The Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2020

Protect the Sacred and actress Joely Fisher provide pet food to help Navajo families

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer thank Protect the Sacred, actress Joely Fisher, Nestlé Purina, Arizona Army National Guard, Navajo Nation Attorney General Doreen N. McPaul, and attorneys and staff with the Navajo Nation Department of Justice for coordinating efforts to provide bags of cat and dog food to help Navajo families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Throughout this pandemic, we’ve focused our attention on the Navajo people so it’s good to see that we are now helping families with pets. For some, cats and dogs are a part of the family and it costs money to keep them fed. A big thank you to Joely Fisher, Protect the Sacred, Purina, and the National Guard for stepping up in a big way to help our Navajo people and their pets,” said President Nez.

On Monday, the Arizona Army National Guard delivered two truckloads of the pet food to Window Rock from Nestlé Purina in Flagstaff, Ariz. On Tuesday, the Nez-Lizer team began distributing the cat and dog food in the communities of Klagetoh, Wide Ruins, Pine Springs, and Tsé si áni, along with food, water, and other essential items for families. In total, the Nez-Lizer Administration distributed essential items to 325 Navajo families on Tuesday.

“Many of our people have cats and dogs and they become part of the family. By offering pet food, it helps families by saving them money to allow them to buy other essential items. We know there are many entities and organizations like Protect the Sacred that have reached out and contributed to our Nation. To them, we say thank you for your love and support,” said Vice President Lizer.

“Protect the Sacred is proud to partner with Actress/Director Joely Fisher, to secure and help coordinate large donations for the Navajo Nation. We’re excited that we were able to help with the need for pet food assistance, as we know how important our animals and animal care is to our Navajo people,” Allie Young with Protect the Sacred. 

Last week, President Nez and Protect the Sacred teamed up to issue a public call for medical professionals to come to the Navajo Nation to assist in the fight against COVID-19, and to provide much needed relief for health care workers on the Navajo Nation who have devoted long hours to helping patients during the pandemic.

“We are beginning to see more and more volunteers from UCSF HEAL Initiative, Doctors Without Borders, and others responding to the call for assistance. We have so many of our own who have been working very hard in our hospitals since COVID-19 reached the Navajo Nation in March and they’re very much in need of some relief. We are very grateful for the help we’ve received to this point,” President Nez added. 

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