Save A Sato is a non-profit organization dedicated to easing the suffering of Puerto Rico's homeless and abused animals. "Sato" is slang for street dog. We rescue Satos from the streets and beaches, give them medical care, food and shelter, and plenty of love. When they are healthy, we send them to one of our shelter partners for adoption into loving homes.
PetSOS Foundation, Celebrated this Saturday 4th of September, its 2nd Pet Drive at Plaza las Americas Mall in Hato Rey, Sams club Mayaguez and Sams club Ponce and it was a complete success! More than 20,000 pounds of dog and cat food were donated by people from Puerto Rico. All the food gathered will be divided and distributed among the shelters and sanctuaries through the whole island. Famous celebrities like Roselyn Sanchez, the guys from MR. Mundo 2010, reggaeton singer/artist Divino were participants in this events! A couple of minutes after this event endend Roselyn Sanchez wrote on her Tweeter: Victoria! 20k plus de libras de comida de perro/gato y muchos articulos. Gracias a todos los voluntarios, amigos, Petsos! Q lindo dia! Showing us the great sucess of this event.
What if Save A Sato Foundation earned a donation every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now it can!
GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!
GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 30 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, eBay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you'll be supporting your favorite cause.
And if you download the GoodSearch – Save A Sato Foundation toolbar, our cause will earn money every time you shop and search online - even if you forget to go to GoodShop or GoodSearch first! Add the Save A Sato Foundation toolbar at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/save-a-sato-foundation
-Meet Panucho! He's an extra special boy. With his undeniable beauty and the love he shares with everyone and every dog, you would never know he's been the victim of a burn.
He has a pretty bad scar on his back because he was apparently burned with hot water.
His scar will never grow hair again, but his heart will never give up on finding the family he deserves and longs for. When he first arrived at the shelter he was a little scared, but what dog wouldn't after having gone through a tragedy?
In less than a few weeks, he now knows that there are good people in the world and that one special person is waiting out there for him. At first he is cautions when meeting people, but if you are friendly to him, he'll come and play. He LOVES to give kisses, very affectionate!
If you would like to have more information about this dog you can email us at info@saveasato.org
Last week we told you about sato Francisco and his rescue. The Tribune in Greeley, CO did a wonderful story on Francisco and his new family which can be read here -
Sometimes, there are strength in numbers.When you feel all hope is lost, you reach out for help and there is someone (or multiple people) there to listen and great things can happen.
Sometimes the stars align and it feels like they have come together to guide you in the path you are meant to go. Sometimes, you meet a friend along that path.
Such is the case for Ty and Francisco. A bond between a man and a dog that could not be broken. Despite all odds, they were reunited.
This is their story.
Save a Sato received an E-mail filled with desperation. We often try to help tourists with dogs they have bonded with during their stay on the Enchanted Island. Many want to leave the dog at our shelter, and a few want to take the dog home with them and we help facilitate that when possible. But Ty's story was different.
Here is his E-mail in part -
My Name is Ty. I just got back from Isabela, Puerto Rico last night. While there we came across a dog lounging in front of the restaurant entry ways. He was clearly a stray. I didn’t think much of him kindly petted him and went on my way. Well over the course of the next few days we continuously kept coming across the beautiful dog. The locals called him Francisco.
So more and more he started to follow wherever I went. In some cases astounding me by showing up where I would least expect him. Basically long story short this dog adopted me. I was overwhelmed at the love and attention this dog was giving me. He instantly took a place in my heart. I knew the day before I left I was going to be adopting this dog and taking him home to create many memories and give him a better life.
On Saturday afternoon my girlfriend and I started making our way to the closest Vet hospital to see what channels and help he needed to come home with me. We did not have a car and the walk was only about 2 miles. On the way there a car came around the corner way to fast and hit Francisco right in front of our eyes and continued on as if nothing happened. Francisco immediately bolted into the forest with what obviously looked like 2 broken back legs. We ran after him calling for him but could not find him. We spent the next 12 hours before I had to fly out trying to recover him.
You have no idea how hard this is to explain and this has to be one of the most traumatizing events recently for me. But I want to know how I can go about adopting a dog here in Colorado from Puerto Rico. It’s next to an impossible miracle that I will ever see Francisco again or the fact that someone may have found him and helped him out. But now I want to honor him and his name by saving another dog in the same situation.
I have truly lost a piece of my heart and need to find a helpful way to fill that hole in his honor.
Such a heartbreaking E-mail, and we had very little opportunity to help him - Isabela is clear across the island from where our volunteers are, and the chances of finding an injured stray were very slim. But Francisco had other ideas, and obviouly knew where he should go to seek help.
A few days after Ty's E-mail, he sent us the most amazing news! Many people were looking out for Francisco, and he was spotted by locals at the places he used to visit, where he first found Ty. They were able to feed him, rescue him and get his wounds treated. Another rescuer in the area helped with a kennel, vetting and paperwork and Francisco was prepared for the flight to Colorado!
Here are some photos of Francisco being reunited with Ty - few people would go through the extent to save a stray dog and bring him home, Francisco is a very lucky sato to have found Ty!
Francisco arrives from Aquadilla, PR
The welcoming committee in Colorado
Francisco and Ty, together at last
Francisco on his way home!
A good bath is in order!
Best Friends after a long day
Thanks to Ty and the many volunteers and kind people in Puerto Rico Francisco is home.Ty's closing words in his last E-mail to us say it best -
Francisco is officially home with me. His amazing story has concluded in a happy ending and his story is tremendous and must be heard by anyone curious about adopting from great distances. They need to know the effort is worth it and it is so rewarding knowing that you are helping an innocent life.
One sato at a time. Ty and his family are an inspiration to us.
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 SofÃa, 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.
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.
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 -
The 9th Annual PetRock Fest – Sunday, September 9th 2007 (rain date Sunday, September 16th)
" 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!
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!
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.
