Public outreach and education are the keys to long-term change for animals in Puerto Rico. The Sato Project is engaged in a variety of efforts to foster this kind of change, and has plans to do much more in the coming years as we expand our efforts and secure funds dedicated for community programs, advocacy, and outreach.
YOUTH EDUCATION
The Sato Project believes true change in Puerto Rico will come from educating its youth. We engage local volunteers and students to volunteer at Spayathon and at our transports. We have also taken part in school programs that to help empower students to be animal advocates in their communities. For younger children, our team has helped distribute education materials like coloring books, tailored to teach kids about responsible pet ownership. We have also worked with local college students to engage them with our rescue efforts and encourage them to stand up and be voices for the animals of their island.
Our efforts have also been featured in classroom lessons and school projects for elementary schools, high schools, and colleges across the country.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH IN YABUCOA, PUERTO RICO
The Sato Project has received formal recognition from the Mayor Rafael Surillo’s office as the official rescue group in the Yabucoa municipality. There are now signs at Dead Dog Beach proclaiming this endorsement, and reminding people that animal abandonment is a crime punishable by law.
The Sato Project regularly attends events in Puerto Rico, and has distributed many hundreds of flyers about our work and about the problem of abused and abandoned animals on the island.
In March 2016 we launched an aggressive community Spay/Neuter/Vaccine and microchip campaign in the Yabucoa municipality in Puerto Rico. The goal of this effort is to educate the local population about responsible pet ownership and to provide low cost affordable veterinary resources by way of a monthly mobile clinic and a voucher program. Click here to learn more about our Spay/Neuter/Vaccine efforts.
Our team on the ground works with the local community, often going door to door, to educate local residents on the importance of spaying/neutering and vaccinating their own individual or ‘community’ dogs. We also do our best to offer support where needed via food donations and local pet food pantries, and are proud to have established a small foster network in our locale.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA EXPOSURE FOR THE PLIGHT OF SATOS IN PUERTO RICO
Through many high-profile media pieces, including major coverage by the New York Times, NPR, CBS, Animal Planet, El Nuevo Día, and more, The Sato Project is raising awareness for the plight of abandoned and abused animals in Puerto Rico. By drawing the public’s attention to this crisis, we aim to change policies and perceptions. We dream of a day when there is adequate funding and political will to address the crisis across the island, to see the sato revered as a Puerto Rican Treasure, much in the way the Chihuahua is now a symbol of Mexico.
Click here to see our most recent press coverage and be sure to follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.
