25/02/2025
My last foster, Mila, arrived in New Jersey on New Years Eve thanks to The Sato Project (TSP). Since 2011 TSP has been dedicated to rescuing the abused and abandoned dogs of Puerto Rico. Their rescue efforts began at a place known as Dead Dog Beach in Yabucoa, an infamous dumping ground for unwanted and abused dogs.With tireless effort, this beach has been entirely cleared of dogs and when new dogs pop up, like Mila did, organizations like The Sato Project can step in.
Today, there are an estimated 650,000 stray dogs in Puerto Rico. To put that into perspective, Puerto Rico is about the size of the state of Connecticut, and Boston’s entire population is about 650,000. Can you imagine if 650,000 strays were roaming around Connecticut? It would be national news.
Since its inception, TSP has rescued more than 7,500 stray dogs known as “satos” and, more importantly, are dedicated to addressing the underlying causes of the overpopulation crisis through community outreach and low-cost spay, neuter, and vaccination initiatives.
Mila and her 2 sisters, Ella & Lila were rescued together from Dead Dog Beach. They were some of the lucky ones to find their way into TSP’s hands. City-funded shelters in Puerto Rico have a 94 percent euthanasia rate. 94 percent. There are simply too many dogs, and not enough adopters or resources to quickly fix this issue.
One dog won’t make or break this canine overpopulation crisis in Puerto Rico, but Mila serves as a pretty good mascot for the rest of the dogs in Puerto Rico hoping for a better future.
February is “Spay and Neuter Awareness Month” and The Sato Project is dedicated to providing accessible spay and neuter services for satos. Operation Sato is well underway and every dollar helps with this effort. Please visit thesatoproject.org/showthemlove to learn more!