From Dog Rescue to Disaster Relief: The Sato Project & 2020

Photo by @KeepingFinn
FROM DOG RESCUE TO DISASTER RELIEF:
THE SATO PROJECT & 2020
2020 has brought many things Puerto Rico’s way: earthquakes,
drought, a hurricane season predicted to be the worst on record,
and COVID-19. All of these new disasters come on top of the ongoing
humanitarian and animal welfare crisis that Hurricane Maria left in
her wake three years ago. Throughout the year, The Sato Project
has fought back against all of these unprecedented challenges. In
the beginning of the year, we redirected our efforts to help animals
most affected by the earthquake crisis. In the spring, being unable
to fly dogs off the island due to the pandemic, we came up with
new ways to directly support our community. Over the summer
months, as soon as we could fly again, we achieved our biggest
transport ever in our nine-year history. This is all in addition to our
ongoing dog rescue and spay/neuter community outreach efforts.
2020 is not over and neither are the year’s multiple challenges.
However, thanks to our generous supporters, The Sato Project
team remains ready to keep saving as many lives as possible.

JAN
FEB AR
APR AY
JUN
JUL
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SEP
IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF
2020, THE SATO PROJECT HAS:
Rescued and rehabilitated 301 dogs
Flown 754 dogs off the island
Distributed 34,000 lbs. of disaster relief supplies
across Puerto Rico
Reunited 29 dogs who had been separated from
their families due to natural disasters
Spayed/neutered and vaccinated 959 dogs and cats
THE ISLAND THAT NEVER GETS A BREAK
Hurricane Maria made landfall on Dead Dog Beach — the
epicenter of our rescue efforts — at 6am on September
20, 2017. The storm knocked out power for the entire
population of Puerto Rico and devastated buildings, vital
infrastructure, and countless lives. The island has never
been the same since and the slow recovery process
continues to be marred by bureaucratic red tape and poor
management. Three years later, many residents are still
struggling to survive. Power outages and water supply
cutoffs remain constant occurrences and damaged
houses are yet to be rebuilt. An estimated 20,000 people
are still living under FEMA-distributed blue tarps as
‘temporary’ replacements for destroyed roofs. These are
all challenges that existed before 2020 even started.
For people in Puerto Rico, 2020 will always be
remembered as the year that started with a shake. On
December 28th, 2019, a series of small earthquakes
began rattling the island on a daily basis. In the early
hours of January 7th, the entire island was jarred awake
by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake — the largest earthquake
to shake Puerto Rico in more than 100 years. The entire
island’s population once again lost power and 8,000
people immediately became displaced. Three hours after
the 6.4 earthquake, we had another measuring 6.0. In the
following days, we had two more, measuring 5.4 and 6.0.
2 THE SATO PROJECT PROGRAM UPDATE | SEPTEMBER 2020

Little did we know that this was
only the beginning of the crisis.
As of September 2020, the earthquakes are still ongoing
and have continued on a nearly daily basis.
As everyone knows, the spring of 2020 then brought a
new crisis that would affect the entire world. With a fragile,
under-funded hospital system, other vital infrastructure
still damaged from Hurricane Maria, and thousands of
residents still sleeping outside in encampments due to
the ongoing earthquakes, officials of Puerto Rico knew
that the island could not handle an outbreak of COVID-19.
Governor Wanda Vazquez was the first governor in the
nation to order a statewide shutdown. Her swift actions
likely helped prevent an even worse medical emergency.
However, the pandemic has nonetheless plunged the
island into yet another economic catastrophe. Some have
claimed that the economic toll caused by the shutdown
is even worse than the economic consequences from
Hurricane Maria. Unemployment is currently estimated to
be at least 40%. And even before 2020 started, Puerto
Rico had the highest poverty rate in the United States.
The summer delivered an additional blow: a serious
drought. More than 140,000 residents were forced to
go without running water for 24 hours every other day
due to rationing measures. With coronavirus cases still
climbing, the rationed water supply made it impossible
for thousands of residents to wash their hands and
stay on top of basic preventative safety measures. And
finally, here we are in the fall of 2020, in the peak of the
Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Isaias and Hurricane
Laura already caused devastating damage in August
and experts have predicted the months of September
through November to be the worst hurricane season ever
on record.
The Sato Project does excellent work in helping to protect the dog population.
Their passion and dedication is unparalleled. I know TSP as a volunteer (I’ve
fostered around 20 dogs for them and helped with transports), I know TSP as a
donor (they punch way above their weight when it comes to being able to make
a big difference with a scrappy budget), and I know TSP as an adopter (my family
adopted one of my fosters and I regularly convince my friends to adopt TSP dogs).
In all the ways that I know TSP, I am impressed.
- Anonymous supporter
IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2020
PUERTO RICO RECORDED ALMOST
10,000 TREMORS
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What do all of these crises mean
for the dogs of Puerto Rico and
The Sato Project’s efforts to
rescue them?
As human life across the island becomes more and
more disrupted, the suffering of thousands of animals is
exacerbated as well.
There are still an estimated 500,000 stray dogs
roaming Puerto Rico’s streets and beaches. Many of
them are abused and starving, with no regular access
to food, fresh water, or medical care. Serious diseases,
such as heartworm, ehrlichia, and leptospirosis (which
is zoonotic and therefore can be deadly to humans) are
still widespread and on the rise. Sadly, we fear that the
number of stray dogs may only be growing. As the island
becomes more distressed, more people are forced to
make difficult decisions and abandon their pets.
So far this year, The Sato Project has flown 754 dogs
off the island to safety and loving homes. These satos
included many dogs that required critical medical
care, dogs that were rescued pregnant, and entire
families of mothers and puppies. Regardless of what
lies ahead, our commitment to the satos of Puerto
Rico remains steadfast.
Photo by @KeepingFinn
There are thousands of dogs out there trying to
survive in the streets. They are battling earthquakes
and hurricanes too, just like we are. Someone has to
fight for them and be their voice. Despite all these
challenges, the voice of our small but mighty team
and our generous community of supporters has been
louder than ever.
Photo by @KeepingFinn
THERE ARE STILL
AN ESTIMATED
500,000 STRAY DOGS
ON THE ISLAND
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THE SATO PROJECT PROGRAM UPDATE | SEPTEMBER 2020

Transformation Story: Champ
Champ was rescued from the streets a few days before Christmas
2019. We rushed him to an emergency veterinarian, but he was so
emaciated that we did not know if he would live through his first night
under our care. In addition to being extremely thin and shut down, he
was suffering from a TVT (a sexually transmitted but treatable form
of cancer). He appeared as though he might have already given up,
but we were determined to give him a chance to fight. Not only did
Champ live through the night but he also went on to live up to
his name. It was a long road to recovery, but after seven months
of rehabilitation, Champ took his Freedom Flight in July and was
picked up by his new parents at the airport. Champ now lives
in New Jersey, with a huge back yard, a loving family, and an
Instagram account to call his own.
Transformation Story: Ercole
With his crudely cropped ears and all of his scars, our guess is that
Ercole was probably used as a bait dog, being endlessly attacked by
other dogs practicing their fighting skills. Only the gentlest souls can
be bait dogs because they do not fight back. Two kind samaritans on
holiday in Puerto Rico found sweet Ercole suffering near their vacation
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
rental and reached out to us for help. After six months of recovery
and rehabilitation, Ercole finally took his Freedom Flight in July,
where he was picked up by his excited new family. Ercole now has
two rescued greyhound brothers to play with, parents who adore
him, and will never ever have to fear for his life again.
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
5

The large earthquakes at the beginning of 2020
caused devastating damage and uprooted thousands
of lives, particularly in communities along the
southwestern coast. Homes were destroyed, all
schools were deemed unsafe, and businesses were
closed. Thousands of people started sleeping outside
in their yards, parking lots, or other public spaces, afraid
to return to their homes should another earthquake
collapse their house on top of them. Without homes
or adequate resources to survive, many families were
forced to make difficult decisions. For many, this sadly
included surrendering their pets.
Puerto Rico’s municipal shelter
system maintains a combined
94-96% euthanasia rate.
OUR RESPONSE TO THE EARTHQUAKES:
EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS DIRECT FROM THE EPICENTER
Every animal shelter across the island is severely
overburdened, but the earthquake crisis has pushed
the shelters in the south to their absolute limits. With
more and more families surrendering their pets, that
heartbreaking reality of these shelters only became
more dire.
As soon as we found out that so many family pets
were being euthanized due to lack of space, The
Sato Project sprang into action.
Within five days of the first
major earthquake, we organized
an emergency evacuation flight
of 116 dogs and cats directly
from the struggling shelters in
the center of the earthquake
crisis to welcoming shelters on
the East Coast.
Two weeks later, we organized another flight of 140
animals. These evacuation flights were an incredible
achievement of collaboration between more than 10
organizations who all came together to save lives
during an emergency: the overwhelmed shelters in
Puerto Rico, our Freedom Flight partners Wings of
Rescue and Greater Good Charities, and the many
shelters along the East Coast who volunteered to
take in our earthquake survivors.
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THE SATO PROJECT PROGRAM UPDATE | SEPTEMBER 2020

As the earthquakes continue daily in the southwestern corner of the island, so have our efforts to relieve shelters in that region, which are still getting overwhelmed
with owner surrenders and stray dogs. From February to August 2020, we periodically pulled dogs from the municipal shelter in Ponce whenever we had space.
During the first nine months of 2020, we have flown 547 dogs and cats off the island on behalf of other rescue organizations or shelters. These have included animals
from Ponce Municipal Shelter, Villa Michelle Mayaguez, Santuario de Animales San Francisco de Asis and many others.
Thanks to all of our efforts and the support of our community,
256 dogs and cats were given a second chance to live.
7

ADDRESSING THE STRAY ANIMAL
CRISIS AT ITS CORE
SPAY/NEUTER COMMUNITY OUTREACH
The Sato Project has always known that rescue alone is
not going to solve Puerto Rico’s stray dog epidemic. We
must also stop the rising street dog population before it
gets any bigger. In 2016, we started a subsidized spay/
neuter and vaccine community voucher program serving
the Humacao and Yabucoa communities. This program is
ongoing and serves approximately 30 dogs and cats per
month. In 2018, we were excited to take these efforts even
further by becoming a partner in the historic Spayathon
for Puerto Rico initiative. Spearheaded by the Humane
Society of the United States, Spayathon is a collaborative
effort of more than 25 national and international
organizations, and the government of Puerto Rico to
provide Puerto Rican pet owners access to high-quality,
high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSNV) services. It is the
largest coalition dedicated to mass spay/neuter efforts
ever formed in the world.
Through periodic week-long clinics in different locations
across the island, pet owners can bring up to two animals
per day to get spayed/neutered and vaccinated at no cost.
The Sato Project is the Ground Team for the southeastern
sector of the island. This means we are in charge of all
logistics, community outreach, and registration for every
clinic we are a part of. So far, our team has overseen six
week-long clinics since the initiative began: one in Ceiba,
two in Fajardo, and three in Humacao.
Rounds 7 and 8 of Spayathon, originally scheduled for May
and November were unfortunately canceled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. We are hopeful that these rounds
of Spayathon can be rescheduled in 2021. Whatever
happens and even after Spayathon is over (once Round
10 is completed), The Sato Project is determined to
continue this vital work.
At the conclusion of Round 6 in
February, the entire Spayathon
coalition had serviced 52,171
animals over two years.
Every Spayathon clinic delivers the same message loud
and clear: Puerto Ricans truly love their animals and want
to do what is best for them. They also want to address
their island’s stray animal epidemic — but they need help.
It truly is a testament to ‘If you build it, they will come’.
Our clinics begin each day by serving pet owners who
have been waiting in line outside all night. Many of these
dedicated pet owners even return day after day to do it all
over again for more animals. To the right are the stories
of just two of the nearly 1,000 lives that were changed
this year thanks to our low-cost and free spay/neuter
outreach efforts.
8 THE SATO PROJECT PROGRAM UPDATE | SEPTEMBER 2020

JORGÉ AND MAUI
Maui was a stray dog in Jorgé’s neighborhood - where there
are a lot of stray dogs, but many people in the community
do what they can to help them. Maui was always side by
side with another dog. But then, tragically, her friend was
hit by a car and died. Jorgé noticed her living all by herself
in an abandoned house and it broke his heart that she was
all alone. He decided to make it his mission to rescue her.
He started by putting blankets in the empty house to make
it more comfortable and then used food to gain her trust
gradually. Finally, she let him take her in and adopt her.
She was rescued just in time too, because she turned out
to be pregnant. Thanks to Jorgé, she was able to give birth
in safety to three puppies. Jorgé found homes for them all,
but decided Maui would always be his girl. Jorgé came to
the Spayathon at 3am and was one of the last pets we were
able to accept that day before our clinic reached its daily
capacity. He was very grateful for the chance to let Maui
see a vet and have access to the vital care she needed to
never have to worry about getting pregnant again.
SPAYATHON SUCCESS STORIES
ADRIANA AND LUNA
In December 2019, Adriana was at the beach when she
came upon a tiny puppy abandoned all by herself. As soon
as Adriana saw her, her heart stopped. The puppy was
extremely thin and in dire need of care. Adriana could
not turn a blind eye to her suffering, so she scooped
her up and brought her home. Gradually, day by day,
the puppy gained weight and started to feel better. Now
Luna has grown into a happy, healthy sato and gets to
spend her days with Adriana and her chihuahua sibling
(who Adriana also rescued herself). Luna’s days of
suffering are long over. Adriana says that now she can’t
imagine her life without Luna by her side and thanks to
Spayathon she was also able to see a vet for the first
time, get spayed, and vaccinated.
9

STEPPING UP FOR OUR COMMUNITY
PROVIDING AID DURING DISASTERS AND COVID-19
In the spring of 2020, COVID-19 brought the country to a
halt and severely affected our rescue efforts. Commercial
airlines to the East Coast ceased their live-animal cargo
operations and suddenly all of our Freedom Flights were
canceled. From March to June, we had more than 100
dogs under our care that were trapped on the island.
Many of them already had adoptive families waiting to
receive them, but we had no way of transporting them.
With no dogs leaving, our kennels remained full. This
severely limited our ability to rescue additional dogs
from the streets. However, our team continued doing
what it does best when faced with any new challenge:
we continued caring for the many critical dogs still in our
program and explored new ways to make an impact. If
there is anything Hurricane Maria taught us, it is that we
must be prepared for anything.
And now, preparing for and responding to disasters
has become a part of our daily reality. We are so
grateful that our generous donors have stepped up to
help us every time we have faced an emergency. This
vital support is what allows us to evolve our efforts to
meet the constantly changing circumstances.
10
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, we recognized that
we were in a unique position to provide additional support
to the island. Disaster relief supplies for both humans and
animals were desperately needed and every airplane we
chartered for a transport to fly dogs off the island meant
that an airplane was first flying in — and they were flying
in empty. Starting in the Fall of 2017, we started a new
effort with our partners, Wings of Rescue and Greater
Good Charities, to never have an airplane fly in empty.
Now all planes that fly onto the island for one of our
Freedom Flights arrive packed with both humanitarian
and animal relief supplies. Since these efforts began,
The Sato Project has helped distribute over 130,000lbs.
of disaster relief supplies across the island.
So, when our friends at Greater Good Charities reached
out to us again in early May with a large donation of pet
food, we knew exactly what to do and already had the
logistics to do it. Thanks to all of our advanced planning,
we had plenty of dog food in our supply to care for the
dogs in our program. However, we knew there was a great
need elsewhere. With so many people laid off from work
due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, there are many
THE SATO PROJECT PROGRAM UPDATE | SEPTEMBER 2020

pet owners across Puerto Rico struggling to afford to feed
their pets, even more so than usual. Within a few days, we
organized a Pet Food Pantry in our home community of
Yabucoa. We distributed all of the available food within 15
minutes of opening. Recognizing the dire need, we held
a second pantry in Yabucoa in June. In July, we held a
third pantry in Guánica, one of the towns that has been
most impacted by the ongoing earthquakes. Through
these three pantries, plus additional aid efforts, we have
distributed 25,000 lbs. of dog and cat food directly to
hungry pets in need during the pandemic.
In the midst of so many ongoing disasters, The Sato
Project team recognizes that another way we can combat
the rising street dog population is through initiatives that
help families in distress care for and remain with their pets.
This was part of the inspiration behind expanding our
spay/neuter outreach efforts and the inspiration behind
our ‘No Dog Left Behind’ program, which was created in
the wake of Hurricane Maria. This program reunites dogs
with their families on the mainland who had to evacuate
the island after a natural disaster. If a struggling pet owner
is able to hold onto their dog instead of abandoning it in
the streets or taking it to a shelter (where it will most likely
get euthanized) it is better for the dog, the family, and the
island. It prevents yet one more dog from ending up in the
streets and helps a family keep their beloved pet.
In addition to reopening our No Dog Left Behind program to
aid pet owners in the disasters of 2020, we have fortunately
also been able to help families in need care for the pets
they love through our direct-aid distribution efforts.
NO DOG LEFT BEHIND
REUNITING DOGS WITH THEIR
FAMILIES AFTER A DISASTER
The daily earthquakes in Puerto Rico started causing Luz’s
daughter severe anxiety. They wanted to leave the island
to stay with family in Rhode Island, but couldn’t afford the
fees to bring their beloved dog Reina with them. They also
couldn’t bear the idea of leaving her behind. Thankfully,
they heard about our No Dog Left Behind program. Reina
was able to hitch a ride on our earthquake evacuation
flight in February and was reunited with her family at the
airport. To date, this program has reunited more than 200
dogs with their families who had to evacuate the island
after a natural disaster.
11

THE SUMMER OF FREEDOM FLIGHTS
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
Along with our partners Wings of Rescue and Greater Good
Charities, we flew 519 satos off the island to safety in July and
August. This is the highest number of dogs we have ever flown off
the island within a two-month timespan.
12 THE SATO PROJECT PROGRAM UPDATE | SEPTEMBER 2020

Transformation Story: Charlize
Charlize was rescued the day after Christmas. She had been
dumped at a gas station. We found her shivering with fear and
unable to walk. Her sad demeanor after years of neglect broke
our hearts. She was rushed to the vet and required hospitalization
for almost two weeks. X-rays revealed a large mass in her lungs
and the vet concluded that she had terminal cancer. While it
further broke our hearts that she would never get to experience
a forever family of her own, we had to settle on feeling grateful
that she would at least be able to live out her remaining days
comfortable and loved. But something unexpected happened:
MISSION POSSIBLE 11:
OUR BIGGEST TRANSPORT EVER
Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, we were not able to
fly any dogs off the island from March to June. As soon
as we were able to fly again, we achieved the biggest
Freedom Flight ever in The Sato Project’s nine-year
history. Over July 4th weekend and two packed private
flights, 283 dogs and cats flew from Puerto Rico to new
lives on the East Coast. All of these animals were either
rescued from the streets of Puerto Rico, pulled from
overburdened municipal shelters, or saved from severe
hoarding cases. We dubbed this historic mission 'Mission
Possible 11'.
100 of the dogs onboard — all a part of The Sato Project’s
direct rescue program — were welcomed into the open
arms of their adoptive families as soon as they landed at
the airport. Some of these families had been waiting as
long as six months to meet their new family members.
Charlize started gaining weight and playing with other dogs. We
repeated the x-rays and Charlize’s lungs were clear! Whether
the original “mass” was in fact an infection that cleared up or
this was a miracle, we will never know. But we do know that this
sweet girl is finally living the life she deserves. Due to COVID-19
flight cancelations, Charlize’s family had to wait over six months
to welcome her. When she finally arrived in July, her mom
showed up in a car completely decorated in Charlize’s honor. She
couldn’t wait to take her home and begin a lifetime of spoiling.
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
13

100 SATO FAMILIES
ON JULY 5TH, 2020 100 RESCUED SATOS MET THEIR 'FOREVER
FAMILIES' ALL AT ONCE AT AN AIRPORT IN NEW JERSEY.
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
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 S., Adopter
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
14 THE SATO PROJECT PROGRAM UPDATE | SEPTEMBER 2020

MISSION POSSIBLE 12:
SAVING MORE LIVES JUST IN TIME
BEFORE THE WORST HURRICANE
SEASON IN HISTORY
Normally, ‘Mission Possible’ is a term we reserve only
for our biggest Freedom Flight of the year. However,
2020 has been unlike any other year, and extraordinary
circumstances require extraordinary responses, which
is why our tiny team embarked on a second 'Mission
Possible' flight so soon after completing a previous one.
With the most threatening hurricane season ever
predicted looming ahead, our team knew that we
needed to take action to save as many lives as possible
proactively. Thanks to our partners and our incredible
community of donors, that is exactly what we did. Over
three weeks and four airplanes, we flew 236 dogs and
cats from Puerto Rico to the East Coast. The final two
planes landed on Saturday, August 29th, just before the
peak of this hurricane season began.
Photo by Shannon Jax Productions
Transformation Story: Chillin
Nine years ago Chillin was thrown over the fence of Santuario
de Animales San Francisco de Asís (SASFAPR), an animal
shelter on the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico. He survived
the fall but was never adopted so he continued living at the
shelter. But then an entire wing of SASFAPR was destroyed
during an earthquake. In addition to becoming overwhelmed
with owner surrenders, SASFAPR did not have enough space
for the animals they already had under their care. Chillin had to
be evacuated from the only home he had ever known. SASFAPR
is just one of several shelters near the earthquake epicenter
that we have pulled animals from and flown to safety on the
East Coast. Chillin was picked up by his new family at the
airport in New Jersey on August 29th. His mom immediately
scooped him into her arms and exclaimed, “He is perfect!”
Now this special senior sato is getting to spend his golden
years with his own bed and a family who loves him for the first
time in his life.
15

Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
In The Sato Project’s almost nine year history, we have flown 5,000
dogs rescued from the streets of Puerto Rico to new lives on the East
Coast and spayed/neutered and vaccinated more than 7,000 dogs
and cats. None of this work would be possible without the support of
our generous community.
The Sato Project team would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank You”
to everyone who has supported our rescue and community outreach
efforts over the last year. As Puerto Rico continues to face disaster
after disaster, your donations have helped us save lives, end suffering,
and build permanent change for the animals and people on the island.
Knowing that we still have your support, even in the midst of a global
pandemic, truly means the world to us and to the dogs we rescue.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS WORK POSSIBLE
Due to a combination of economic hardship, infrequent spaying and neutering, the mass
exodus of residents since the devastation of Hurricane Maria, and continuing natural
disasters, an estimated 500,000 stray dogs are a sad reality of life in Puerto Rico. Many of
these dogs are suffering and struggling to survive. Founded in 2011 by Chrissy Beckles, The
Sato Project is dedicated to ending this suffering and helping as many of these satos (“stray
dogs”) as possible find the safe, loving homes they deserve.
The Sato Project is working to make permanent change in Puerto Rico through a threefold
mission: 1. rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming abandoned and abused dogs; 2. addressing
the underlying causes of overpopulation, abandonment, and abuse through community
outreach and low-cost spay, neuter, and vaccine programs; 3. bringing national attention to
the problem of abandoned and abused dogs in Puerto Rico.
For more information about our work visit:
www.thesatoproject.org
Facebook.com/thedeaddogbeachproject
Instagram.com/thesatoproject
Twitter.com/thesatoproject
130 Water St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
www.thesatoproject.org/donate