Best Friends Animal Society is deploying emergency response teams to New Mexico and the Navajo Nation to support pets and people impacted by severe flooding, according to an October 23 statement. The organization is working with local partners to provide resources and ensure the safety of animals in the affected areas.
The flooding along the San Juan River was expected to reach catastrophic levels on the night of October 23, according to the report. In response, Best Friends staff has been on-site at a shelter in Grants, New Mexico, to assist with pets displaced by evacuations. Regional staff remained on site overnight to help the local animal shelter manage animals affected by the flooding.
The organization is facilitating the transport of animals to create space in impacted shelters. The Best Friends Salt Lake City Pet Adoption Center is transporting 19 animals—including 10 puppies, three adult dogs, and six cats—from Grants, New Mexico, to Salt Lake City. Rescue placement has been secured for every one of these animals. Additionally, pets are being transferred to Santa Fe Humane with support from the regional team.
In the Navajo Nation, the emergency response team has deployed to support the Navajo Nation incident command center and the Rock Point Chapter command center to assess animal welfare needs. Best Friends is working with Navajo Nation tribal leadership and local partners to provide essential supplies, such as pet food, vaccines, and kennels, to families with displaced pets. Pet food deliveries have reached Rock Point and Farmington, with more deliveries scheduled for Shiprock on the afternoon of October 25, 2026.
Best Friends Animal Society works alongside various animal shelters and rescue groups to save the lives of cats and dogs and move toward a no-kill country. Their emergency response team focuses on rescuing stranded animals, delivering supplies to hard-hit shelters, and reuniting misplaced pets with their families during natural disasters.
