Thank you so much to everyone who responded to our last email about the 80 dogs recently rescued from the Ponce municipal shelter. Many of them still have a long way to go before clearing their medical challenges and we are so grateful to have your support in helping us fight for them. For my team and I in Puerto Rico, some days are tougher than others. However, the tougher days are always made brighter when we are reminded that we are not in this alone. Thank you for being here with us. It truly means the world to our team and our satos.

Want to join us in celebrating our 10th anniversary year in style? The Sato Project zip-up hoodies, kids’ t-shirts, baseball caps, tank tops, tumblers and more are now available for a limited time through Custom Ink! 

We regularly get requests for merchandise and are honored how many of you would like to represent our team and show your support with pride. The Sato Project uses Custom Ink’s fundraisers as a means to make our t-shirts and other merchandise available without requiring our small staff to directly handle inventory or fulfillment. All proceeds support our efforts to rescue more dogs from the streets of Puerto Rico. But don’t wait to order! Sales will end on March 29th.

12 year old Doel is our official 'kid tester' in Puerto Rico. In addition to helping our newly rescued dogs get comfortable around kids, he is also passionate about helping dogs still in the streets. On the right is a photo of Dalia, who Doel saw roaming by his summer camp. He took it upon himself to coax her into a crate and rescue her. He named her Dalia after his mother.

If you follow us on social media, you might already be aware of our special Sato Superhero, Doel. But you probably don’t know the full story behind this compassionate young boy who we are so lucky to have on our team. He plays an important role in the journeys of many of our rescued satos. If you adopted an adult dog from us, then most likely your dog passed through the loving hands of Doel. Or, as he is known to our team in Puerto Rico, our personal ‘Doctor Doolittle’ and dog whisperer. 

Our Rescue Coordinator, Daphne, also serves as our primary Nani to our satos in Puerto Rico. Daphne and her husband Steve take our most difficult behavioral cases and nurture them until they are ready to be adopted. Young Doel, who is now 12 years old, has been working with Daphne since he was 4. Daphne says that Doel was “born with the angel of animals” and has never been afraid of even the most challenging satos. In fact, the most challenging dogs are often the ones who turn out to be his favorites. 

Doel became an official part of The Sato Project’s behavioral assessment in 2018 as our designated 'kid tester'. Ever since, he has played a vital role in helping to prepare our dogs to be successful in a family. Doel also helps feed and bathe our satos, clean up their kennels and his favorite part, spend lots of time playing with them. He loves to show every sato how wonderful it can be to have a human kid as a best friend. 

Left: Doel and Chrissy share a celebratory hug after take-off of our February Freedom Flight. Right: A senior sato enjoys some extra cuddles.

We’d like to introduce you to our beautiful Zeus. Despite what his confident, godly name suggests, Zeus does not quite know how special he is yet. He is in search of a family to help him grow into the confident, happy sato he deserves to be.

Zeus is only about 1 year old and 30 lbs. At home with his foster family, he's loving, mellow, silly, and incredibly well-behaved. He is the sweetest snuggle bug with people he trusts; however, he is very wary of strangers. In order for Zeus to be successful in his forever home, we are looking for a home with a few requirements: 

Zeus is currently being fostered in Saratoga Springs, NY. Anyone willing to drive there to meet him is eligible to adopt. We know Zeus’ perfect family is out there somewhere, we just need to find them. You can help his dreams come true by sharing this newsletter. Any prospective adopters can submit an adoption application by clicking here or email adoption@thesatoproject.org with any specific questions. 

Left: Zeus with our official 'kid tester' Doel in Puerto Rico. Right: Zeus with his first foster brother, Tyler, in Pennsylvania. Zeus loves kids but needs a quiet home without regular visitors.

Left: Tati is learning the joys of lounging on a comfortable couch. Right: Tati was one of 100 chihuahuas rescued from a hoarding case at the end of last year.

Tati was rescued at the end of last year from a horrific hoarding case. You can see our original post about this rescue mission on social media by clicking here. Many of these 100 chihuahuas had various medical conditions and behavioral challenges. It has been a long road of recovery for these little satos. However, 70 of them were able to fly on last month’s Freedom Flight. One of those lucky little faces was Tati.

Like many of the chihuahuas rescued from this mission, Tati is very shy and wary of people. This trait is exactly what made her parents want to adopt her. They saw a video of her wagging her tail while staring at the ground and immediately knew she was the one for them. She looked so sweet, but very scared. They felt a strong pull to help her and give her all the consistent love and resources she needs to thrive.

When her parents first brought her home, Tati was so scared and timid that she would run and hide at the sight of any humans. Now, after only one month, she has started accepting cuddles on the couch from both her parents. Tati's mom says that she still has a ways to go, but she is doing well. They are so happy to have her a part of their family and love seeing her become more and more comfortable as every day passes. Congratulations, little Tati. You may not fully realize it yet, but your dream has finally come true. Instead of 1 of 100 locked in a small house, you are loved and cherished as a unique member of your very own family.