Saving the Satos - BtC4A

Today we're participating in "Blog the Change for Animals", a quarterly event where bloggers are asked to write about an animal welfare issue near and dear to their heart.

Rather than focus on a specific rescue group, I want to talk to you about the Satos of Puerto Rico.

It is estimated that 100,000 stray dogs, called Satos, roam the tiny island of Puerto Rico. These dogs face unrelenting hardship: starvation, disease, neglect and abuse. They die on the beaches, along roadways and in shelters every day. They are poisoned by business owners and tortured by bored and apathetic youth.

Bella is a Sato.

In writing Bella's story, I worry that I am doing a disservice to these wonderful dogs and their terrible plight. It's very important to me that people understand, while Bella is a Sato, not all Satos are Bella.

When Jan and I were first considering adopting Bella, we met another young dog, let's call him Henry. Henry was also a scared-y dog and when we met him at his foster family's home that first time, neither Jan nor I were able to touch him. Henry was an adorable dog but, while Jan and I knew we wanted a special needs dog, we opted for Bella instead of Henry.

A couple of years later, we met Henry again at our trainer's studio where his owners (now failed fosters) were also getting help. In fact, our trainer said we were lucky to have Bella because Henry was "a mess".

Ha! Has she met Bella? Oh wait, actually, yeah, that's right: she had.

My point is that Henry was not a Sato. He was just another fearful dog who needed special people to take care of him.

Bella's not crazy because she's a Sato. Bella's crazy because she's Bella. Just like Henry's not crazy because he was a Boxer-mix from the south. He was just Henry - a damaged dog.

Satos are good dogs

Satos in general are known to make wonderful household companions. They are often described as tough and resilient but so very sweet and loving. They are always described as incredibly smart and quick to learn.

"Living with a Sato often means an element of surprise, but they are almost always loving, affectionate dogs who are good with all family members." -- Dogster.com

I want to write today about the many lovely Satos I've met and of their owners who love them to pieces. I want to talk about their amazing ability to love even though they've lived with and seen the worst in us. I want to just post pictures of rescued Satos and their adoring families.

Why should you care about Satos?

I know there's controversy in some parts of the animal welfare community about saving dogs from areas that are not your own.

Some of the things that have been said to my face about Bella would make your hair turn grey. Some of the things I've read online about saving the Satos has reduced me to tears. And some of the lies being told about them and the efforts to rescue them have made me so angry I can barely speak.

But I don't understand how anyone can dismiss the value of a life based simply on where that life happened to begin.

Some facts about Puerto Rico:

• Puerto Rico is a U.S. Territory.
• Residents of Puerto Rico are U.S. Citizens and have been since 1917.
• In 2011, Puerto Rico's ranking on the Animal Legal Defense Fund's list of animal protection laws improved by 91%. -- Source: 2011 U.S. Animal Protection Laws Ranking
• In New York, the euthanasia rate of shelter animals has decreased to "33%, down from 69% in 2003."
• In Los Angelos, the kill rate is 30%.
• In the shelters in Puerto Rico, it is 99%.

99%.

Of course, saving the dogs of Puerto Rico requires more than just moving them from there to here.

It requires humane education that begins with school children who will grow up to change their world. It requires access to low-cost spay/neuter programs as well as sterilization of the dogs on the streets. It requires continued improvement in the laws as well as strict enforcement of them. And it requires many hands and many hearts working together to improve the lives of these wonderful little dogs.

Jan and I have pledged to help Satos in many small and various ways. We hope the people who learn about them through us will be inspired to do something, however small, to help as well.

Share their story. Buy a t-shirt. Write the Puerto Rican government or better yet, the board of tourism and urge them to enforce their animal protection laws.

But most of all, if you ever get the chance to adopt a Sato, please don't hesitate to do so.

All we really want is a warm bed and someone to snuggle with...

Rescuing Bella did little to help the Satos of Puerto Rico. But telling her story shouldn't hurt them either.

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Saturday's Dog: Tatiana

My friend, Cindy, canine massage therapist extraordinaire, and I recently spent some time at Buddy Dog Humane Society in Sudbury, MA playing with and photographing some of the dogs there available for adoption. The idea is to feature different dogs here each week in the hope of getting them in front of more people - one of which might just be looking for this dog to add to their family.

Today's dog is: Tatiana!

Isn't she cute!?!

Tatiana is a very shy, 9 year old Sato who has been at Buddy Dog for about 4 years. She's so shy in fact, this was the second time I tried to photograph her. The first time, whenever I picked up the camera, she turned her head and hid. A little wiser on our more recent visit, I set up a blind of sheets and took pictures of her while she played with Cindy, paying "no attention to the 'man' behind the curtain".

Tatiana was adopted out once before but she came back even more traumatized by the experience than she was in the shelter. In fact, she's not unhappy at the shelter - she's not terribly bothered by other dogs and she doesn't get a lot of attention from the public, which is just fine by her.

When I first arrived yesterday, she had her face tucked into her blankets and her back to any visitors who might want to befriend her. This, as you can imagine, makes it unlikely people will stop to inquire about her.

Oh but they should. She's playful and sweet to those she knows and is comfortable with - she was giving Cindy kisses before she even got the leash on. She just needs to get her head out of her blankets so the right person(s) can find her.

She will need a gentle, patient owner, one who is familiar with shy dogs and ready to give Tata the space she needs to adjust to a new environment. She would not do well in a noisy, busy home and I would not recommend children in the home of any extremely shy dog.

It's also likely that, due to her first bad adoption experience, Buddy Dog would rather she continue to live with them as the shelter mascot than be put in the wrong home again.

But every dog deserves their own home with their own people who love them above all comers. And Tatiana is no exception.

If you want to help that special person find this special dog, please consider tweeting her information or posting her to your Facebook profile.

You never know who might be looking for a dog just like Tatiana.

Oops, the Great Oz has been discovered.

"One Day @ Save a Sato" (video)

Last night I announced in my post about the "Social Media for Social Change" event that I would be participating on behalf of Save a Sato in Puerto Rico. Shortly afterwards, I happened upon this video by lolavibemusic on Youtube. It is the most extensive view I've found of Save a Sato, the shelter and organization that rescued my Bella.

These are not the conditions we're used to seeing in the States. But please remember, this is the rescue. The conditions of the non-rescued on the streets and beaches is far worse and very dangerous.




This video was taken during June 2011. I am pleased to tell you the shelter is under-going a much needed update and you can see the progress made as of November 2011 at the Save a Sato web site. Much still needs to be done.

It's very difficult for me to imagine the silly, spoiled scared-y dog currently lying behind me on the couch as being rescued TO these conditions. However, I also know that Gloria and all the volunteers at Save a Sato are there every day caring for and loving these dogs. They are saving lives. Every day.

One day, a little over 3 years ago, they saved Bella's. I will never forget that.

And now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go hug my beautiful little girl.

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PS - For all my dog blogger friends who love to "Guess the Breed", new sato blogger Enzo is running a fund-raiser to benefit Save a Sato. $5.00 gets you a guess and all proceeds go directly to Save a Sato. How fun is that?

UPDATE: Enzo's Guess My Breed contest has ended but I'm keeping the link to his post up so you can all check out his blog. He's a very handsome and silly guy.

Saturday's Dog: Meet Mr. Ed

This is Ed.

Ed is an awesome Shar Pei mix from Puerto Rico waiting for his new awesome family to take him to his new awesome home.

I know they're coming....

He's available at Buddy Dog Humane Society in Sudbury, MA and is just the coolest dog you can imagine.

I had the pleasure of spending about half an hour with him last Sunday and, apologies to Bella, but she almost had a new little brother. I absolutely fell in love with this guy. He's a very strong boy even for his short stature but he's playful and fun, loves to lean and give kisses.

He's been in the shelter too long. I think people might be a little afraid of him but if they could only see him romp and play, they'd realize he's just an overgrown puppy with the best personality. Want to help me help Ed get the exposure he deserves? Just click to Tweet his profile - maybe Ed's forever family is reading your Twitter stream right now. :)

Come on - how can you resist those eyes?

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UPDATE: Ed was adopted and is now living happily in his forever home! Thanks to all who helped tell his story.

Sato 101

Bella is a Sato.				Rescued Satos
Sato is Spanish slang, a slur really, for "street dog". They are dogs left to fend for themselves in the cities and on the beaches of several Caribbean islands, most notably Puerto Rico. Often found starving and infested with parasites, they are dogs who have been abandoned by their owners, neglected by the community and abused by people who consider them pests. While Sato doesn't mean mixed breed and there are plenty of pure bred dogs among the thousands of Satos on the island, pure bred dogs are considered a status symbol and are not quite as routinely "thrown away" as the mixed breed dogs. Since sterilization hasn't been a priority on the island, intact Satos are abundant and a major contributor to the over-population problem. As a result, mixed breed Satos have a tendency towards similar features after years of breeding without human intervention: they are generally small to medium sized dogs (usually 35 lbs or less) with big ears and long and slender snouts. They are also very smart, charming dogs who have learned how to survive, many learning how to "work a room" coaxing tourists and islanders into offering scraps of food that help them stay alive. My earliest experience with Satos dates back to 2001 when I was volunteering at Buddy Dog Humane Society in Sudbury, MA, a partner shelter of Puerto Rican rescue group, Save a Sato. Founded in 1996, Save a Sato rescues dogs off the streets and beaches, nurses them back to health and sends them to partner shelters in the states. New England has a very low rate of stray dogs due to extensive spay/neuter efforts over the years. Our shelters had space, our families had desire and the dogs of Puerto Rico had need: a long and enduring partnership ensued. Save a Sato is not the only rescue group in Puerto Rico, in fact, a handful of organizations on the island are working hard to save the dogs but their task is daunting. It is estimated that there are over 100,000 stray dogs on the island and cultural attitudes and lack of governmental support have been hindrances in efforts to promote low-cost spay and neuter programs for the island dogs. Campaigns to raise public awareness and change the laws are ongoing. Progress is being made but much work still needs to be done.

Please see the links below for more detailed information about the hardships these dogs endure and ways you can help.

Rescues in Puerto Rico:

• Save a Sato - The first group I knew of helping dogs on the island. They have been rescuing Satos for over 15 years. A very nice profile of the group with links to news articles and an interview with then outreach coordinator Twig Mowatt can be found at this link: "Shelter Spotlight: Save-a-Sato in Puerto Rico"
• Amigos de los Animales - Not a physical shelter, ADLA still rescues and rehabs both companion and farm animals in need. With a focus on working to change laws and minds, their commitment is to creating a more humane Puerto Rico. They are featured in this article "Dead Dog Beach" from 2009.
• Island Dog, Inc. - Offering low-cost spay/neuter and vaccination clinics as well as humane education programs, Island Dog is working to promote responsible pet ownership on Puerto Rico as well as St. John, Vieques and Culebra.
• PetsAlivePR - A relatively new group affiliated with PetsAlive, a no-kill sanctuary in New York, and armed with financial support from Sidewalk Angels Foundation, PetsAlivePR is building a sanctuary "Bed and Breakfast" on the island where volunteers can stay and help care for the dogs. They also send dogs to the states for adoption.

For more information:

• Working for Change in the Caribbean - An extensive article on Satos in Animal Sheltering magazine (a resource of the HSUS.)
• Scrutiny for Puerto Rico Over Animal Treatment - A New York Times article regarding the October 2007 "Puerto Rican Pet Massacre".
• In Puerto Rico, dogs without a home - An audio slideshow about the dogs of Puerto Rico.

See also:

• 100,000 - the movie. We are still hopeful that "100,000" the movie will be released in the states soon. (Google can translate the page for you if your Spanish is not what it was in high school. :)