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We Fight So The Dogs of Puerto Rico Don’t Have To.

 
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The Sato Project is Dedicated to Rescuing Abused and Abandoned Dogs in Puerto Rico.

There are an estimated 500,000 stray dogs roaming the streets and beaches of Puerto Rico. One dog at a time, we are saving lives, fighting back and building permanent change.

Join us and learn more about our organization, mission, and our exceptional approach to rescue.

 

5,500

Dogs Rescued & Flown to new homes

7,000

Dogs & cats spayed/neutered & vaccinated

130,000 LBS

disaster relief supplies distributed across the island

 Our Impact

Since its inception in 2011, The Sato Project has rescued over 5,500 dogs, rehabilitated them with the highest standards of veterinary care and placed them in loving homes in the mainland U.S. We are addressing the underlying causes of overpopulation, abandonment, and abuse through community outreach and low-cost spay/neuter and vaccine programs. To date, we have spayed/neutered over 7,000 dogs and cats. Since the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the earthquakes of 2020, The Sato Project has also expanded into disaster relief efforts, including distributing humanitarian and animal emergency supplies, pulling dogs from overburdened municipal shelters with 90%+ euthanasia rates, and reuniting families with their beloved pets via our No Dog Left Behind program.

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How You Can Help

Adopt a sato

Want to add a member to your family? We might be biased, but we think there is nothing better than a rescue dog from Puerto Rico.

 

Volunteer opportunities

The Sato Project runs on the passion and dedication of our many wonderful volunteers. Are you interested in joining our team?

Make a Donation

The Sato Project depends entirely on charitable donations to rescue, rehabilitate, and find loving homes for abused and abandoned dogs in Puerto Rico.

 

Featured In

 
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See This Video For Our Feature as Part of TIME’s 2020 Pet of the Year

 

Follow Our Journey on Instagram

 
World, meet Noha. This gorgeous sato-tiger is meant to be a king. Our team can’t get over how amazing he is, especially considering his past. Noha once belonged to a family. But then they moved away and left him tied up still in their backyard. It is hard to wrap our heads around such cruelty, but fortunately, an act of kindness shortly followed. A compassionate neighbor noticed and stepped in. She took Noha into her care and reached out to us for help. Now Noha is searching for a new family who will truly cherish him like he deserves. Noha is only 1 year old and though he is big (70 lbs), he is a true gentle giant. He holds no grudges and is happy and loving to all he encounters. He is very sweet with kids and other dogs alike. In fact, Noha is so good with other dogs that he has stepped in to be our resident dog-tester with other satos awaiting adoption. Nothing seems to rattle him. Swipe left to see how he sweetly handled a rambunctious puppy with kisses. He does like to c
We are so excited to be taking over @dailyshowdogs instagram today! Head on over to their account throughout the day today to learn more about our rescue efforts and see more adoptable satos. While there, you can also check out the cute dogs of @thedailyshow staff members. Thank you @dailyshowdogs for using their platform to highlight dogs in need. (And check our instastory to see what this cutie in the first photo looks like today!) #Repost @dailyshowdogs · · · Hi Daily Show dog lovers! We are @thesatoproject. The Sato Project rescues abused and abandoned dogs in Puerto Rico, where there are approximately 500,000 stray dogs roaming the island’s streets and beaches. ‘Sato’ is a local Puerto Rican term for a ‘stray dog’. With no access to food, fresh water, or veterinary care, many of these satos live extremely difficult lives and suffer in the streets. Our small, but mighty team is dedicated to rescuing as many of them as we ca
Paxy is so outgoing and happy today, it is hard to believe what her life once was. We know her ‘before’ photos aren’t easy to look at, but we want you to see the transformation that your support helped make possible. Swipe left to see what Paxy’s life looks like now! This sweet sato was found abandoned and living in a garbage can. As you can see, she was severely malnourished and her skin was inflamed and raw with mange. Fortunately, a very kind samaritan took her home and nursed her back to health, while reaching out to us for help. Paxy was able to hitch a ride on our critical care Freedom Flight last month. She didn’t have a family lined up yet upon her arrival, so she went to a foster home. But it didn’t take long! Paxy has been adopted! Paxy’s mom, Maya, originally applied to adopt another sato, but then that dog got adopted by someone else, so our adoption team suggested Paxy. Maya agreed that she sounded like she could be a good fit
Adoptable satos alert! Young, old, big, small, active, calm, spots, no spots - we currently have lots of dogs looking for their forever homes!! Are you looking to expand your family? If so, we would be happy to help you find your perfect match!  Go to bit.ly/findyoursato to see all of our listed adoptable dogs. If you see a face you like, you can submit an application at bit.ly/adoptasato (both links are in our profile). Don’t see a face that feels like ‘the one’? We are actively updating PetFinder as fast as we can, but we have even more dogs who haven’t been listed. Potential adopters are also welcome to submit a general application at bit.ly/adopasato and our team will help match you to a dog that fits what you are looking for, based on size, age, temperament, and more. Or if you are not interested in adopting, you can also help make all of these satos’ dreams come true by sharing this post! Satos pictured here in order are: Kiloa, Misti
When our satos first come off the airplane from their #FreedomFlight, many of them need some comforting snuggles to help them feel safe. Of course, our team is more than happy to oblige. But first, each one of our satos is also outfitted with equipment they need to actually stay safe too - like harnesses, collars, and couplers. We need to restock some of our important safety supplies and a few other items.  Will you help us keep our sato treasures safely equipped? You can help welcome our dogs to their new lives by purchasing items off of our transport wishlists. We now have #wishlists on both Amazon (bit.ly/satowishlist) and Chewy (bit.ly/satochewylist). Links are in our profile. All items ship directly to our Transport Coordinator. Thank you so much for helping our satos stay safe and loved! #satostrong #stayingsafe #rescuedogs #amazonwishlist #chewywishlist #chewy
Satos & #NationalIceCreamDay: a slideshow. Living that #spoliedsato life like they deserve! You can see even more #satosandsundaes over on our Facebook page. #icecreamday #dogsandicecream #icecream #spoiledsatos #summer #sundaesunday
Our #seniorsato Maggie has been adopted!! She looks pretty happy about it, don’t you think? Congratulations, Maggie! We are so happy for you too. ❤️ #satosmile #seniordog #itisnevertoolatetohaveyourdreamcometrue #nevertoolate #adoptaseniordog #dreamcometrue
And now for one more #MissionPossible11oneyearlater update. We can’t forget about our #satosuperstar Champ! As you might remember, @champ_the_sato was found in the streets in such dreadful condition that our team wasn’t sure he would even make it through the night. However, with all of your support, this fighter made a full recovery and triumphantly flew to his new family last year.  Since taking his Freedom Flight, Champ has been living the good life in New Jersey and even recently became a big brother. One year in, Champ’s mom tells us: “Champ has truly become a member of our family. We decided to adopt him after losing our first baby in the second trimester of our pregnancy in April 2020. Since that time, we got pregnant again and brought our son, Brian David, into the world, in March 2021. So, it's very much come full circle with Champ. He healed us during the most painful time of our life and has now been there through our most joyful moments. He lov
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Community Stories

 

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March 2020

"The students and faculty from Puerto Rico at RUSVM mobilized our community soon after the disaster events, in an effort to raise funds to assist with relief efforts for animals in the affected areas. The students decided to donate the monies to your organization, as it proves to be one that year after year continues to provide a holistic approach to improving animal welfare in Puerto Rico."

Doris M. Castellanos / Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine

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december 2019

The Sato Project is an amazing organization! The care and passion that they put into their daily work to save helpless animals is truly inspiring. They helped me change the life of a dog and in turn, changed mine.

Janelle / Adopter and Supporter

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October 2020

We adopted Amos and Chili from The Sato Project. There is no more committed rescue organization, one that is never afraid to take on the most difficult cases. Just ask Victor Amor. Just ask Champ. Just ask Charlize. Time after time, the Sato Project presents graphic evidence of what love can do. It is an honor to support this small, but mighty organization.

Paul J. / Adopter and Supporter