Dear Sato Supporter,

Thanks to the support of our generous community on Giving Tuesday, we successfully completed our 16th Mission Possible. Last weekend, we flew 170 satos and gatos to safety on the mainland and their lives are now transformed forever.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping us save lives and make dreams come true this holiday season. We couldn't do the work we do for these satos without you.

Left: Loading the plane in San Juan, PR Right: Adopter Sofia with her Randylina (now Maya) in Morristown, NJ (photo by Deb D'Anne)

On November 21^st, we loaded a plane in San Juan with 17 satos, making sure that each animal was safely secured and ready to fly to New Jersey. These satos were from our program, which means we fully vetted and rehabilitated them, as well as one from El Faro de los Animales. Most of them met their forever families at the airport. This flight was important, just as all our flights are important, because they ensure that these satos are safe and will live in a loving home for the rest of their lives. Once they are flown, this then frees up space in our program and space in shelter partners in Puerto Rico to allow for more satos to be rescued from the streets.

Above: Harley Quinn saying "nice to meet you" to her new mom, Melissa, at the airport in Morristown, NJ (photo by Deb D'Anne)

Then, on Tuesday November 29th, our supporters showed us how much they share our mission and want to protect these loving souls.

We are pleased to share that supporters who donated on Giving Tuesday helped us achieve our fundraising goal! All funds were matched by a group of generous donors, including @KeepingFinn, up to $80,000. These funds are crucial to ensuring that these satos were ready for their new lives. It provided us with resources to give them the care they need. This means paying for a spay/neuter surgery, which is key to keeping the population of dogs that need to be rescued as low as possible. It also means providing x-ray tests and vaccines, heart-worm treatment, and additional vetting priorities. We are truly humbled by the strong support from our community this Giving Tuesday.

Importantly, all donations also helped cover the transportation fees for satos and gatos that participated in Mission Possible 16. We had two flights that transported 170 animals in total from Puerto Rico to their new families, foster homes, or safe and secure shelters just in time for the holidays.

On December 10^th, we flew 26 dogs that were pulled from an animal shelter, Villa Michelle. They were flown to Dayton, Ohio where they were handed off to the care of Humane Society of Greater Dayton, which is a 120 year-old animal welfare agency that has an adoption guarantee commitment.

That same day, our team in Puerto Rico, worked together to load 144 satos and gatos onto a cargo plane. This is a large operation for our small but mighty team and organization, communication, and teamwork is required to pull this off efficiently. Because of the 11 years of experience transporting nearly 7,000 animals off the island, the loading all 144 crates went smoothly and the satos were off into the sky in the early morning on Sunday. Thanks to Wings of Rescue, they all landed safely in the Northeast.

Upon arriving in White Plains, NY, these satos and gatos were greeted by a loving families who were waiting in the cold with warm hearts.

Koda’s owner, Nicole, rescued him when he was living on the streets in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. She took him in, took care of him, and together they developed a special bond. When Nicole had to move to North Carolina for veterinary school, she couldn’t take Koda with her. That’s where we came in to help.

Koda is part of our No Dog Left Behind program, where we reunited over 230 satos with their families when leaving the island. This flight had two satos that were part of this program. Since Nicole is in school, she drove from New York to North Carolina together with her best friend, Koda!

For this flight, besides the satos that are in our program, we pulled animals from the following shelters and rescue organizations in Puerto Rico: El Faro de los Animales, Paws4Survival Rescue, Second Chance Animal Rescue of Puerto Rico, Upshot Dog Rescue, and Ponce Municipal Shelter.

In the Northeast, the following shelters accepted animals that were pulled from the shelters in Puerto Rico:

Animal Lighthouse Rescue, Buddy Dog Humane Society,

The Humane Society of Atlantic County, Jersey Shore Animal Center,

One Step Closer Animal Rescue, Paws 4 Survival, Peyton’s Safe Haven, Potter League, and Second Chance Animal Rescue.

Thank you to all supporters who gave on Giving Tuesday to support the rescue efforts or rescue efforts, vetting protocol, and the transportation for all of these satos and gatos that are now in a new, loving, and safe chapter in their lives.

Be sure to follow us on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) to stay in the loop as our rescue efforts continue.

If you are looking for ways to help our mission, we are always looking for fosters in Puerto Rico and in the Northeast. If you are interested in helping a dog decompress while they get adopted, sign up to foster a dog in need. It's extremely rewarding to see a sato play with a toy for the first time and to build trust with people.

Another big way to help is to keep the conversation going about Puerto Rico and the situation that the Puerto Rican people and animals are facing. You can start by forwarding this newsletter to your friends and colleagues. We need every voice we can to spread the word about the animal welfare crisis in Puerto Rico and ways that we can all help.

Looking for a furry friend to cuddle next to while watching holiday movies by the fire? There are several satos that are already in the Northeast that are waiting to be adopted by their forever family.

To learn about our adoptable satos, like the adorable satos above, go to the adoption page on our website. You can have a new family member just in time for the holidays!

Donations in honor of a loved one can go a long way to support our life-saving rescue efforts in Puerto Rico and we are honored to continue our work in the name of your friends, family and colleagues. There are several ways to give your loved ones the gift of helping a dog start a new life. We have e-cards where you can make a donation in honor of someone and we will send them an email with the image below notifying them of your generous gift. We also have mailing tribute cards, where you can make a donation in honor of someone and we will send them an email with the image below notifying them of your generous gift.

Looking for a great way to keep track of all your events in 2023? Want to remember when your sato's vet appointments are in a way that brings simles? We are excited to offer our 2023 calendar for purchase.

When you click on the button below, you can preview each month of the calendar and enjoy the work of one of our wonderful volunteer, Meagan Shepherd.

All proceeds from the sale of this calendar support our continued rescue efforts. Each one of the satos featured in this calendar had their lives transformed thanks to the support of our #satostrong community. Thank you for helping us rescue more dogs from the streets of Puerto Rico in 2023 and fly them home to the loving families of their dreams.

He was in poor shape so we did our usual vetting protocol of tests and x-rays. His right front leg had a serious infection and Dr. Brito from Candelero Animal Hospital, in keeping Quigley's health and safety the top priority, made the decision to amputate his leg.

He recovered quickly from the surgery. Since he is just about one year old, he got used to walking on three legs with little difficulty. As he continued to recover, Megan who lives in the Northeast, saw his picture and knew immediately that he was the dog for her family.

She shared "He might only have three legs, but you can tell that he is a little fighter! With his big beautiful eyes, you just know that he is a sweet and loving pup." We knew that Megan's home was the perfect fit and he would have his forever family. "Our family has a lot of love to give, and we can’t wait to provide [Quigley] with a much better life than he’s had so far. He deserves to be safe, loved, and happy!"

Quigley was cautious meeting his adopters, but after riding home with them and settling into their home, he felt at peace. "Everything has been great!" Megan told us. "Quigley adapted and got comfortable so much faster than we ever expected. He's running, playing, cuddling, and making friends with our cat...He also hasn't been afraid to make himself RIGHT at home."

This sato hit the jackpot. Going from living on the streets with a life threatening infection to lounging on a comfortable couch without a care in the world. Now the only worry Quigley has is how to get mom to stop taking so many cute photos of him!

Forwarded this newsletter? Click here to join our list.