Dear Sato Supporter,
Thanks to the support of our community, volunteers and staff, we held a successful vaccine clinic in Ponce, Puerto Rico where we vaccinated over 500 owned dogs completely free of charge.
Every dog we vaccinated is one more dog that is protected on the island. I can see that people love their dogs and want what's best for them. Veterinary care is not affordable for a lot of dog owners and it is very touching when locals share their gratitude with us. It shows that we are making an impact and affecting people's lives.
I am truly thankful to have you in our corner. We couldn't do the work we do for these satos without you.
In gratitude,
Chrissy Beckles, President & Founder
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This Giving Tuesday, we have secured our LARGEST DONATION MATCH EVER! This means that for every dollar you donate, two will go toward our goal of $80,000. All of the funds received will help go towards Mission Possible 16, where we are transporting 150 satos and gatos.
These funds are crucial to ensuring that they are ready for their new lives. It provides 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. Importantly, these funds get the animals from Puerto Rico to their new families.
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Two Vaccine Clinics in One Month |
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Samuel, one of our rescue team members, helped during the clinics. Here he is talking with a dog owner waiting in line about veterinary paperwork. |
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Over the past month, we hosted two vaccine clinics in Puerto Rico—the last one of which was our most successful clinic to date! Over both clinics, the first in San Lorenzo and the second in Ponce, we served approximately 850 dogs, making it possible for their families to give them the care they need, completely free of charge.
Our volunteers stepped up to the plate, making the process run like a well-oiled machine. Together, we were able to inform dog owners of what to expect, help them fill out their paperwork, and answer their questions as they waited in line. During our last clinic, Dr. Brito of Candelero Animal Hospital was able to administer vaccines to over 70 dogs per hour—an unprecedented rate for our team. This pace would not have been possible if it wasn't for the help all of those who volunteered.
Last week, even before our volunteers arrived at the clinic, approximately 50 people were waiting in line at the Ponce Municipal Shelter at 6 a.m. Some dog parents drive long distances to get care for their dogs. The first person in line drove an hour and a half to get to the clinic and waited from 5 p.m. the afternoon before. Mom to 15 dogs, she tries to care for them the best she can, but given the number of dogs she has taken in, this clinic is particularly helpful in her situation.
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Pelusa is waiting patiently for her vaccines with her mom, Maria. |
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Maria, another good samaritan, saw Pelusa (above) malnourished and dehydrated on the street, and ended up deciding to adopt her. Our community outreach efforts help people like Maria protect their dogs like Pelusa from communicable diseases.
Keyla (below), whose dogs also benefited from the clinics, tells us that she is always monitoring our social media posts for the next clinic dates. And she couldn’t have put it better when she says, “[dogs] are life, they are happiness and love.”
We ensured that every dog at the clinic went home with preventatives for fleas and ticks. We are so grateful to the Banfield Foundation for allowing us to serve these incredible pups!
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Keyla is waiting in line at our free vaccine clinic in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico |
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We have a flight scheduled with a pilot Bob Miranda, who is flying 15 of our satos to forever homes on November 21st. All of these dogs have already been adopted and most of them will meet their families right at the airport!
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.
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.
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Our Holiday Gift Guide is here!
The Sato Project flannel pants, ultra-soft pullover hoodies, beanies, short and long-sleeved t-shirts, vacuum insulated white tumblers, crossbody bags, and ultra-plush blankets are now available for a limited time through Custom Ink! We have continued to get requests for additional merchandise and are honored how many of you would like to show your support with pride.
Every purchase supports our efforts to rescue more dogs from the streets of Puerto Rico. Don't wait to order! Sales will end on NOVEMBER 28TH so all items can be shipped out in time for the holidays.
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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:
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Send an E-Card: Make a donation in honor of someone and we will send them an email with the image below notifying them of your generous gift.
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Mail a Card: Prefer to have us mail a card on your behalf? For any gift of $25 or more, we will mail a loved one a card acknowledging your gift.
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Order a Pack of Gift Cards: Need heartfelt stocking stuffers or gifts for dog-loving coworkers? Order a pack of donation gift cards! Each $100 gift pack comes with 5 cards to customize and share, letting honorees know that we will be helping even more dogs in their name.
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We are excited to share the news that we have our 2023 calendar available for purchase now.
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.
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by signing up for a monthly gift today.
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Izzy relaxing in the grass after some exercise in outside. |
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Freya, now Izzy, was found dumped on Dead Dog Beach and we could tell right away that she had probably been someone’s pet. She was instantly friendly—running up to the rescue team and enjoying the new faces that were eager to pet her. Izzy was lucky in many ways. She didn’t show signs of having lived on the streets for long and was found in time to escape the difficulties of that life.
On the far other side of the United States, in Washington state, Wilma was accustomed to having cattle dogs and wanted a new experience. After seeing the video of then-Freya, she felt a connection, “something about her came through the video”. She knew that this was the dog for her.
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Izzy sharing some excitement about her new life with Wilma and her daughter as they drive from the Northeast to the Northwest after her Freedom Flight. |
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Izzy was adopted by Wilma and her husband, who live on Orcas Island, two hours north of Seattle, Washington. After her Freedom Flight to the mainland, Izzy got ready for a long drive cross-country with her new family.
Izzy arrived at her forever home to a big pasture filled with several new species of siblings, including farm animals, rabbits, cats, and one of her own kind, a 10-year-old dog. Wilma says, “she is emotionally intelligent; she can read the room with other animals and is desperate to make friends with the cats.” She tells us that Izzy brings a youthful energy into the home and enjoys everyone she meets, whether they are people or animals.
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Left: Izzy is saying hello to her new farm animal friends. right:Enjoying the warmth by the fire, Izzy grows accustomed to her first cold winter. |
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She is still living the island life, but it’s a very different island!
It will take some time to get accustomed to the weather, of course. But Izzy loves to wear cozy new sweaters and she has blankets galore. She is especially fond of taking naps by the fire, going into town, and taking in her new surroundings. We look forward to seeing how this island girl’s life continues to unfold.
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Pekeke looking into the eyes of Solange, his forever grandmother. |
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Forwarded this newsletter? Click here to join our list. |
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The Sato Project is dedicated to rescuing abused and abandoned dogs in Puerto Rico, where there are an estimated 500,000 stray dogs and a combined euthanasia rate of 94% across all municipal shelters. In 10 years, we have rescued 6,500 dogs, rehabilitated them with the highest standards of veterinary care, and found them loving homes on the mainland U.S. We are also working to make permanent change on the island through community outreach and no-cost spay/neuter and vaccine programs. |
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"We fight so the dogs of Puerto Rico don't have to." |
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