10/31/2026
Saving Shiprock Animals- Boots on the ground after the San Juan River flood
A small Soul Dog team deployed to Shiprock just days after a flood destroyed neighborhoods and forced evacuations. Despite it being a federal law after Hurricane Katrina that people must be allowed to evacuate with their pets, we were notified of several people forced to evacuate by boat and their animals were NOT allowed to evacuate with them 🤬🤬🤬
When we arrived at the hardest hit area along Truck Route Road, sitting right on the banks of the San Juan River, the destruction was everywhere. Homes completely surrounded by feet of water, accessible only by walking in wearing protective gear, cars submerged, and where the water had receded, thick and gooey mud for days. It was a mess.
We started by walking the street looking for any signs of people or animals needing help and quickly came upon a lady frantically waving her arms and yelling. An elderly man had stripped down bare and had walked thru the water and mud to get to his trailer about 75 yards away. He was forced to evacuate by boat and could not take his 21 cats. The cats had been on their own in a trailer surrounded by the mucky water for almost four days and he was concerned and wanted to check on them. The lady had called the police and fire department and the man's family arrived as well.
After gearing up, we started across the flood waters and mud to the trailer, traps and cat bags in hand. From a distance you could see lots and lots of cats and a dog on top of the trailer. The floodwaters had reached 3/4 of the way up the trailer so the only way for these animals to survive was by going on top of the trailer. Luckily for them, at some point in time, the top of the trailer had opened up, allowing an escape route and the animals were able to climb up.
Some of the cats were friendly and easy, and some of them were scared and needed trapped. The dog was sweet and we were able to grab her. Plot twist- the dog did NOT belong to the man. She somehow was able to get to the trailer and climb up, likely saving her life. We found her sister on the bank of the river, she too had found a way to survive.
We have not yet captured all the cats but are continuing to work until all are safe. People will not be returning to this area for a long time and the animals cannot live there, as what usually happens next in a disaster is that heavy equipment will come thru and remove everything left behind. There will be no place for them to live here very soon, so time is of the essence. Soul Dog is committed to working to safely secure the animals in this flood zone.
We also had multiple cargo vans delivering hundreds of pounds of pet food and supplies to the people directly impacted and also deliveries to multiple shelters set up as resource centers in Shiprock, Rockpoint and Dennehotso. We had volunteers helping to organize, feed, walk and clean the animals in the temporary shelter that was set up in Shiprock.
Disasters bring out the best and worst in people and we are proud to be doing everything we can to make a positive impact for the people and animals impacted by the San Juan River flood. Help is still needed, the work continues and will for a long time. Thank you to those that donated to this cause and that continue to support our work.
**This is not an AI generated post, it's true heart and soul from people doing the work 💜
