Celebrating Be Kind to Animals Week - Sofia's Story A New Beginning

A New Beginning (Part Four here) (Part Three here) (Part Two here) (Part One here)



The day Sofia was rescued in May 2009, we had no idea what a journey it would be. Visiting vets, receiving her diagnosis, fund raising for her care, helping her through surgery and rehabilitation - it was a roller coaster ride for all involved. After getting through all of that, we were still not completely sure what her chances were to be considered for an adoption program on the mainland. Sofia has touched all of our hearts and we all wanted to give her the chance for a family of her own.

Yesterday, Sofia got her chance. The final leg of her journey began in the early afternoon in San Juan, with tearful goodbyes from the rescuers that loved and cared for her for an entire year. She had many visitors before she left, everyone wanted to wish her well. It was a bittersweet moment for everyone, but our Princess Sofia was flying to Boston to be adopted.

 Sofia spends a few moments with one of her angels

Sofia and Gloria

One last kiss

This bond will never be broken

The tears shed at the airport were very different than those a year ago, when faced with double leg amputation surgery - back then, Gloria had all but given up hope, and Sofia appeared to be feeling Gloria's pain an confusion - here they are as Dr. Mongil gave Gloria the news about Sofia -

At Dr. Mongil's Office

To all the people that donated, encouraged, cheered us on and kept Sofia in their thoughts - we thank you and could not have done it without you. Special people in Sofia's journey include - Dr. Mongil and staff, Gloria, Leilani, Ursula, Cybelle, Tracey, Caly and Maggie - each playing an important role in raising funds and caring for her during her recovery. Special thanks to the staff and volunteers at Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, MA for giving Sofia her chance to find a forever home  - we will be forever grateful to you for helping our Princess.

And so a new journey begins -

Sofia in flight to Boston

Welcome Sofia!

Logan Airport - Sofia and Jalea

Ready to take on the world

Thanks you all for helping me!

I was honored to meet Sofia at the airport last night and welcome her to Boston. I was greeted with tons of kisses and a wagging tail. Sofia is now resting after her flight at the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, MA and being cared for by the wonderful kennel staff. She will be available for adoption next week!

Sofia's story does not end here - this is only the beginning. We will keep you updated on her adoption and hopefully will be able to share photos of her with her new family! I hope you have enjoyed reading Sofia's story as much as I have enjoyed sharing it with you. Sofia is one of 100,000 satos who deserve a second chance, and we will continue to save them, one sato at a time.

I leave you with the closing words from her rescuers in Puerto Rico, part of the letter that was sent with Sofia for her new family telling her story -

I’m sure that, if you adopted Sofía, you have a beautiful heart full of love for dogs like her. Treasure her and please tell her that here in Puerto Rico, there’s a group of people who will always love her and think about her.  We will never forget her.

We love you very much and will never forget you, Princess Sofia. We will miss you but rejoice on your new life, full of love and respect.

Gloria, Cybelle, Ursula, Leilani and Tracey

Celebrating Be Kind to Animals Week - Sofia's Story Part Four

Part Four (Part Three here) (Part Two here) (Part One here)


Sofia recovered well from her leg surgery, she enjoyed her hydrotherapy and her new found freedom in being able to be out of her kennel to socialize with the other dogs at the shelter. She would visit all the kennels to say hello to all her canine friends, and greet our human visitor's with much enthusiasm.

My words could never convey the happiness of Sofia, so I share with you instead her photos, taken between July 2009 and May 2010 -

 Sofia after a swim

Sofia standing tall

Sofia and her little friend

Two kids are better than one!

Surveying the shelter, who will pet me next?

Hi, I am so happy to see you!

Love from one of Sofia's angels

Another part of Sofia's rehabilitation was to receive Reiki from our friend Caly Lehrer from Peace-By-Peace in New Jersey. 

Sofia welcomes Caly

Sofia receiving Reiki

Thank you kisses for Gloria

 It was our goal to help Sofia to be able to walk comfortably again, and her determination, strength and courage helped us all to stay motivated. She was not satisfied to simply walk through life, little Sofia had bigger plans -

 Why walk when you can run!

...and run...

and run some more!

Sofia healed!

The little brown dog, found in a box at the park, has not only made a complete transformation in her year with us, but in the process she taught all of us a big lesson in determination. The next part of her journey will be to find a family of her own. We wait for a partner shelter to accept Sofia into their adoption program. Will there be someone that can look beyond her physical scars and see her exuberant personality? Her legs may be "less than perfect" but her spirit is canine perfection. Our new goal is to find a home for our little princess Sofia.

Celebrating Be Kind to Animals Week - Sofia's Story Part Three

  Part Three (Part Two here) (Part One here)

 Little Sofia is one tough sato! Dr. Mongil repaired her hernia successfully and without complications (and spayed her too!), and she recovered in her comfortable kennel at the shelter - located right in front so she can see everything that is going on. Gloria tended to her every need and tried to keep her quiet so she could heal, but Sofia had other ideas and would try to escape her kennel for playtime! Sofia's personality continued to develop and her love of the volunteers did as well, she would be first to greet anyone new visiting the shelter.

Clearly, the volunteers loved her to, and I would say she got a little too much love in the form of treats! During all that cage rest our little Sofia turned into "plump" Sofia! Once her hernia incision was well healed she went to visit Dr. Mongil again in preparation for her leg surgeries, and he declared her overweight! He wanted her to loose a little weight before proceeding with her surgery, but how would we help her do this when it was so difficult for her to walk?

Well, I had been doing some hydrotherapy here with my dog that has mobility issues, and I know how gentle it is on dogs (it is often used during surgery recovery), so we needed to find Sofia a pool! Since the temperature is just right in Puerto Rico for swimming this was a great solution. The pool would be good for her recovery from leg surgery as well, so a volunteer went out looking for the perfect thing!

Sofia and Gloria - first time swimming!

As you can see, Sofia was not too happy the first time in her pool, but I sent her a life jacket and she became more comfortable with the water. She lost her few pounds through diet (a few less treats) and exercise and was ready for her leg surgery!

Here are Dr. Mongil's notes on Sofia -

" On July 29, 2010, the left femoral fracture was approached. The fracture was old and had become a hypertrophic non union with severe muscle contraction. The callus was broken down, a new medullary cavity was established and the bone was shortened. The bone fragments were aligned and then stabilized with a bone plate and screws. The fracture is now healed and the leg function is very good.

The right femoral.fracture will not be surgically stabilized, but has healed as a malunion. Sofia, however, seems to be pain free on that leg and is able to walk well with it.

I understand Sofia should live a normal happy life. The function of her hind legs is good and she is pain free."

Sofia spent the first few days recovering at the veterinary hospital, and then it was back to Gloria to continue her recovery. The good news was she would not have to have a second surgery! We don't know how long she suffered untreated, but all that was behind her now, she was one her way to running again!

Sofia arriving back at the shelter post surgery

Sofia with "nurse" Gloria, can you see her tail wagging?

Sofia was on her way to recovery, and Gloria and the volunteers were with her every step of the way. Her ability to forgive and trust humans again is so amazing to me, she has such a love for life!

Tomorrow, meet the "new and improved" Sofia!

Celebrating Be Kind to Animals Week - Sofia's Story Part Two

 Part Two (Part One here)



Sofia went with Gloria and a volunteer angel to see Dr. Mongil at the Centro de Especialistas Veterinarios de Puerto Rico for an orthopedic evaluation. We were all hoping Dr. Mongil would tell us he could fix her legs easily and she would be able to live a normal and pain free life. During her short time at our shelter everyone had grown quite attached to this little girl, and we wanted to give her a chance.

Dr. Mongil examined her and noted respiratory distress upon examination. X-rays were taken of her legs and her chest. Gloria waited with Sofia and was heartbroken, knowing in her heart that if something more was wrong that we may not be able to help Sofia.

The news was devastating to all of us - Sofia had a diaphragmatic hernia which was causing her respiratory issues. Dr. Mongil was fairly certain that all of Sofia's injuries were caused by the hands of a human due to the nature and location of her injuries.No one can imagine how a person could purposefully do something like this to this sweet little girl.

Gloria left with the volunteer, held Sofia and cried. She knew the Save a Sato was not going to be able to find the money quickly to pay for three surgeries to fix the injuries Sofia had suffered. Sofia simply licked the tears away, not knowing that Gloria was going to have to make a difficult decision.

Sofia, happy to have human companionship

Our motto (and the name of this blog) is "One sato at a time." We are all fully aware that we cannot save them all, but each dog that arrives at our shelter deserves and is given a second chance. Finances are always an issue, and the love and support of our donors is what sees us through difficult situations. We had a little money set aside for much needed shelter repairs, and we have an amazing donor that offered to help pay for Sofia's surgery. We were going to give Sofia every opportunity to be happy and healthy!

Sofia snuggles into Gloria

Just seven days after her consultation, Sofia went to Dr. Mongil for her first surgery to repair her hernia. She was on her way to being able to breath easier. And she would run again!

Stay tuned for the next part of Sofia's journey tomorrow!

Celebrating Be Kind to Animals Week - Sofia's Story

 In honor of Be Kind to Animals Week, I will introduce you to Sofia, one of the many dogs that suffer on the streets of Puerto Rico until a kind person crosses their path and offers them the help they so desperately need to survive.

In May of 2009, a little brown dog was found on the street in Puerto Rico. She was badly broken physically for sure, damage from an unknown source. Her eye had a shine to them however, and she gratefully accepted the help of humans. Even though it appeared both of her legs had been broken, she struggled to get to the humans and receive the help she so desperately needed.

Sofia the day she arrived at the shelter

In the photo above, you can see the damaged to her legs. She was seen by our veterinarian, who assumed she was hit by a car because of her injuries, and did not offer a good prognosis. She was diagnosed with bilateral femoral fractures - which means both of her thigh bones (femur) were broken and had healed poorly as she had received no veterinary care. Her injuries were old, and setting the breaks at this point was not an option, she would need extensive surgery to repair the damage. She was pain free, which was the only positive information from this vet visit. Gloria took her back to the shelter to take time to think about Sofia's situation, what was the kindest thing to do for this sweet girl that had never before been given a chance?

 Sofia, smiling despite the suffering she had endured

Gloria discussed Sofia's case with the board and volunteers, and it was decided that even with the costs of consultation and surgery, we should at least get a second opinion for her before making a decision. One of our very generous supporters offered to pay the cost of the consult and she was scheduled to see a specialist.

Sofia's story will continue throughout Be Kind to Animals Week, so visit us again tomorrow to learn more about this courageous dog and the people that helped her.

$5,000 GoodSearch Giveaway - Three Days Only!

GoodSearch will donate a $1 for every toolbar that is downloaded between April 6th at 9am EST and April 9th at 9am EST up to $5,000!! Please download the custom Save a Sato toolbar right now by following this link - http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/save-a-sato-foundation

Here is what it looks like -

Our new Save a Sato toolbar is free to download and allows you to raise money for our cause every time you search or shop online! Once added to IE or Firefox, each time you shop at more than 1,300 stores (from Amazon to Zazzle!) a percentage of your purchase will automatically be donated to Save a Sato- at no cost to you (and you may even save money as the toolbar provides coupons and deals as well!). The toolbar also has a search box and each time you search the Internet, about a penny is donated to Save a Sato!

Please hurry and do this now so that we can earn the $1 bonus per toolbar!

And, please pass this along to all of your friends. The two minutes it takes to add this toolbar to your browser can make a lifetime of difference for our cause!

Get the toolbar NOW by clicking here!

Save the Satos

So many people do not fully understand the situation in Puerto Rico. The sheer number of strays that roam the island, the cruelty they suffer and the way that they are simply ignored. I receive E-mails daily from tourists that return from their visit to the island expressing their concern and admitting that they had no idea how horrible the situation is. As they say "seeing is believing" and I think for many it takes a visit to realize the scope of the problem.

Musician Juliana Hatfield is a sato owner and supporter of Save a Sato. She recently visited Puerto Rico, rescued two dogs and spent a day at our shelter. She has written an article about her journey on Huffington Post titled Save the Satos. It speaks the truth that many do not want to read.

What strikes me most about her article is this statement -

"I saved two dogs from almost certain death in my two days in Puerto Rico, but the experience was surprisingly unsatisfying. It felt like I had taken two drops of water from an ocean or two grains of sand from a beach."

This feeling hits home for me, as I and many other volunteers often feel this same way. How can people walk by these dogs day after day without doing anything to help? Why can we not find volunteers to help with the basic needs of the shelter and the organization? If everyone did one small thing, the rescue effort as a whole would be so much further along. Is it that they have no time? Do they feel like giving a little time or effort will not make a difference?

It reminds me of the Starfish Story....you know the one -

The Starfish Story
Original Story by: Loren Eisley

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. 

Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”

The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. 
The surf is up and the tide is going out.  If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? 
You can’t make a difference!” 

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf.  Then, smiling at the man, he said…”
I made a difference for that one.”

For the hundreds of satos we rescue each year, and the hundreds other rescuers on the island help, it makes a difference. For the more than 500 that appear on our Happy Endings page, it made a difference. One act of kindness makes all the difference in the world for that dog.

These puppies were found in a box at a park in Puerto Rico...many people simply walked by them, not doing anything to help. Luckily someone called our volunteer and she went and rescued them. They are safe, well fed and comfortable now, thousands of others are not as lucky.

What can you do? Help a rescue organization - volunteer your time and talent, donate money or supplies if you are able. Don't have time to volunteer? Spread the word about the issues - post on your website, your blog, social networking sites like Facebook ,Twitter - share the story of the satos until everyone knows about the inhumanity in Puerto Rico (a US Territory). Give what you can, in any way you can. It will make a difference.

While it may seem like an unreachable goal, we must continue to work to share the story for the animals that cannot speak for themselves, and who do not deserve the treatment the receive...one sato at a time.

Extra, Extra! Newspaper needed!

Sometimes, it is the little things that make a big difference.

Each day, dozens of newspapers are shredded to line each and every kennel at our shelter. This newspaper was being donated by a local newspaper, however they are no longer able to help us. The local recycling center will charge $200 per week for the amount of newspaper we need to keep the kennels clean. More is needed when we prepare a airline kennels to go to a partner shelter.

We are hoping that we can get a team of volunteers to help us find new ways to obtain this very necessary item for our shelter on a weekly basis.

If you know of a recycling center, printer, paper manufacturer or distributor in Puerto Rico that would be willing to donate large quantities of newspaper/matte paper please let us know.

The other option is for volunteers to collect clean, dry newspaper and deliver it to the shelter on a weekly or monthly basis.

This would be a great project for Girl Scout Troops, school children and other groups - ask your neighbors or local businesses to save their newspaper and collect a bundle each week. If you would prefer to shred the newspaper and deliver it to us that way please tear it into 1inch strips and store in garbage bags. This would save us a lot of time but is not necessary.

Can't collect a lot of newspaper but willing to drive to a few locations to pick it up for us? Please let us know, drives will be needed as well.

It may not sound like a big deal, but the newspaper is critical for us to be able to provide clean, comfortable cages for the dogs, and we need a steady supply urgently.

Please contact me at tracey@saveasato.org if you are able to help collect newspaper for the shelter.

A Special Visitor from Connecticut!

We love when our partner shelters visit us in San Juan, they get to see the humble beginnings of the satos that they help us rehome and meet our hard working volunteers. This week Chris from Danbury Animal Welfare Society (DAWS) in Bethel, CT came for a visit!

Chris spent the day meeting the satos and our volunteers, and selected 9 dogs that she will be escorting back to Connecticut for adoption! Thank you Chris for helping Dulce, Pilar, Laura, Lluvia, Danai, Choco, Pedrito, Guadalupe and Fabian find their forever homes!

Chris arriving at the shelter, looking great in her DAWS T-shirt!

Chris meeting the welcoming committee at SAS

Chris getting kisses from a sato

Photographing Danai, one of  the satos that will travel to DAWS

 Chris helping prepare the satos for transport

Chris and Gloria saying goodbye

Chris delivered a letter and generous donation from the shelter, volunteers and adopters from DAWS to Gloria in appreciation of her work - we wish to thank them for their thoughtfulness! Together with our partner shelters, we are making a difference for these dogs and could not do it without the stateside shelters and their wonderful volunteers!

We hope Chris enjoyed her time at the shelter as much as we enjoyed having her! Please visit Danbury Welfare Society's website to see the dogs and cats available for adoption!

Show your Puerto Rico Pride!

Our wonderful friends at PatriaPet offer a portion of the sale of their collars, leashes and T-shirts to Save a Sato! We of course are partial to the Puerto Rico items, but there are many other countries as well! Click on the banner link below to visit their site and a portion of your purchase will go to SAS!