Cherokee leaders gathered on March 31 with representatives of two major Pet Partners programs, Waymakers Pet Rescue of Adair County and Kenwood Pet Rescue of Delaware County, as Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin announced a new “Pet Partners” program.
Cherokee leaders gathered on March 31 with representatives of two major Pet Partners programs, Waymakers Pet Rescue of Adair County and Kenwood Pet Rescue of Delaware County, as Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin announced a new “Pet Partners” program.
TAHLEQUAH – Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner announced on March 31 the tribe’s new “Pet Partners” program as part of a larger public health agenda.
“Uncontrolled pet populations can lead to misery for pets and illness and dangers for the public,” Hoskin said. “Our new Pet Partners program provides resources to community partners that are already doing great work in this space, helping them go further.”
Pet Partners is funded by the Cherokee Nation Public Health and Wellness Fund Act, a landmark Hoskin/Warner Administration law that earmarks 10% of the tribe’s third-party health revenue to public health, behavioral health and physical wellness programs and services. Pet Partners, a pilot project, utilizes less than one percent of the entire PHWFA annual funding.
Cherokee leaders gathered on March 31 with representatives of two major Pet Partners programs, Waymakers Pet Rescue of Adair County and Kenwood Pet Rescue of Delaware County as Hoskin signed the programs policies, as well as memorandum of agreements with the two partners. First Daughter Jasmine Hoskin, along with her cat, Odin, and several dogs in the care of various new “Pet Partner” organizations, joined in the event.
Waymakers and Kenwood Pet Rescue will each receive $100,000 to provide or coordinate spay, neuter and vaccinations events across the reservation and to support their existing operations.
Pet Partners will also provide an additional $75,000 in grants to other pet care non-profits in the region.
The MOUs and grants administered by the program will be renewable each fiscal year.
“Per Partners represents a tiny fraction of tribal funding, but the impact will be felt in a big way,” said Deputy Secretary of State Canaan Duncan. “Pets and people will be safer as a result of this great new program.
Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner also announced a special donation of $1,000 to the Tulsa Based Purr-A-Lot Cat Shelter in the name of Cherokee County resident Brenda Suddeth, a champion of animal welfare.
Warner praised the potential of Pet Partners.
“No single person or organization can address the problem of neglected or dangerous animals,” he said. “Pet Partners is a way to bring people and organizations together in an effort in which we all have a stake.
Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating a no-kill animal rescue and/or shelter located on the Cherokee Nation Reservation or in a contiguous county that significantly impacts citizens or communities located within the Cherokee Nation Reservation.
“This MOU is a promise that Cherokee Nation believes in what we’re doing. They are standing behind us, they are partnering with us and giving us the resources and the funds to not only continue what we’re doing, but to also tackle a very big problem in the state of Oklahoma with overpopulation, unwanted pets, abandoned pets and dumped animals. If we can knock out spay and neuter, it will limit and diminish the numbers that we are taking off the streets,” Waymaker Rescue President Joan Forsyth said.
Eligible non-profits can seek more information by emailing PHWF@cherokee.org and applications can be found at https://www.cherokee.org/media/zmzjrxt2/phw-pet-partners-grant-application-03312026.pdf
“This partnership will impact Kenwood Animal Rescue tremendously. People can’t afford to get their pets spayed and neutered or even vaccinated and it’s heartbreaking when anybody loses a pet because they weren’t able to afford these services, so this helps us tremendously,” Kenwood Animal Rescue Founder Christy Davis said.
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