The rez dogs are getting out of control on the rez. Everywhere I look, I see a damn dog. I can’t even bring my dog for a walk without another dog trying to bite or maul him. I always get mad when I see dogs at the store or school. It’s as if other people don’t give a shit about dogs. 

What is a rez dog? Well, it’s a dog that lives on the rez, short for “reserve,” the small chunk of land the colonial government gave us after stealing our territory. They’re nothing really special; just dogs that grew up in a tough environment. 

The only difference between a dog and a rez dog is that normal dogs are usually well-fed and loved, but rez dogs aren’t always so fortunate. It’s usually because of the owners. When dogs aren’t well-loved, they tend to get aggressive and scary. 

I’m not the only one who is mad about these borderline-stray dogs. There are countless people across different reservations who share the same frustrations. It has become an almost universal problem for people living on-reserve.  

Kids and adults get chased virtually every day by rez dogs. Recently, I saw a Facebook post about a black dog in Mount Currie chasing someone. Apparently, the person didn’t even see the dog approaching before it started chasing her. In her post, she said she shouldn’t have to walk with fear while travelling to her client’s house. Something has to change. At the moment, nothing is being done and, to be honest, it’s quite frustrating. 

There are a few possible solutions to the rez dog issue. They could be brought to shelters where they can be adopted. More of them could be neutered or spayed. There should be stricter laws in place prohibiting loose dogs from running around. The Lil’wat Nation could make strict rules on who can own a dog around here and restrict people who don’t take good care of them. This would help with all the other dogs that are starving and being abused, helping them find a better home than the one they have right now. 

I hope that one day people can walk around the rez without being chased or barked at by dogs, and I hope the dogs can be well cared for and enjoy a good life.

This article was written by Charlie Wallace, and was published in the Pique newsmagazine issue 30.24 on June 16, 2023.