I am so proud of my small but mighty team and everything our community has accomplished this month. We began the month of May by vaccinating 500 dogs in a single day for leptospirosis, parvovirus, rabies, and distemper. Now we are ending it with 231 dogs and cats starting their new lives this week. Keep reading to learn more about our recent Freedom Flight, free vaccination clinic, and more.

231 rescued dogs and cats have officially started their new lives on the mainland this week, thanks to this community. Over three days and two flights, with the help of 619 donors, 16 organization partners, over 60 volunteers on the ground in Puerto Rico and New York, plus thousands of followers on social media cheering us on and sharing our posts - 231 special lives were given a second chance to find the families they deserve. This is what teamwork looks like. We are so grateful to every single person and organization who helped make this mission possible.

On Thursday, May 20th, the first flight took off from San Juan airport in Puerto Rico and transported 131 dogs and cats to Fort Lauderdale, FL, where they were met by local shelters and animal rescue groups including the Humane Society of Broward County, Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League and the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando. Then on Saturday, May 22nd, a second flight from San Juan took off with another 100 dogs. After stopping briefly in Florida to refuel, the plane continued to White Plains, NY, where our New York team was waiting. Upon arrival, each dog was welcomed by a new adoptive family, foster family, or a trusted shelter partner. Shelter partners included Humane Pennsylvania, Hudson Valley Animal Rescue and Sanctuary, and Animal Haven. 

We would like to say a special thank you to our Freedom Flight partner Wings of Rescue, and all of our match donors who helped make this double-plane transport a reality: Tracy and Andy Warren, Tyler and Kara Ackerman, The Rosemont Foundation, and a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. 

Would you like to see more of the life-saving magic that your donations helped us achieve? Visit our website at thesatoproject.org/mp13 to see more photos of what Mission Possible 13 looked like on the ground in Puerto Rico and in New York. 

20 of the satos onboard Mission Possible 13 were lucky enough to go right into the loving arms of their new families at the airport. Click here to see more happy moments from our biggest Freedom Flight of the year. All photos by Alexandra Lloyd.

Julie Elphinstone was a sato adopter and a core member of our volunteer team who helped process adoption applications. Julie adopted her sato Emmy from us in 2017 and wanted to help more dogs, so we put her to work. Tragically in 2020 we learned Julie had cancer. We were devastated to hear that Julie passed on December 31, 2020. Julie had a huge soft spot in her heart for senior dogs and had always wanted to be at the receiving end of one of our Freedom Flights. As soon as we realized that this Freedom Flight would include over 50 senior dogs, our team wanted to dedicate it to Julie’s memory. We were honored to put her name on the side of the plane and know that our our sato treasures had their very own guardian angel watching over them. Julie’s family and friends even attended the arrival in New York and it was an honor for us to share with them first-hand what Julie's efforts helped make possible. 

Additionally, May 20th, the date of the first Mission Possible 13 flight, would have been Boom Boom’s 13th birthday. Boom Boom is the sato in our logo and the dog who started it all. She was our Founder Chrissy Beckles’ very first sato who inspired her to start The Sato Project. Boom Boom’s sudden passing five years ago was devastating to The Sato Project family. However, her legacy lives on through every single sato that we rescue, including all 231 satos and gatos who flew last weekend. 

Earlier this month, our free community vaccination clinic vaccinated 500 dogs in a single day for parvovirus, leptospirosis, rabies, and distemper. Pet owners started lining up four hours before we had even opened. By the time we were ready to begin, the line of cars had grown so long that it was impeding nearby traffic.

Our first free vaccination clinic was a success! In addition to ongoing cases of leptospirosis, parvovirus, and rabies, Puerto Rico has reported rising numbers of distemper. To combat the spread of these deadly diseases, our team partnered with Candelero Animal Hospital on May 1st to hold a free drive-through vaccination clinic for dogs.

When our team arrived in Humacao at 7am to set up, there was already over 100 cars waiting for us.The first person in line told us they had been waiting with their dog since 5am, even though we didn’t open until 9. By the time we did officially open, the line had extended so far that it was interrupting traffic on the nearby highway. We had prepared 500 doses of vaccines to administer and quickly ran out. With the demand so high, our team is determined to keep building on these efforts. Community vaccination efforts like these are the only way to keep these diseases from spreading even further and claiming more lives. 

Our team is proud to announce that we will be holding a second vaccination clinic next month on June 12th! This one will be even bigger. We are planning to reach 1000 dogs. Stay tuned to our social media channels, where we will announce all final details (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), including time and location.

We have several adoptable satos on the mainland who are still searching for their new families! Top row from left to right is Brittany, Nube, and Juju. Bottom row is Natalia, Luke, and Shiloh. Click here to learn more about each one of them.

Among the 200+ dogs who flew on Mission Possible 13 last weekend were quite a few who are still adoptable directly through our adoption team! Are you looking to expand your family? If so, we might have the perfect match for you. We currently have several puppies, seniors, and young adults who are all in foster homes waiting for their new families to find them. Could it be you?

Click here to see all our adoptable dogs on Petfinder. If you see a face that makes your heart skip a beat, you can submit an application on our website.

As soon as Vinicio José saw his sister Alexandra at the airport, he ran toward her with his tail wagging. They were both very grateful to be reunited. Photo on the right by Alexandra Lloyd.

Last week’s transport of 231 dogs and cats included three dogs who traveled as part of our No Dog Left Behind program. This program was started after Hurricane Maria to help families in distress who were evacuating the island keep their beloved pets. When the earthquake crisis began in Puerto Rico in early 2020 and then the pandemic followed shortly after (and commercial airlines ceased allowing pet cargo transportation), the need for this program grew. 

One of the lucky satos onboard Mission Possible 13 was Vinicio José. He was picked up at the airport on Saturday by his sister Alexandra. With the ongoing earthquakes, the pandemic, and the threat of more deadly hurricanes in Puerto Rico, Alexandra and her other adult siblings have been trying to get their mother to move to the mainland to be closer to them for a long time.

Vinicio José was very happy to see Alexandra at the airport. Click here to watch a video of their reunion on our Instagram page. Shortly after this moment, he got to go see his mom who was flying in later on the very same day! Now Vinicio José and his mom will get to be safely surrounded by their other family members who love them so much. We are so grateful that we can help keep satos like Vinicio José and their families together.