One of the most visible indications of the social dysfunction on Canadian indigenous reserves is the presence of large feral dog populations. Much like in third-world countries, feral dogs are ubiquitous on almost every reserve, and it isn’t surprising considering most reserves have populations living in third-world conditions. Economic and social conditions don’t foster an atmosphere where responsible pet ownership can happen, and “self-government” models for reserve management are often creating havoc. Things such as animal management and providing drinking water, which are easily managed in municipalities, become insurmountable challenges on many reserves.The term is “rez dogs,” and people often use it dismissively as though this were a minor issue on reserves. The costs run high with the unchecked feral dog populations, though. The animal suffering on reserves is immeasurable, as dogs with mixed domestic bloodlines are ill-equipped to live in the wild. The human cost is steep, as packs of feral dogs have been killing indigenous people for decades. The victims are usually, but not exclusively, women and children, as desperate dogs in a literal pack mentality set upon what they see as prey of opportunity.Legacy media and police forces understate the issue. While the victims were clearly mauled by dogs, they still prefer to call it an “animal attack” to try to attribute the case to regular wildlife. In Manitoba on September 9, 21-year-old Moses Manasseh Campeau was walking home from a celebration of life at Sapotaweyak Cree Nation in northwestern Manitoba when he was set upon and killed by what was likely feral dogs. In the usual fashion, though, the RCMP is still calling the cause inconclusive, though they have ruled out the possibility of a bear attack. It is exceedingly unlikely that Campeau was killed by anything other than a dog or dogs, but as with most sensitive issues on reserves, the authorities prefer to try to dodge underlying issues rather than admit them.Last July, a 37-year-old volunteer named Amanda Nobiss was killed by dogs on the Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation in Manitoba. On the Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation in Manitoba, a 56-year-old man named Richard Flett was killed by a pack of dogs in February 2025. In March 2023, a five-year-old boy identified as Avery was killed by dogs on the Whitefish Lake reserve in Alberta. Megan Fay Fisher was 17 when she was killed by dogs at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Ontario. In September 2019, a two-year-old boy was killed on God’s Lake First Nation by a pack of dogs. The list just goes on and on..A refusal to apply community responsibility fosters this growing problem. When packs of feral dogs were menacing people in Southwest Calgary on the boundary of the Tsuu T’ina reserve over a decade ago, Calgary’s chief bylaw officer said it was due to city dwellers dumping unwanted pets on the reserve. That’s a load of bunk, and he knew it. There are no feral dog issues in any part of the city aside from next to the reserve. People dumping animals don’t target reserves, and it certainly doesn’t explain the feral dog issues on isolated reserves. The dog issue next to the reserve continues today, but then why wouldn’t it? Authorities are too woke and cowardly to point to the root of the problem.Reserves are becoming more insular and erecting barriers to prevent citizens from seeing what has been happening within them. They also have been resisting efforts from animal rescue organizations to ease the problems. A feral dog population West of Calgary is growing near the rest-stop and casino on the Stony Reserve. Rescue workers were warned to stay away and leave the management to the reserve authorities. Unfortunately, reserve-based management usually means either ignoring the problem or shooting the dogs.An indigenous-based group calling itself “Save Rez Dogs” illustrates some of the problem. While the group is sympathetic to the plight of the dogs, it appears more focused on railing against colonialism and selling merchandise than doing groundwork. It talks about its mandate being to “decolonize animal welfare and settler accountability.” In other words, they are blaming the outside world for their internal problems. What the hell is decolonizing animal welfare supposed to mean anyway?In fact, they say, “We don’t ‘rescue’ — we ‘rescue’ colonial responses to indigenous dog populations.” In other words, they are hindering rather than helping with the issue..Not all of the dogs involved in the attacks on reserves are fully feral. Often, they are packs of dogs considered to be owned by locals. But they are not tied or fixed and are often malnourished. When they are wandering loose and have a history of abuse, literal pack mentality sets in when they group up, and it can be taken out on people.The feral dog issue on Canadian reserves is a symptom of a larger problem: the utter failure of the reserve system. Most reserves offer nothing but isolated misery for citizens, reflected in the stats showing standard of living being terrible by every measure: lifespan, poverty, education, housing, crime, or social health. These racially based enclaves are raising increasingly dysfunctional people with no connections to outside society and no comprehension of personal responsibility. Even with something as simple as responsible animal ownership. Burying our heads in the issue and pretending that reserves are sustainable is leading to harm for both people and animals.It’s not the people themselves, and it has nothing to do with their race. It’s the system that’s the problem. People of any race born and raised into a system like that of an indigenous reserve are going to be dysfunctional and troubled.Canadian politicians have been too cowardly to say it out loud, though they know the reserve system is a failure that’s only becoming worse. Citizens in general don’t realize how bad it is because reserves are banning visitors and attacking efforts by the media to document conditions on reserves.The human costs imposed by the reserve system should be enough to draw public ire over the system, but it doesn’t seem to be enough. Maybe the plight of the animals will inspire people to have a closer look and gain an understanding of just how sick the reserve system is. Nobody is winning with the status quo.
