September is always a landmark month for our team. Every year, we can't help but look back on the anniversary of Hurricane Maria. For those of us who lived through it, the storm will never be forgotten. Hurricane Maria forever changed us; however, thanks to the support from our community members like you, The Sato Project has been able to keep fighting for the dogs of Puerto Rico stronger than ever. While this fight is still not over, we will never stop being grateful for our supporters who have helped keep us in the ring every day.

This month is no exception. Four weeks ago, our team completed a Freedom Flight for 160 dogs and cats. We are now preparing to fly another 35 dogs to new lives in only nine days. Keep reading for more updates on everything we have happening this month. There is even a special surprise at the end!

On September 20th, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall over Yabucoa and changed Puerto Rico forever. Four years later, the recovery effort is still far from over.

This week marks the fourth anniversary since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. Early in the morning of September 20th, 2017 the eye of the storm made landfall directly over our home base of Dead Dog Beach. The catastrophic 155-mph winds left behind the longest blackout in U.S. history, an estimated $100 billion in damages, and a humanitarian crisis that continues today. Over 3,000 people lost their lives and hundreds of thousands were left homeless, including some of our own staff and volunteers.

The Sato Project team will always remember Hurricane Maria as the storm that dramatically changed our lives and our rescue efforts. We will also never forget how much our incredible community of partners, fosters, adopters, volunteers, and donors, immediately came to our aid. Thanks to this support, The Sato Project emerged from the storm’s devastation even stronger than before. We went on to rescue 1,500 dogs in that first year after the storm (pre-2017, our average was 350 dogs a year). We also diversified our programs to help even more dogs and pet owners in need: expanding our spay/neuter outreach efforts, distributing disaster relief supplies all across the island, and reuniting dogs with their families who had to leave the island. Our team has continued doing relief work nonstop.

Four years later, the reconstruction and recovery effort from Hurricane Maria is still far from over. Power outages and water supply cut offs remain constant occurrences and thousands of houses are yet to be rebuilt. Every new hurricane or tropical storm warning brings new fears of another deadly storm.  Click here to see a report from NBC News on the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Maria and the current state of Puerto Rico's recovery.

The fight is still not over and we will always remember Hurricane Maria as the storm that changed us forever. However, it was also an event that made us stronger than we ever thought we could be. And we will never forget it. Through hurricanes, earthquakes, and more, thank you for helping us never give up the fight for the abandoned dogs of Puerto Rico.

Left: Last month's Freedom Flight of 160 dogs and cats was a big success. Click here to see more photos from Mission Possible 14 on August 28th. Both photos by @NYCPetPhotographer/Stacey Axelrod. Right: Our team is currently getting ready to fly another 35 satos to new lives on October 2nd. All of the dogs onboard this flight have families already lined up for them - except for one. Last but certainly not least, is Susy. Click here to meet our only sato flying on October 2nd who is still adoptable.

After the completion of Mission Possible 14 on August 28th, our team did not slow down. As soon as the 160 dogs and cats onboard that mission landed safely on the mainland, we went right back to work - taking care of the satos still in our program and immediately rescuing more from the streets and municipal shelters. Now we have another 35 dogs who are ready to fly! Next Saturday on October 2nd, a small plane carrying 35 dogs will take off from San Juan and land in Westchester, New York. 34 of these dogs even already have families lined up who will be waiting to greet them at the airport.

If you are not following us on social media already, be sure to follow along (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) next weekend to see the life-changing magic unfold.

Calling all kids or coloring book enthusiasts of any age! CM Books created a coloring book dedicated to rescue dogs and the organizations working to save them. Every illustration features a real rescue dog - including four of our very own satos: Justice, Tass, Austrina, and Ariel. For the month of September only, CM Books is donating 50% of the proceeds of each coloring book sold to our rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Click here to learn more.

The Mutt Dog is a Massachusetts based clothing brand that is dedicated to giving back to shelters and rescues. We are excited to share that they created a special line of merchandise dedicated exclusively to our Freedom Flight efforts. 100% of all proceeds from these limited edition hats and t-shirts will support our transport efforts with our partner Wings of Rescue. The featured image is a combination of our logo, plus Wings of Rescue’s and The Mutt Dog’s. Click here or on the image above to see all options. Every purchase will help us fly even more satos to the lives of their dreams - like the 35 satos that are flying NEXT WEEK! 

Left: Oswyn came off his Freedom Flight last month ready to greet everyone with a big sato smile. Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer/Stacey Axelrod Right: Oswyn loves to snuggle with his foster dad, but he would love to find a family of his very own even more! 

Outgoing, smart, funny, sweet, unique, already house-trained ... Oswyn has it all. It is a mystery to us how this adorable sato has not found his forever family yet. We assume it must be because he is waiting for someone extra special to find him. Could it be you?

Oswyn has the appearance of a big dog but is actually a small low-rider. He is approximately 1.5 years old and 32 lbs. As you can see in the photo above, he is a complete love bug who adores snuggling and laying nearby his people. He is playful, goofy, and while he does get along with other dogs, he has a tendency to play a bit rough – so if another dog is part of the family, they would need to be an equal play partner. Oswyn is not a big fan of cats, so he is also looking for a non-feline home. Otherwise, he would do fine as an only dog too and is very friendly with all humans. Overall, he is a happy, smart, and very loving dog who is just looking for someone to cuddle for the rest of his life. Click here to see Oswyn’s profile on Petfinder or go straight to our adoption application. Or, if you know a potential adopter for Oswyn, please feel free to share this email. We know the perfect family for this special sato is out there somewhere, we just need to find them. 

When our Mission Possible 14 airplane arrived to New Jersey last month, one little sato was greeted by a special welcome sign.

Missy's family was on vacation the week of her arrival, so they sent close relatives to pick her up at the airport instead. As soon as Missy came off the plane, they were there with open arms and Missy's mom on Facetime.

All the while, Missy’s human siblings had no idea they would have a new sister waiting for them when they got home. When they returned from their vacation, they were in for a very special sato-surprise. Click here or on the image below to watch their heartwarming reaction on Instagram when they officially got to meet their new family member. Their mom even made sure to coordinate that they were all wearing matching t-shirts (including Missy!) on the special day they all welcomed their new addition.

Missy was found dumped and unwanted on the side of a road in Puerto Rico. And now here she is today: a unique and cherished member of a loving family who was welcomed to her new life with tears of joy. Thank you for helping us transform Missy’s life into a dream come true for her entire family.