Before I moved to NM, I had no idea there were stray dogs roaming everywhere; it was the first time (of now more than I can count) that I had seen a dog hit by a car. Seeing injured and starving dogs as well broke my heart and I wanted to do whatever I could to help the dogs. I stopped numerous places regularly I had seen dogs to feed them, and have taken some in to the Humane Society but eventually they told us we were bringing in too many dogs. Being still new to the state, I didn't know what to do. I found out about Blackhat Humane Society from someone at work, and found a group of fantastic, dedicated, and knowledgeable volunteers who helped to set me up as a foster. We have had many great foster animals and it's so exciting to see them going to new forever homes. Though we already had a house full of animals, we couldn't resist one of the cats we had for a while and decided to keep him. We're grateful to Blackhat to have him as part of our family! Blackhat steps in where no one else will take responsibility to help 'rez dogs'. I highly recommend them if you are interested in adopting, fostering or volunteering!
I adopted my dog through Blackhat when he was just 11 weeks old, after his mother was rescued, placed in an incredible foster home, and given the best of care as she birthed and raised her puppies. He’s now 4, and the best boy for me. A couple of years ago, my parents followed suit and adopted a Blackhat mama who had herself been rescued from dire circumstances and nursed back to health as she raised her own puppies. Both of them are smart, quirky, loving Rez dogs whose whole time with Blackhat and their amazing fosters was marked by affection and kindness. And these dogs pay it forward! I am not only grateful to Blackhat for their work, but incredibly proud to support their efforts whenever I can, so more people can benefit from the company of very good pups.
We adopted our first Blackhat humane society kittens in July. They had the best foster who took in their mom with kittens. They were socialized with both dogs and other cats. The process was so simple to complete.
I look forward to help fostering in the future
Heard about Blackhat Humane when I lived on the Navajo Nation and was confronted daily with the plight of abandoned dogs. I started fostering for them; what a great group of compassionate, caring individuals who give so much of their time, heart, and $$. Blackhat has no physical shelter, but is a network of volunteer foster homes spread on and around the Navajo Nation. Over 10 years and 150 foster dogs later, and I am on the board as the secretary/ treasurer. And yes, we are all volunteers, so any funds that come in are earmarked for the care of our foster dogs and cats.
I adopted my beloved Lola from Blackhat Humane Society. She had been lovingly cared for in two foster homes before she came to me. She was healthy, happy, and well cared for. This amazing group of volunteers somehow manages to raise money, find foster homes, and find homes for dogs that start off in pretty rough shape. When you donate, foster, and/or adopt from Blackhat, you’re supporting a well-run organization that puts every dollar to good use and saves the lives of countless homeless dogs.
We are so blessed to have adopted our sweet Swiper from Blackhat. His foster family was amazing and the Blackhat network got him from northern AZ to northern CO. Everyone was great to work with, the process was easy, and most importantly, our family has grown by one special rezdog.
Great people work with & volunteer with Blackhat Humane Society. They have great customer service! BHS provided great services and resources when I serviced as a foster mom. My dog was adopted quickly by a lovely family.
I have watched Blackhat do their work for years. The phrase "above and beyond" doesn't begin to describe what they do for all the animals they take in. From amazing individuals who foster (brought my adoptee, Letty, back to life) to the amazing families who trust their work, adopt the dogs and cats, and bring them into their forever homes.
I can not imagine another group with a more loving commitment to all the animals they take in.
As a 2-year foster for BH, I have really enjoyed the comradery and professional support that both the board and other volunteers show each other. I love that they also work cooperatively with other rescue groups and think beyond BH boundaries too. It is a refreshing approach that is hard to find in a charity and everyone seems to work hard to make so many good things happen for animals in need on the reservation.
I have done several rescue transports for Blackhat Humane over the last two years. They are well organized and have a network of dedicated and experienced fosters.
Blackhat is an amazing organization. I fostered puppies in the past and last December fostered a sweet heeler from the reservation and adopted her in May. Blackhat has been so supportive and has saved so many pets. So many amazing and dedicated volunteers!
I regularly rescued stray dogs for some years and Balckhat provided food and veterinary services as well as adoption connections. Black hat was a lifeline; I couldn’t have done that alone. Since that time I have adopted at least one Blackhat rescue myself, and again, Blackhat support was amazing. There are no salaried employees, there’s a dedicated network of volunteer rescuers; it’s just amazing. You can donate with complete confidence—I do!!!
I have been involved with dog rescue for over 20 years. Over the past 10 years while living on the Navajo Reservation, I have rescued numerous dogs and cats. Blackhat Humane Society has always been my first call. They’re dedication to helping not only the animals, but also the pet owners, is truly impressive. Especially given that they rely solely on volunteers and fosters. Blackhat Humane Society is truly making a difference for the estimated 150,000 stray animals, as well as the people, of the Navajo Nation.
My family has fostered over 70 dogs through the years for various organizations but Blackhat is by far the best group we’ve worked with. I work at a health clinic on the reservation and dogs seem to find me. One of the toughest happened a few days before Christmas in 2020. The world was locked down but the dogs in the community where I worked didn’t seem to know that.
One of the nurses came rushing in with the news that a dog had been hit by a car in front of the clinic. I didn’t see the accident but later found out the car didn’t even slow down. We knew the dog. He had an owner, but like many Rez dogs, wandered the community for a spare meal or some attention. We found him curled up in front of his home, bloody, with a badly broken leg. The owner agreed to surrender him so he could be taken to the vet and off we went. I really wasn’t thinking anything other than “please let this dog make it.” I realized we were in over our head when we got the vet estimate of around $2000 to fix his leg. I called Blackhat and they agreed right away to cover his vet bill if I agreed to foster him back to health. Ironically, the dog’s name was Holiday and he got the best gift ever that year from Blackhat with a path to a new life. Five months later, after numerous vet and physical therapy appointments, he was as good as new and adopted to a wonderful family who were previous Blackhat adopters. I’ve seen Blackhat take is so many dogs who wouldn’t have had a chance without their help, and I’m so grateful to be a small part of their mission.
No other rescue would have gone to the lengths that Blackhat did to bring my 2 Rez Dogs to me in Maine. Arlo was found near Chinle, living in a den under a shed. BHHS posted his pic and I was smitten. They placed him in foster care, got him fixed, shots certifiably healthy and transported via a chain of volunteers and airplane rides all the way to Boston.
From logistics to communication- the people at Blackhat were top notch. The amount of love and joy their efforts brought to me and Arlo is unfathomable. Toby- Arlos rezdog brother came to me as a pup who’s mom gave birth in foster care. He and his litter mates came to NH with a Blackhat foster mom/rescuer. I’m so blessed and grateful for the work of this organization. Saving little lives and fostering love bonds for so many.
We had the most incredible experience with Blackhat. They were flexible, efficient and incredibly sweet. Tjasa was the absolute best foster mama to our girls and their mama. Our pup traveled all the way to Massachusetts with her sister (who lives across the street). We are SO lucky to have the best pup in the world and to have sister dogs with our neighbors! Our sweet Naya is extremely well behaved, an incredible companion and protector of our toddler, more social than I’ve ever seen a pup be, trains easily and is the perfect addition to our family. Thank you Blackhat for getting us our bestie of our dreams!
We’re retired and split our time between 2 homes, one overseas. So having a family pet is impractical. But we love animals, especially dogs, and were missing having a wiggly, cuddly, lovable family member.
I followed Blackhat on social media for quite awhile before inquiring about fostering and was so impressed with their work and dedication. I learned so much about the problem of abandoned and stray animals near us.
After meeting with a board member we decided we’d give fostering a try and very soon found ourselves with a wiggly, cuddly, loving 7 month old pup, all vaxxed and fixed and ready for her forever home. Her name was Buttercup. How could we not fall immediately in love with her?
I took her for morning walks in the city park and everyone who saw her was drawn to her. She was sweet and friendly. One morning we passed 2 young boys on scooters and their grandma. The boys immediately stopped, asked if they could pet Buttercup, and for the next 15 minutes, they and she were in heaven. Meanwhile I talked to their grandma about Blackhat, fostering, and the great need for adoptive families.
The next morning I received a message from Blackhat to contact the family. They’d fallen in love with Buttercup and wanted to adopt her. She couldn’t have found a better home.
Although she was only with us for a week, we’ll never forget this sweet little girl. This year our life is full of travel so we’re unable to foster but we hope to do it again when we can. I can’t say enough good things about Blackhat. What a great organization!
I have helped foster with many organizations, but my time working with Blackhat was the best. I came in contact with wonderful, responsible volunteers, incredible animals, and open-hearted adopters. They have such incredible success because they all genuinely care.
Blackhat Humane is amazing! Two of our three Rez-rescue dogs came through BH, and they were so patient in introducing us to different dogs and helping us find the perfect match for our evolving dog crew! Their network of foster parents is so incredible. This is a photo of one of our dogs on her first day with us (now about 5-6 years later....). I've volunteered a little with one of the super fosters, helping walk dogs etc. Wish I could do more.
We adopted our pup Maddy from Blackhat 13 years ago. In addition to bringing love to our home Maddy was a Therapy Dog. We volunteered with at risk children. Some at great risk.
Without Blackhat Maddy could never shared her love with so many!!
For over 20 years I have gladly contributed to the volunteers of the Blackhat Humane Society, as they work to alleviate the public health and safety issue of stray and abandoned animals on the Navajo Nation. This small group of dedicated volunteers makes a huge impact on many lives, as they share their time and resources with Navajo animal owners, and share their homes and lives with animals heading to their adopted homes. No other organization I’ve worked with does as much with so little; contributing to Blackhat Humane Society is a sound investment in a better future.
I was a foster for only a few years (I had to stop being a foster because I ended up adopting two dogs and I'm maxed out with a total of 5 dogs). I had a good experience working with BHS, all I had to do was take care of the dog, the administrative part was taken care of by the BHS staff. BHS Cindy Yurth has a great network of volunteers who can step up to the tasks, because at times I had no working vehicle and BHS provided transport to appointments or to have the pet driven to their new owners.
There are no out of pocket costs, all vaccines and sterilizations are taken care of by BHS. Each foster parent is issued a check to cover costs of pet food also.
Overall, I think BHS has brought much needed organized help to the homeless animals. More people should volunteer with BHS, it's not "work", it's just taking care of the animal and BHS takes care of the other stuff. I would recommend it highly.
I adopted my dog from Blackhat. His mom was rescued and brought to a foster. She gave birth to pups, but rejected all. I took one to foster and bottle feed. My husband and I ended up adopting him. His name is Brother and we cannot imagine life without him.
I have fostered for Blackhat for years. They are truly the BEST rescue group I have ever been involved with!
I first fostered for Blackhat Humane Society in 2016. She was a little white and tan chihuahua and her name was Phoebe. I saw a plea on Facebook asking for a committed foster by 5pm otherwise the park rangers would have to surrender her to a shelter and would most likely be put down due to her injuries. At the time, Phoebe was at the Grand Canyon and had been severely injured and required immediate medical attention. I didn’t know what fostering entailed so I sent a message and asked. The response was quick and it sounded like something my husband and I could help with since we lived in Flagstaff, AZ. I quickly sent an application to foster and answered the questions for review. I didn’t even know how to get it back to them as quickly as they needed but it got to them. We had been approved. Phoebe was transported to Flagstaff and went into emergency surgery and was released to us the next day. I remember being nervous over whether or not she would like me. Phoebe’s skin had been pulled off her back, she had broken teeth, broken nails, an injured eye, a brown jaw and lacerations on her face. The vet said she had been “put through the ringer”. We was only meant to stay with us as a foster but she grew on us as she slowly healed. We officially adopted her on August 28 which is also my husband’s birthday. We made thousands and thousands of memories over the next four years. We loved her all the way until September 9. 2022 when Phoebe passed away peacefully in our arms due to a heart condition. I still remember everything about her. She was so beautiful and graceful and loved to cuddle- she was even featured in the Dogs of the Navajo calendar for 2017 so we lovingly called her our Calendar Girl. Thanks to Blackhat, I got to experience two sides of the rescue world: fostering and adopting. Phoebe opened the floodgates when it came to fostering. We have fostered and adopted out several more homeless dogs though Blackhat and Phoebe always made it possible to help us train new dogs and check that “good with small dogs” box. Blackhat has always been so supportive and understanding. Any chance I get, I always tell people who want to foster or adopt about them because they are helping save lives of unwanted animals on the Navajo Nation. Thank you Blackhat for my Phoebe. Thank you for helping the animals. I look forward to continuing to foster.
We can not say enough about the amazing work that Blackhat Humane Society does for animals in the Navajo reservation! We fostered dogs and cats and helped with rescue while living there. We adopted our dog Chaz in 2004- and have since adopted 2 more Blackhat dogs even though we live in the Pacific Northwest. Very hard working and dedicated group of individuals!
I have adopted two pets from Blackhat and they have been the true joys of my life. Both came into the rescue with significant injuries, and were then subsequently taken well care of, with Blackhat covering the costs. Both animals then moved into loving foster homes before eventually finding their forever home with my husband and I. We are eternally thankful for the love and care Blackhat gave to our precious family members in their times of need ❤️
I have fostered for a number of rescues in the area and I have to say Blackhat Humane is my absolute favorite. They care about the dogs and the foster homes always making sure everyone has the support they need. Getting pups into good homes is the priority and fosters are given the opportunity to make decisions. I love these guys! Pic is of my last foster who is now in his furever home ❤️