Vaccinating 350 dogs, flying 130 dogs and cats to new homes, rescuing more satos from the streets and shelters, plus all of our ongoing work: it has been a very busy two weeks for our small but mighty team. December is only halfway through, and it is already shaping up to be our busiest of the year. Thank you for helping us change so many lives this month as 2021 comes to a close. Please keep reading to learn more and meet a few of the faces that were recently helped thanks to our community's efforts.

Still finishing your holiday shopping? Keep reading to the end for two gift ideas that also help save lives.

Thanks to all of the incredible support we received for Giving Tuesday on November 30th, 130 satos and gatos have officially started their new lives just in time for the holidays! Last Saturday morning before dawn, our team in Puerto Rico started loading 130 dogs and cats into an airplane with our partner, Wings of Rescue. By 7:30 am, that plane was in the sky! First, it made a stop in Ft. Lauderdale, FL to refuel and drop off a load of animals to Humane Society of Broward County. Next, it made a stop in White Plains, New York, where The Sato Project’s New York-based team was waiting, along with over 50 new families. One by one, each sato was taken out of its crate, outfitted with a new harness and/or collar, given some love by our volunteers, and then handed over to either their new forever family, a foster family, or a shelter partner. After dropping off most of the satos in New York, the airplane continued north, where another 30 dogs got off in Portland, Maine, to be welcomed by Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland. 

Large transports such as this one are a huge effort. It takes a small army of volunteers, lots of hard work, coordination and preparation to make each one happen. It also takes the support of all our donors. Whether you volunteered on the ground or supported us from afar - YOU are reason that 130 rescued dogs and cats are now in happy homes this holiday season. These lucky animals include satos like Javier, who was saved from euthanasia at a municipal shelter. Waiting at the airport to welcome him home included a sister who was celebrating her ninth birthday and had no idea that she was about to receive the surprise gift of a lifetime: a sato sibling to call her very own (see photo below). Or Blake, Mighty, and Matthew, who were all rescued from the streets and now have loving families who couldn’t wait to finally hold them close. 

In addition to Wings of Rescue, we would also like to thank our other partners on this mission, including Henry Friedman of @KeepingFinn, Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co., and The Bernard G. and Geraldine R. Segal Foundation.

50 lucky satos went directly into the arms of their new families at the airport. Clockwise from the top are Javier, Blake, Mighty, and Matthew (now named Remy). Any sato who did not have a family already lined up for them either went to a foster home or a trusted shelter partner in Florida, New York, or Maine.

On Saturday, December 4th, in Naguabo, Puerto Rico, our team held our third completely free, drive-up community vaccine clinic. When we arrived to the clinic site early in the morning, we already had several dedicated dog owners waiting for us. The first vehicles in line all arrived around 6am, even though we didn’t open until 9am. By the end of the day, our team treated 350 dogs for distemper, leptospirosis, rabies and parvovirus. Community vaccination is the ONLY way for us to combat the spread of these diseases and we are so thankful to each dog owner who came out to get their animals treated. The Sato Project team has now vaccinated over 1,500 dogs through our three free clinics held in 2021.

We would like say a huge thank you to Banfield Foundation for providing a grant that made this clinic possible, the amazing Dr. Brito of Candelero Animal Hospital for personally administering each of the vaccines, and all of our volunteers on the ground in Puerto Rico who helped direct traffic, facilitated registration, and handled each and every dog with love and care. Thanks to all of our combined efforts, 350 dogs are not only safely protected from deadly diseases, they are helping to protect the other animals of their community as well.

When he was still a tiny puppy, Tazmania's first owners decided they didn’t want him anymore. As a solution, they planned to feed him to a pet snake. Fortunately, someone else stepped in and immediately took Tazmania out of their care. Fortunately, that was the end of this sato's struggles, because he found his way to new parents who now cherish him like a family member. His parents were one of the first cars in line at our free community vaccine clinic earlier this month. They were very grateful to get him vaccinated for the first time since they adopted him. His dad, Richard, said: "Many people in Puerto Rico love their pets like family and want to give them access to veterinary care - but it is very expensive - often even more expensive than human care. So we just do the best we can to make sure our pets are as happy and healthy as possible." That's why events like our free clinics are so important and appreciated. We are thankful that we can help satos like Tazmania (who have already been through so much) receive vital vaccines they might otherwise not have access to.

One very lucky sato hit the jackpot this month. Tilly was rescued along with her five siblings from a port in Puerto Rico, where many stray dogs have been abandoned and continue to live there. When the six puppies came into our program, their photos were immediately sent to our Adoption Coordinator, Melissa, to add to her list for future placement with adoptive families. However, as soon as Melissa saw Tilly’s photo, she already knew exactly which family Tilly was going to go home with: her own.

If you’ve adopted a sato from us within the last year, then you already know our Adoption Coordinator, Melissa. Melissa became a member of our staff earlier this year, but had already been a dedicated volunteer for several years prior. And her love for satos started many years ago, even before that. 

In addition to matching all of our satos to their forever families and providing guidance to all of our adopters, Melissa (and her family) have stepped up many times to foster satos in need of a place to stay - from special adult behavioral and medical cases to lots of puppies. Every time they had a puppy visiting, Melissa noticed how happy Buddy Besos was to have a young playmate. After several puppies came and went, her family decided that Buddy deserved to have a puppy of his very own that would stay forever. 

When Tilly’s photo showed up on Melissa’s screen, with the same brown eye patch to match Buddy’s, the case was closed. Buddy was going to have a new little sister. 

Congratulations, Tilly! We can’t wait to see you grow up right here under one of our own roofs. You can see more of Tilly and Buddy on Buddy’s instagram account @Buddy_Besos.

Are you still shopping for holiday gifts? See below for two heartfelt gift options that also help save more dogs.

There are still 15 days left of our partnership with Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. From now until the end of 2021, 100% of all proceeds from their ‘Rescue Roast’ coffee blend will go toward supporting our rescue efforts.

Want even more gift options? All year long, 10% of every item across their site purchased through this link will also support The Sato Project. But don’t forget to add the Rescue Roast through December 31 to make your gift go even further for the dogs of Puerto Rico!

Want something that you can give quickly without having to worry about postage? Send an E-Card! Make a donation in honor of a loved one and we will send them an email with the image above notifying them of your generous gift to help us save more lives.