States Senate Bill to Provide Public Health Veterinary Services in Rural and Tribal Communities

Bill would authorize public health veterinary services for tribal communities.

Bill Reintroduced
Washington DC - Last week, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), along with multiple other senators, reintroduced Senate Bill 620, the Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act. The bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Service (IHS) to provide Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations with veterinary services, including spaying and neutering of domestic animals.

Murkowski first introduced the bill in June 2024. The co-sponsors of the original bill -- Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), Vice Chairman of SCIA, and Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) -- continue this role. Murkowski represents Alaska, which has the highest Alaska Native population in the country. Heinrich represents New Mexico, which is home to multiple Indian reservations, including part of the Navajo Nation.

"Studies show that Native children have the highest rate of dog bite injuries in the nation, and the highest rate of dog bite hospitalizations occur in rural Alaska and the Navajo Nation..."

"The overpopulation of stray and abandoned dogs in Indian Country is a significant public health and safety issue," said Chairman Murkowski. "My colleagues have been shocked to learn more than 250,0000 reservation dogs, as they’re often called, roam the Navajo Nation alone. And, according to IHS data, an average of 4,800 tribal members are hospitalized or receive outpatient care from dog bites each year. Some studies indicate that tribal areas experience a death rate from dog attacks that is 35 times higher than the rest of the nation...

I reintroduced this bill because Native children experience the highest rates of hospitalization from dog attacks than any other group in the nation, and we have an opportunity to change that."

Veterinary services provided by IHS are also needed to the reduce the risk of dangerous diseases, including rabies. “Communities across Indian Country are at higher risk of exposure to dangerous diseases that spread between animals and people, including rabies,” said Vice Chairman Schatz. “Rabies outbreaks in animals are becoming more frequent across America, and Michigan’s rural and Tribal communities often lack readily available access to the veterinary care," said Senator Peters.

The Navajo Nation, which is over 27,000 square miles and crosses into four states, strongly supports the bill. "This bill would assist the Nation in reducing rabies-related incidents stemming from dog bites and improving overall animal health, which directly impacts public safety and community well-being. We appreciate Senator Murkowski’s leadership in reintroducing this bill and recognizing the urgent need for veterinary services in rural and tribal areas,” said Dr. Buu Nygren, President of Navajo Nation.

IHS is part of the Department of Health and Human Services and is funded by taxpayers. IHS has lacked the authority to fund and provide public health veterinary services to Alaska Native and American Indian reservations. During the pandemic, many reservations closed shelters and halted spay and neutering services, causing the already uncontrolled dog populations on reservations to rise further. Between 2020 and 2024, at least 12 people were killed by dogs on Indian reservations.1

Most fatal dog attacks on reservations are scantly reported; dog breeds are rarely reported; identities may not be released; and some deaths are never reported at all. The 12 deaths over this 5-year period equates to 4% of our recorded dog bite fatalities (283). The number of people living on reservations is estimated to be 429,000, according to IHA. Based on this, we were able to determine rate. Death by vicious dog attack truly is about 35 times higher on reservations than the rest of the United States.2

The Death of Lyssa Rose

In May of 2021, 13-year old Lyssa Upshaw was killed by a pack of vicious dog in Fort Defiance. Afterward, the Navajo Nation Council issued a press release stating the Nation had about 500,000 feral dog and domestic dogs on the reservation, and that "just one mating pair of dogs can create 5,700 new dogs in five years." The pandemic only exacerbated this problem. Animal Control only captured "8,000 dogs in 2020 versus an upward of 30,000 in previous years," states the release.

Upshaw's death helped move the Navajo Nation Council to pass legislation that established penalties for owners of vicious dogs and other dangerous animals running at large that cause injury or death. Previously, there were no criminal penalties for either scenario. The legislation notes that along with the rising feral dog population, "dogs are becoming more vicious and aggressive." Upshaw's death also inspired state-level and federal legislation, including this bill by Senator Murkowski.

While animal control departments on reservations have long been absent, short staffed or poorly funded, it is the costly veterinary services of vaccination and spay and neutering that need federal assistance. Currently, veterinary services often rely upon partnerships with nonprofits for both. Murkowski's bill authorizes the funding of public health veterinary services for spay and neutering, diagnosis, epidemiology, elimination, vaccination and more by the Indian Health Service (IHS).

‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATION FOR VETERINARY SERVICES.— The Secretary, acting through the Service, may expend funds, directly or pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), for public health veterinary services to prevent and control zoonotic disease infection and transmission in Service areas where the risk for disease occurrence in humans and wildlife is endemic." - Senate Bill 620

Bipartisan Bill & President

Senate Bill 620 is bipartisan, and reservations are located in at least 35 states. Senator Murkowski, the bill's sponsor, is Republican, where the senate holds a slight majority (53 to 47). However, the majority in this case is about the party's agenda and its control over the powerful committee chair positions. Murkowski chairs the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. These are all favorable conditions for this bill. However, moving any legislation through both chambers of Congress can be next to impossible.

There are conflicting reports about which presidential candidate the Native American block, which is traditionally Democratic, supported in the 2024 election. One poll result showed 65% voted for Trump and another showed 39%. Reports from counties in Montana, New Mexico and Minnesota with the largest populations of Native Americans moved sharply to the right, as did voters on the Navajo Nation. Wherever the percentage truth lies, it is just one more favorable condition for this legislation.

“As tribal leaders, we’re just trying to take care of our own people,” former Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer said. “We’re tired of the same old, and there’s a lot of people in our movement.”

Lizer spoke at the 2020 virtual Republican National Convention and stumped for Trump at a rally in Albuquerque, N.M., in October. In his view, it’s time for Indian Country to make its presence known in American politics.

Providing funding for public health veterinary services to Tribal communities isn't a polarizing issue like Tribal sovereignty, land rights or water rights. There is no way to reduce the longstanding uncontrolled dog population on reservations without easily accessible low cost or free spaying and neutering services. Rescuing a handful of dogs at time, as many nonprofit rescues do on reservations, does not make a dent in the hundreds of thousands of free-roaming dogs on U.S. reservations.

You can make your voice known about Senate Bill 620 by contacting your U.S. Senators.

Pictured are five Native Americans mauled to death by one or more dogs on U.S. Indian reservations after the Covid-19 pandemic began, between May 16, 2021 to April 10, 2022.

Related articles:
05/29/22: Escalating Fatal Dog Maulings on Tribal Lands - Have Covid-19 Conditions Been a Contributing Factor?