Local residents receive humane society award

Five local residents have been invited to Missoula to receive a top award for their work improving the welfare of animals.

Bobbi Jo Favel, Chris Wolf Chief and Tim "Junior" Rosette Jr. of The Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation and Havre Animal Control Officer Pete Federspiel and his wife, Kim, of Friends of the Havre Animal Shelter, are receiving the 2022 Ken Shugart Humanitarian Award from Humane Society of Western Montana, the society said in a press release.

The collective work of the recipients inspired the society to give a group award to five individuals for the first time, the release said. Ken Shughart Jr. was a "wizard mechanic, a pillar of Missoula softball and a friend to overlooked animals," it added. "When he died in 1997, he was board president of the Missoula Humane Society, where he had been a moving force for 13 years."

The Humane Society release said this year's award will honor the group's commitment to improving the welfare of animals, specifically animals living on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation. This is the first year the society will honor the outstanding collaboration of five individuals who have changed the lives of hundreds of animals over the course of a year.

They will be presented the awards at the society's 24th Annual Celebration at the Wilma Theatre in Missoula Saturday, April 16, starting at 5:30 p.m.

Havre Animal Shelter and Humane Society of Western Montana began a transfer program four years ago which flourished, the release said, until the COVID-19 pandemic hit. That brought the program to a halt because of concerns animals might spread COVID-19.

The pandemic also brought financial problems and created an urgent need for pet food. With the help of Summit Beverage, the Humane Society of Western Montana began supplying food to food banks and shelters across the state, and Pete and Kim Federspiel helped deliver food in this area.

Favel, director of the Chippewa Cree Natural Resources Department, helped get the pet food into the locked-down reservation.

With this aid coming in, Rosette, the environment coordinator for Rocky Boy Health Center and a passionate spay and neuter advocate, the release said, reached out for another major need on the reservation: accessible pet care.

"We knew our award recipients Pete and Kim Federspiel ... were already working on Rocky Boy and we asked if they thought our veterinary support services would be helpful," Humane Society of Western Montana Executive Director Marta Pierpoint said. "Thankfully, our award recipients were enthusiastic about the potential partnership."

Tribal Fish and Game Warden Wolf Chief said veterinary services would be important to pet owners, the release said.

"We didn't know anything about (Humane Society of Western Montana), but we knew we needed help with the pet population," he said. "Ultimately, we decided we would give it a try."

April 2021, Havre Animal Shelter and Humane Society personnel arrived at the Rocky Boy Volunteer Fire Department station and transformed it into an makeshift veterinary clinic.

The fire station is centrally located to many on the reservation, but some families still struggled to make their appointments.

"Pete and I know many of the families on Rocky Boy so we spread the word, arranged appointments and drove to people's homes to pick up pets if they needed extra help," Kim Federspiel said.

Those three days were just the beginning, the release said. The team continued to organize monthly clinics at the station.

"We held clinics until the snow fell, and weather made it hard for (Humane Society of Western Montanas' mobile hospital to travel over Roger's Pass," Rosette said. "Even with seasonal constraints, the team was able to serve 299 pets from a total of 162 different families."

"The bottom line is, without our award recipients pulling this together, we could not provide the care these pets and families need," said Pierpoint. "All of the recipients are fundamentally dedicated to pets and to their community, which is what it takes to make a difference."

The success of this collaborative pilot program paved the way for expansion - HSWM now serves the Blackfeet and Confederated Salish Kootenai tribes as well as rural shelters in need of medical support. Over 2,100 pets received care through low-cost clinics in Missoula and outreach programs in 2021.

Humane Society supporters in attendance will have the chance to see this work first hand through the short film "On the Road: Pets, People and Community."

"We have not seen many of our supporters since the beginning of the pandemic and they are not familiar with the expansion of our programs. We are excited to share how we have grown and hope to raise funds to continue this important work with our friends on Rocky Boy and beyond," Pierpoint said.

Event information, auction item previews and ticketing options can be found at bidpal.net/hswm2022 .

"Receiving this award makes me happy. The hard work that we put in is paying off," Wolf Chief said. "My hope is that this is the start to an even better future for the animals and animal owners on the reservation. One day, I'd like to see an animal control division, and possibly a shelter and veterinary services full time on Rocky Boy."