Pet pride paraded at Red Lake event

Posted by Stacy Thacker | Jun 18, 2015 | Community |

Dixie, a red-nose pit bull, seems to smile while being petted by her owner Chrys Wilson on Saturday during the first-ever Diné bi Pet Carnival in Navajo, N.M (Times photo – Donovan Quintero)

WINDOW ROCK

Pit bull dogs have a reputation of being dangerous and looking mean but Nahlah, a pit bull from Navajo, N.M., may have changed that perception on Saturday at Navajo’s first pet carnival.

Trevor Garnanez, 16, left, carries the family peacock, Raj, Saturday during the first-ever Diné bi Pet Carnival in Navajo, N.M. (Times photo – Donovan Quintero)

The pit bull placed second at the Diné bi Pet Carnival in the cutest pet category and in the most obedient pet category, according to her owner Jodelle Bitloy.

Bitloy said the carnival provided her an opportunity to educate and show the public that not all pit bulls are bad.

It also provided an opportunity for the community to be active and let the dogs interact with each other instead of having them tied up, Bitloy said.

That was the goal of the carnival, to educate the public and get them together, according to Prestene Garnenez, member of the Red Lake-Navajo Community Action Group.

The group coordinated the event to teach the community about pet healthcare, options for adoption and making the community aware of what is required when they have pets.
“We wanted to provide an opportunity to educate about the regulations,” Garnenez said.

Some of those regulations are getting an animal license and making sure the pet has vaccines, she said.