Satos (Puerto Rico Dogs)

Puerto Rico has problems. Lots of them. But the one that tugs on my heart strings every single day is the plight of the satos. Sato is the word for mutt in Puerto Rico, and it's used to refer to the over 200,000 stray dogs that wander the streets and beaches here on the island.

Culture is part of the problem. Getting pets spayed or neutered is not the norm here. Animal abuse is common. Money is another issue. The government is in the middle of a huge debt crisis and does not have the resources to enforce laws or operate shelters for animals.

We see the satos. Everyday. Everywhere. They wander around the streets when we're driving through town. They wander in and out of open air restaurants. We have to be vigilant while walking Lucy on the beach because at any time we may be approached by one or more stray dogs. These dogs aren't aggressive; they are just hungry and lonely and homeless and hurt. Lucy is super aggressive and will attack other dogs, though. She thinks she's huge and tough. We won't tell her she's tiny and hilarious.

Fortunately there are many non-profit groups that work to save the satos. Volunteers rescue dogs, get them vetted, foster them until they are healed and healthy and socialized, and then send them to no kill shelters back in the states where they are adopted and have happy, healthy lives. I follow these groups on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see photos of their work. Happy photos are those of dogs who are now healthy and are going to their forever homes. Sad photos are of dogs that have just been scooped up from the street and are injured, skinny from starvation, and covered in ticks. These photos are hard to take. I am so grateful there are people doing everything in their power to help these dogs. I want to help them. I've chosen one group in particular to support - The Sato Project. They are so well organized, and they focus not only on rescue but also seek to educate the public about humane animal treatment and work to provide little or no cost spay and neuter services to pet owners. They are working to reduce the stray population in every way possible.

Please please PLEASE read this Facebook post from The Sato Project.

I've started making jewelry with seashells we collect on the beaches here in Isabela. I want to sell necklaces and donate the proceeds to The Sato Project. My goal is to donate $500 on or before September 1st. This requires me to sell 50 necklaces at $15 each. Seashells for Satos!

Necklaces are available to purchase in my Etsy shop at FromSteph.etsy.com. If you'd like to help, please visit the shop and share your favorite listings on your social media accounts. A personal note from you when posting goes a long way to reaching more people. Please consider a necklace for yourself and necklaces for birthday gifts and holiday gifts. Or of course you can just donate directly to The Sato Project!

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. Thank you for helping. :)