Dear Sato Supporter,

We couldn't be happier with the year that has begun, but there is still so much to do–and we can't do it without you. Let's continue the fight for our satos.

As we mentioned in previous emails, we started this year with 14 satos in our program who tested positive for heartworm. Their ages ranged from one to over ten years old. 11 of them completed our 90-day treatment program and flew this month to safety to the U.S. mainland. Treating them using the guidelines recommended by the American Heartworm Society requires us to keep them in our program much longer than typical, in some cases up to five months. We care about our satos and will do whatever it takes to ensure their health and safety.

We had our first Freedom Flight on February 15^th, during which we transported ten satos from Puerto Rico. Most of them went straight to adopters who met them right at the airport. There was a lot of excitement as adopters met their precious satos for the first time in person. Many adopters have been following our work for years, waiting for the right pup to come into their lives.

Last Saturday, our friends at Wings of Rescue flew more pups to New Jersey. One such dog that had their life-changing journey was Isabela. This wonderful sato was left alone in a house where she lived with her owner. But when her owner moved to the U.S. mainland, they left behind very precious cargo—not only Isabela, but two puppies to whom she just gave birth. Isabela went to a foster home in Puerto Rico, getting treated for heartworm, and waiting for her turn to fly to the Northeast.

Tuesday, we flew in 50 satos and gatos, thanks to great donors who shared a flight with us. Each of them went to an adopter, reunited with family, or handed off to one of our trusted shelter partners: Kent Animal Shelter, Animal Haven, or Paws 4 Survival.

The reason that we are transporting these satos to the Northeast is that it is rare for dogs to get adopted locally on the island. There is limited space in the shelters with limited resources, and the population of dogs is too much for the low demand for adoptable dogs. Evacuating these animals year-round is extremely important and makes an impact on the lives of so many satos. Our rescue efforts would not have been possible without your support through donations.

Importantly, we ensure that all satos are set up for a great life ahead. And this doesn't only mean choosing the right family for them. All animals that fly on our Freedom Flights have been quarantined, vaccinated, and have health certificates from licensed veterinarians that certify them as healthy to fly. To help support our rescue efforts, please click here to donate, sign up to foster, or adopt a dog in need.

Let's stay in touch! Be sure to follow us on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) to stay in the loop as our relief efforts continue.

Help us continue the conversation about the stray and abandoned dogs in Puerto Rico. You can start by forwarding this newsletter to your friends and colleagues. We need every voice we can to speak up for Puerto Rico right and you can be a big help.

The ultimate reward for doing what we do is getting these pups on a plane and ready for their forever homes. We have plenty of puppy dog eyes and smiles ready for their families. Are you interested in adopting your very own sato? Click here.

To learn about all our adoptable satos, like the angels above, go to the adoption page on our website.

Do you know someone who is interested in adopting? Forward this newsletter to them. If they find their soulmate in our program, they will always be grateful that you did.

Did you know that AmazonSmile ended their donation program Monday, February 20th? The good news is, there are other ways to give to our rescue efforts.

For example, we are registered with iGive.com where up to 20% of qualified purchases support our organization’s work in Puerto Rico. Chewy allows you to provide a 4% commission to us when you use our affiliate link. And our ongoing partner, Grounds & Hounds continues to give us 10% of all registered sales when you use this link.

One of the most difficult things we go through as a rescue organization is seeing dogs with so much life face the overwhelmed animal shelter system in Puerto Rico. A long five months ago, sweet outdoorsman, Cacao, was one such dog. With the municipal shelter’s abysmal euthanasia rates of 94%, Cacao had slim chances of surviving before he stole our hearts and came into our program.

Once he came under our wings, we were immediately captivated by his liveliness and love. We noticed his intelligence right away, demonstrated by his great eye contact and engagement when learning. He was food motivated and longed to understand what our team wanted in search of the ever-tempting treats we offered. We saw his friendliness and playful nature with all of the other pups in our program. And, his penchant for sniffing everything in sight during his walks showed how eager he was for exploration.

Cacao went into a foster home where his foster family was just as puzzled as we were as to how this incredible pup was still not adopted after months in the program. “He is perfect! He is energetic and playful…and gets along with literally everyone!” Cacao loved going out in the water with them, enjoying being on boats and going on adventures.

How was Cacao, full of life and love, still waiting for his forever home?

Sometimes the answer just has to be fate.

This perfect family pup was simply waiting for the right one to come into his life. And just one day before his arrival in the Northeast, the Hughes family stepped in. They had the intention to get their second rescue dog for some time. His mom, Alexa, shared that her husband had searched for years, but when he finally saw Cacao, two days before his arrival to the mainland, “he just knew… he said, ‘I found our dog and I just know he’s the one for us!’”

They quickly applied to adopt Cacao and the rest is history. Our Adoptions team stepped into action just a day before the flight to see if this belated Valentine’s Day match was truly meant to be. And just in the knick of time, they delivered the good news to the Hughes family. One day later, they freed up their Saturday, and took the trip to pick up their new family member.

His new family agrees–this was a fateful meeting and they were each waiting for each other. “Things always just work out as they should...he’s already a part of our family.”

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