May I come visit and/or volunteer?
At this time we cannot host volunteers or visitors. Our team and our dogs are still in the process of getting acclimated to our new home and are not yet ready for visitors. But please stay in touch with us, as we do hope to be able to have volunteers visit in the future. If you have not done so already please complete our volunteer application, available by clicking here.
May I bring a dog to you that needs rescuing?
Sanctuary is not a shelter. The dogs at the property have already completed a period of quarantine and started our unprecedented vetting protocols. Our space is still going to be very limited and can only hold so many dogs at once. It is for this reason we are continuing to utilize every single foster home we have in Puerto Rico, in addition to our property. Every space for a dog to stay, is a space to save another life. The Sato Project has our own ongoing rescue program that is dedicated to one specific area. We always have dogs that are waitlisted for rescue. So, sadly, due to limited space, we cannot routinely accept new dogs into our program. If you have a dog you need help with, email us at rescue@thesatoproject.org and we will tell you if we can help or not. And if we can’t, we will do our best to suggest other resources.
Where is the property?
Our property is near the southeastern corner of Puerto Rico, where our rescue efforts have always been based. Due to security concerns and to prevent the dumping of dogs at our property, we are not publicly disclosing our precise location.
How many dogs can stay at the property?
Our property can comfortably accommodate up to 60 dogs at a time.
How does having this property change your rescue efforts?
Our rescue efforts themselves - rescuing dogs from the streets and beaches, or pulling them from municipal shelters - will remain mostly the same. However, having this property is transformative for us and our dogs after they come into our care.
Since our founding, The Sato Project has predominantly worked out of partner veterinary clinics, where the space was not our own. We had limited access, it could be stressful for our dogs, and we did not have full control over the environment; who else came in or what practices took place.
Every dog that passes through The Sato Project’s program completes our unprecedented vetting protocols. These protocols were designed to ensure that every dog we rescue is free of any infectious diseases and healthy before they get adopted. In the spring of 2021, sadly, due to situations beyond our control one of our partner veterinary clinics at the time experienced an outbreak of distemper. Our team lost a lot of dogs to this outbreak. Having our very own property is a way to prevent this heartbreak from ever happening again - to our dogs or to our team.
This property is also completely transformative to the dogs in our program. It means, instead of spending most of their time in a clinic, they get to be in a happier environment, outdoors, with space to play. It also means a lot more time with members of our team. It means we can get to know each sato even more individually - their personality, characteristics, and specific needs. This will help us better match them to a perfect forever family and set them up for success for the rest of their lives.
For the first time in our 11 year history, The Sato Project finally has a home of its own. This stability will positively affect nearly every aspect of our work and ultimately help us save more lives and make an even bigger impact for the dogs of Puerto Rico.
