Where We Rescue

There are approximately 650,000 abused and abandoned dogs roaming the streets of Puerto Rico. The Sato Project’s rescue efforts began at a place known as Dead Dog Beach in Yabucoa. This infamous dumping ground for unwanted and abused dogs was once home to hundreds of abandoned dogs. Thanks to many years of our rescue and community outreach work, this beach has been entirely cleared of dogs, aside from two feral strays who we feed and monitor daily. Over the last few years, we have expanded our efforts into the wider community of Yabucoa, where thousands more stray and abandoned dogs are waiting for their chance to be rescued.

”Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing”. - Muhammad Ali

Dead Dog beach is now headquarters to FEMA and Homeland Security. They keep in contact with our team, who investigates any new dogs that appear. Beyond Dead Dog Beach, our rescue team is constantly flooded with requests for help with stray dogs all across Puerto Rico. We help with as many of these cases as we can, but are primarily dedicated to our home community of Yabucoa. Our rescue team knows all of the places where packs of stray dogs still live and where dogs are often abandoned. We rescue as many of these dogs as funds and space allow and take them into our program. Very young, pregnant, injured or sick dogs are given priority.

In emergency situations, such as during the earthquakes of 2020, we also occasionally pull dogs from municipal shelters (municipal shelters in Puerto Rico average above 94% combined euthanasia rate).

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WHAT HAPPENS AFTER RESCUE

We take our rescue mission very seriously. Rescuing dogs means more than just pulling them off a beach or the streets. We are dedicated to each and every one of our dogs and want to give them the greatest chance in life. After what they have been through and what they have witnessed, we never want them to suffer again.

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EMERGENCY VET CARE

Once a dog comes into our program from the streets or a beach, it immediately goes to our vet's office to begin a mandatory quarantine period of at least 21 days, during which it follows our unprecedented 14 pages of vetting protocol. The first test we do is for leptospirosis; a zoonotic disease (transmissible to humans) that has been on the increase in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria. Next, we do an immediate 4DX Snap test for blood diseases including heartworm, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichia. A PCR test is also done off-island for distemper. We run a full blood panel to read for and get ahead of any potential incubating disease. We scrape the skin and test it for mange. We fecal test for parasites and de-worm. If a dog tests positive for any infections or diseases, we individually assess along with our licensed veterinarians and put together a treatment regimen. Dogs that are deemed healthy by our veterinarian then begin a vaccination schedule of five-way DHLPP vaccines. Every dog is also spayed/neutered and microchipped. The average cost of vetting a new rescue in our program before it can be released to our Sanctuary is $2,000.

BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENTS & REHABILITATION

In addition to being healthy, we also want to make sure that each one of our dogs is set up for success when placed with an adoptive family.  Our team spends quality time getting to know each one of our satos' unique personalities and needs.  Many of our dogs are rescued from the streets and ready to be placed in a home almost right away. Others sometimes need extra rehabilitation after living on their own for many years or suffering from abuse. But no matter what each sato needs or how long they need it for, our incredible team in Puerto Rico goes above and beyond for all of our dogs. They make sure each and every dog is socialized, handled and gets plenty of love every day until they are able to take their Freedom Flight and get adopted.