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"It's the cycle of violence," explained Jean Atthowe of the Montana Spay Neuter Task Force. "To live with animals that are being abused is not respecting life in general. It's a major issue for everyplace, and that's the task force's mission."

It has been over 10 years since the MSNTF came to the Blackfeet Reservation, with the first visit having taken place in 1996. That event featured volunteers in a makeshift operating facility located in Pete Berger's basement.

Each spay neuter event is free to the pet owner, but there is a substantial fee for services offered by the veterinarians for each clinic. Those who arrived with dogs, cats, kittens and puppies to "fix" had already scheduled appointments before coming to the clinic site at Browning Middle School. Local volunteers helped with the intake process and caging the animals for their turn and dogs and cats were kept at opposite ends of the gym.

Pet owners are urged to make sure their pets do not eat the night before surgery and to come in at the time their appointment indicates. During each of the Blackfeet Pet Care Days spay neuter clinics owners were encouraged to stick around while the surgery took place, usually a matter of several minutes, in order to be with their animals as they came out from under anesthesia. No cat or dog was allowed to leave until everyone was sure it would recover and the owner given post-surgery instructions to take home.

Although the number of dogs and cats seen by the volunteers at each spay neuter clinic is unofficial, (1,081 surgeries since 2006) there is more than just that total coming back from the information gathered at the event. Such items as whether the owner has ever had a pet spayed or neutered before will shed light on the situation in Browning, said Atthowe. The results may be surprising, she said, noting 52 percent of Butte's citizenry hadn't ever had a pet fixed before, and 68 percent of Anaconda's pet owners are in the same boat.

"We're not a clinic," said Atthowe. "We're more a social organization. It's an 'event' because it involves the entire community; everyone contributes." "We had good volunteers and wonderful kids who stayed at their posts all day long in dog and cat recovery," said Atthowe of the local response. "There were a number of elders there, too," she said, adding Blackfeet elder Al Potts was on hand several times to bless the proceedings.

"It is said that a community can be understood based on the manner in which they treat their four-legged friends," added one organizer Nikki Hannon, director of the Blackfeet Academy. "If this is true, the residents of the Blackfeet Reservation are making significant efforts to be understood based on care and respect. Including pet owners, over 50 volunteers came together for the good of our four-legged friends."

From her experience in Blackfeet Country over a decade ago, Atthowe noted two important differences between then and now. The animals coming into the clinic were in better overall condition than before, and, driving around town, the number of strays she saw on the streets was not as bad as in the past. "So we made a difference back then, but it was on its way downhill," she said.

Asked about the future, Atthowe said she hopes all the major players in Blackfeet Country can come together to support other spay neuter events, each about six months apart. Each surgical team, which includes a vet, a vet tech and the supplies they need to do their jobs, costs about $750 per day.

"Most of the reservations around the state are funding the spay-neuter events," she said. "The big cities are all funding the full cost of surgery while the smaller towns fund most, but not all, of the costs," she said. Those smaller entities often hold fundraisers to pay for additional surgical teams.

"I'd like to see the schools, Town of Browning, the Blackfeet Tribe, Indian Health Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs get together for the funding of upcoming phases," said Atthowe.

"Browning is a community where we of the task force feel very much appreciated," said Montana Spay Neuter Task Force board member Gina Weist.

Each spay neuter event is free to the pet owner, but there is a substantial fee for services offered by the veterinarians for each clinic. Those who arrived with dogs, cats, kittens and puppies to "fix" had already scheduled appointments before coming to the clinic site at Browning Middle School. Local volunteers helped with the intake process and caging the animals for their turn and dogs and cats were kept at opposite ends of the gym.

Cheri Valdovino, an event organizer, said she's already seen the impact of the last number of clinics in lowering the numbers of stray and ownerless pets around the Blackfeet Reservation. "I'm happy to have been able to work with the Montana Spay Neuter Task Force, the Spay-Neuter Clinic and the community, and I look forward to working with them again at the next clinic," she said.

Montana Spay Neuter Task Force will return for additional clinics, but in the meantime local organizers say it is very important for pet owners to be responsible in assisting to control the pet population by getting their pets spayed or neutered before the next clinic. Pet owners may call the Grass Winds Clinic at 406-338-7975 to make an appointment.

Roxanne DeMarce said people who went to spay neuter clinics can call her at 406-338-7733 for the papers that go with having their pets vaccinated for rabies.

To make a donation to Green Grass Bull Animal Rescue, call 406-338-5441, ext. 218, or write to PO Box 2763, Browning, Montana 59417.