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Happy Kerr!!!
 Look at happy Kerr!!!! He was rescued from the beach after living there for about 8 months. He was heartworm positive with a heavy load and started his treatment last week. A wonderful woman offered to foster him for 2 weeks while he's being treated - he needs to stay calm and not get too excited. Here he is about to get in the car to go to his foster home. Sandra said he walked very well on the leash - which he had hated before - and seems very happy. Yeah Kerr! He will be ready to fly in 2-3 weeks and is looking for the perfect forever home! He's about 1-2 years old and weighs 50 lbs but needs to put on about 10 lbs to be healthy.
UPDATE: Kerr is very happy at his foster home and loves hanging out on the balcony! 
Super big thank you!
THANK YOU SO MUCH to an extra-special supporter who donated $1,000 to help with vet bills and boarding! Thank you so much!!!
DONATIONS NEEDED!!!
  We are out of money - zero dinero in the account - and I'm having to start putting things on personal credit cards which I can definitely not afford. We already have about $4,000 in vet and boarding bills in Puerto Rico and Florida and have a shipment coming in to Florida tonight. We also have Kerr in the midst of his heartworm treatment which will be almost $700 including boarding and there are more dogs, including a mom with 4 little puppies, at the beach that need to be rescued. Please help by sending money via Paypal or to our post office box.
Humanity
In searching for a rottweiler rescue group to help us in placing Rex, our rottie beauty, I found the story of Ellis. Please take a moment to visit the website of the Gulfstream Rottweiler Club to see how horrible and how wonderful people can be.
Hello and goodbye!
   Nine of our rescues came in to south Florida yesterday and are almost all gone! Dennisse, Jillian (a rescue from Yolanda), and Bradley have all gone to wonderful homes. Vicky, Nutter Butter (aka Wilfred), and Maggie went to Humane Society of the Treasure Coast. Natalie and Rosalie are still with me while getting over an upper respiratory infection but they already have homes when they are ready to go. The only one left is sweet little Ellie who is still very timid though seems happy. So, with that - on to the next bunch! (Oh and sorry about the crappy pictures - my digital camera bit the dust in Puerto Rico so I've been using my camcorder - not so great, huh?!)
Sophie's pups
Sandra got some good pics of each of Sophie's wee ones.    
Sophie's secret
 Would you believe this little blonde and white girl had 4 jet black puppies!?!? Sophie showed up last week and today Sandra found he with her 4 little munchkin pups. It's dangerous for them to stay at the beach because people come by and say "oh look at the cute little puppies" and take them. They are old enough and eating on their own but we all know what happens to most of the puppies people take from the beach - they end up months later with health problems and/or pregnant.  
Foster care needed for Kerr
 Beautiful Kerr was rescued 2 weeks ago from the beach where he'd been living for over 6 months, defying all rescue attempts until then. He is a very sweet and loving. He has advanced heartworm and needs to begin his treatment very soon. But we need a foster home for him for a few weeks during the treatment. He is 52 pounds now but he is very underweight and needs to gain 10+ pounds. Sandra's description of Kerr: He's a very nice dog. He used to follow me everywhere. He seemed to be very happy and full of energy before getting sick. And he was very protective of his puppies (Kiyoshi and Kei) - he followed me a whole week barking at me after I took the puppies, like he was asking for them) and protective of his pack (I don't know I that will change once he's neutered). He was always the first one to greet me and would let me hug him and all but he was abandoned with a very long chain hanging from his neck and obviously he has some issues because of that. He doesn't like when he feels he's going to be picked up either.  
Little sweetheart rescued!
 The wonderful Mary Eldergill is our hero for the day! Not only has she been driving - almost literally - all over Puerto Rico today to transport some of our dogs to various locations, but she picked up this sweet little girl from the beach (she KNOWS better than to go down to that beach because every time she does she ends up with at least 1 puppy!).
Just an average day
 I received an email about this little sweetie, called "Li'l Butt" by her rescuer, who was found in the public bathroom at a public beach on the northeast side of Puerto Rico. The puppy was laying in a puddle of human urine on the tile floor and was breathing but unresponsive and obviously in distress. The good samaritan picked her up and took her home to help her. She's doing much better now though she was full of hookworms and sarcoptic mange. I wish I could say this is the only time I've heard such a story but it's far too common. Anyone able to help with vet bills or who would like to adopt this angel, please contact Sharon at carivegan@gmail.com.
Sophie's Choice
 If you're not familiar with the movie, basically a mother has to make the choice between which of her two children will be sent to a Nazi concentration camp and which one spared - if she refuses to choose they will both be killed. That's the way it is for all of us with rescues. These are new ones at the beach, including a horse. Along with Stephanie, Gina, Diana and Clyde who have been there for a while, we have to make the horrible choice of who to save and who to leave there to suffer a potentially horrible fate. And we have all dealt with that moment of finally being able to rescue a particular animal and finding that it has died or been killed and that we are too late. Because of the irresponsibility and even cruelty of so many people, those of us with the tenderest of hearts are the ones who have to deal with these dreadful, severely depressing issues. It makes us all angry and spiteful and hardens our hearts towards people (speaking for myself, of course).   
Nina bean!
  This is sweet little Krizia whos new name is Nina. She's growing like a weed and is happy and healthy in her new home with a family that loves her very much.
Foster homes desperately needed
We have ELEVEN new dogs that need foster homes while they are getting their shots and other vetting and socialization. There are 7 very small puppies (Brigitte, Darcy, Dennis, Chablis, Bliss, Peanut Butter, and Ninoshka) that will need someone who is familiar with caring for young ones. The others are Dot, Alyssa, and Bonnie - 3 very sweet and playful girls that just need 1-2 weeks in care before they can come here. Bonnie may need a bit more time because she has demodex (NOT contagious) and will need time for the condition to clear up and for some of her hair to grow back in. These 3 are spayed but the little pups are not, but all are up-to-date on their shots. If you can help, please let me know - as of now they are all in vet care which is very expensive and not beneficial to their socialization process at all. Also we don't like have very young puppies at veterinary offices because there are so many germs floating around and the young ones don't have developed immune systems yet. We will take care of food and anything else you need. (Pictured are Dot, Brigitte, and Darcy)   
Four pups from last weeks rescues
Peanut Butter, Ninoshka, Bliss and Chablis were all rescued last week at Dead Dog Beach. They were actually found by Peggy Bliss at an old sugar plantation near the beach but they are little sweet orphans nonetheless. They are all at Dr. Vaquez' office getting all healthy and ready for adoption.    
GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!
 Kaiser's rescue flight was cancelled today - AGAIN!!! I'm not even sure I can count how many times the process has been started and stopped with him. But regardless, he's stuck in Puerto Rico still. Jeepers, it's so frustrating because it's not like we're trying to get him to some tiny little village in the middle of Botswana - we're just trying to get him to BALTIMORE!!! So if anyone is flying from San Juan into Baltimore any time soon, please let me know so we can finally get this boy started on his wonderful new life.
New girl at the beach
 This is Diana. She appeared yesterday and seems to have given birth recently. Sid and Sandra looked for puppies but didn't find any. She's very underweight.
Kelly's new home!
 Kelly was adopted by the same family who adopted Kerri (now named Star). Kelly's new name is Candy which makes sense 'cause she's so sweet! She and her big sis are getting along great and are very happy girls!  
We've lost little Jade
 Sweet little Jade went in to the vet about a week ago and it was determined she had leptospirosis. Dr. Serrano did what he could but she was too sick and didn't make it.
Some of my favorite people
 Today was a long, hot, and frustrating day. So many people came out to help with catching the perros at the beach. Thank you so much to: Keishya, Dorene, Sandra, Mayra and Jose, Criselle and her two lovely daughters, Jessica, and Peggy
Everyone helped so much with catching the dogs and transporting them to the various vets. Thank you so much for all of your help!!! And big sloppy kisses from the satos!!  
More rescues
 We're up to 14 dogs rescued for the last 2 days. Today we got Alyssa, Kerr, Ellie, Bonnie,and Brigitte (a new little girl) from the beach and another 5 from Yabucoa central (Peggy was on her way to the beach to help us but took a wrong turn and found a darling little shitzu mix and 4 precious puppies and just couldn't leave them behind). Alyssa, Ellie, and Bonnie are all doing fine but poor Kerr not only has heartworm but a very heavy load of them at that. And we believe Alyssa is pregnant so let's hope she's not too far along. We also found Stephanie! She had come to the beach in February but disappeared after a few days. Apparently she's been hanging out at one of the gate areas at the Shell plant and she looks horrible - so skinny and had a lot of runny goo from her nose and eyes. So now we have these guys safe but we need 1) donations for their care (it's about $250 per dog from beach to new home), 2) foster homes for all these guys until they can come to the states for adoption, and 3) we're going back out tomorrow to get more (hopefully Gina, Clyde, Danya (who is very skinny and seems to be sick), Tammy, and Stephanie. Pictured are: Dot - she stole my heart at a Texaco station in Candelaro and I just couldn't leave her behind. Nutter Butter - from Yabucoa town area - a little shitzu mix with hair so horribly matted he had to be in terrible discomfort. Kerr - he had been at the beach for well over 6 months and had not been interested in being rescued despite many previous attempts. This time some diligent rescuers (Keishya and Dorene), a catch pole (donated by Danielle who couldn't make the trip this time), and some hot dogs did the trick. Ellie - she appeared at the beach and a few days later Sandra noticed she had a huge fish hook through her lip. The hook must have worked it's way out and the wound seems healed. She is a small girl, about 12 lbs, and very wiggly and sweet. Bonnie - this pretty girl was found at the Shell plant. She's a very sweet and loveable little sweetheart. Alyssa - she is gorgeous and so sweet! Unfortunately she may also be pregnant. Stephanie - so skinny but still so sweet.  
Updates on PR pups
I got to Puerto Rico on Sunday. I'll be here through the next Sunday but most of the time will be spent working (yes, I DO have a real job!). Thursday and Friday will be the big catch days at the beach (though I won't be able to join on Thursday since I'm working) and we hope to get lots of the residents captured, sterilized, and returned to the beach. We're also dead-set on getting Kerr, Byron, and a few others in for rescue. Maggie and Jade were rescued and are safe. Maggie is doing fine but Jade has leptospirosis which could be very bad for her. She is at the vet on i.v. and antibiotics and is stable but it will be a couple of days before we know if she's going to pull through. I was at the Walgreens in Yabucoa on Monday night and saw this really sweet, friendly dog. While I was petting her, Sandra pulled up (I was meeting her there) and told me that it was Gina! I have to tell you that the picture of her does NOT do her justice! She's a very pretty girl with a great spirit. She really needs to be rescued soon. I met Bonnie and Clyde at the Shell plant. Bonnie was hanging out near the guard house near the back gate and every time we would come through the gate she would run up to greet us. Clyde was curled up in the corner of a building and looked so sad and just wanted someone to be nice to him. He wagged his tail ever so slightly when I first approached him but the more sweet talk and petting I did, the more excited he got. Sandra relocated them both to the beach but they didn't take long to get back to their familiar spots at the plant. They have to be rescued tomorrow. Darcy, Dennis, and Davey are the 3 little shepherd mixes that are SO STINKIN' CUTE! Sandra put them in the puppy enclosure at the beach but they are not safe there. Hopefully she can take them to the vet tomorrow to get them started on their road to adoption. So there you have 6 that need to be rescued and 1 that has been rescued but undergoing a lot of medical assistance that will be costly. And there will only be more rescues and more costs in the next few days. If you can donate anything at all to help, please do so either online or by mail. 
Pups available for adoption in Florida
I will be in Puerto Rico next week and will bring back these guys with me when I return. These little loves are Rosalie, Natalie, Gretel, Drake, Dennisse, and Vicky - click on their name to see their profiles on Petfinder. I have interest in a couple already but want to get them all adopted as soon as possible. If you're interested, I'll be setting up appointments on Sunday (7/13) afternoon/evening.      
Sponsor a dog for the spay/neuter event
 Next week we will be spending Thursday and Friday at the beach to catch as many dogs as we can for sterilization. We have a list of about 16 residents and 8 new dogs that we are concentrating on catching. Many of the residents, like Connie and Kaly, have been there for 2 or more years and have continued to reproduce - and their babies are having babies. They are so terrified of humans they will have to be caught using sedatives, traps, and catchpoles. Unfortunately, due to their absolute fear of humans, these dogs are not considered adoptable and we will have to return them to the beach after their sterilizations. But others, like Gina, Maggie, and Byron, are more friendly and will be easier to catch. And we want to keep them and start them on the process for adoption. That means taking them for sterilization but also getting all their vaccinations, heartworm test, treatments for internal and external parasites, general health check, etc.. We have worked out discounts with the wonderful vets Dr. Reyes and Dr. Serrano who have agreed to charge us just $75 for males and $90 for females. That includes the sterilization and rabies vaccination as well as 2 nights of boarding for the males and 4 nights boarding for the females (to give them longer for their incisions to heal). This is a great discount price however, even if we only catch 10 males, that's $750. And if they are adoptable, the prices goes way up for all the tests, treatments, and 3+ weeks in foster care. If you would like to sponsor a dog for this event, please go to our DONATE page. We already have 13 dogs in foster care in Puerto Rico that we're working on getting to the states for adoption so anything you can send is sincerely appreciated.     
Very sad news
 I have very sad news about little Nia who was adopted to a wonderful home about 2 months ago. Her new dad called to tell me she had died early this morning. He and his girlfriend were, of course, devastated and were desperately trying to find out what had happened. Nia had been outside early in the morning for a little while and then came in, plopped down in her bed, and was dead 15 minutes later with no explanation. When her dad went outside to take a look around he found a huge toad out there. He took pictures and sent them to me and in the end, we believe that Nia died from ingesting poison from a type of toad we have here. I did a little research on this type of toad and summarized it below to provide information as well as warning to all pet owners. I also included some informative links below. The toad is commonly called a "bufo" as it's scientific name is Bufo marinus. It is native to Central and South America but it has spread to other areas such as Australia, the American southwest, and here to Florida. Bufo toads have poison glands that secrete a highly toxic poison that can be deadly if ingested. These toads have become a nuisance but are a much more serious problem in Australia where they have proliferated to uncontrollable numbers. Bufo toads have no natural predators so when introduced into an ecosystem that has not developed to include them in their ecological functioning, the toads wreck havoc. They are bigger than the frogs you're used to seeing in your yard - they can grow to be 6 - 10 inches long!  The toads are nocturnal so not letting your pets roam outside at night is the best way to protect them. The toads are also attracted to water, as most amphibians are, and are predators so they eat lizards, insects, etc... Don't leave water or food out which can attract the toads. Also concerning the water, I learned that an animal can ingest the poison even by just drinking from a water bowl in which the toad has been soaking! The symptoms of bufo toad poisoning are excessive salivation, vocalizing and pawing at the mouth, stiff gait or trouble walking, and difficulty breathing. If the pet ingests enough of the poison the symptoms can rapidly progress to seizures and death. Depending on the size of the animal and the amount of poison ingested, the animal can die in 10-15 minutes! We think because of Nia's tiny size this is what happened to her. If you suspect your pet has been poisoned, immediately rinse their mouth out with large amounts of water. You are trying to wash away the poison - but be careful not to drown them by forcing water down their throat. Then take the animal immediately to the vet. If your pet is poisoned - and especially if it dies - by a bufo, remember that it's really not the toad's fault. It secretes the poison as a defense mechanism - it's just what nature intended it to do. The toad was just trying to protect itself from the playful puppy or hungry cat. I don't advocate killing the toads but if you feel you must, PLEASE do it humanely. DON'T seek vengeance on the toad by killing it barbarically. The best way to humanely kill the toad is to put it into a secure container with airholes poked in it (a plastic bucket, for example) and put the toad in the refrigerator (not freezer) for at least 12 hours. This will cause the toad to go into a coma-like state. The next morning, move the container to the freezer for at least another 12 hours then dispose of it the next trash day. http://www.fdrproject.org/pages/TDdispose.htmhttp://www.toadilytoads.com/canetoadsposition.htmlhttp://www.healthyhomesforkidsandpets.com/articles/bufo.html
Liz' article in El Nuevo Dia
I copied this directly from Liz' blog. My Latest Article In El Nuevo Dia Below is my latest article that hit El Nuevo Dia today with photographs I took that were printed in the paper version of the article. The English translation of the article is below as is a link to the Spanish version. The Spanish version has been cut to some extent, but the English version is as it was submitted.  Members of the Puerto Rico Coalition for the Well-Being of Animals, whose recently submitted proposal to the veterinary licensing board asking for a temporary license and waiver for Remote Area Medical (RAM) veterinary group to come to Puerto Rico and work alongside local vets in holding intensive spay/neuter clinics for the low-income population, were denied their request by letter from the board citing that each vet would need to be sponsored individually by a local veterinarian. Although in their denial the board did come back with this alternate requirement, Coalition members aren't sure finding sponsorship for the four RAM vets would gain the board's acceptance of the proposal. Copies of the initial proposal were also submitted to the Housing Administration, Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) and the Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association (PRHTA) for their support, among numerous others, and the proposal's denial comes on the heels of the Barceloneta tragedy where 80 animals were seized from low-income housing residents and thrown to their deaths from a bridge in neighboring Vega Baja, an act which Tourism conservatively estimated cost Puerto Rico 15 million in tourism dollars as news of the incident was broadcast worldwide. Traditionally the licensing board and college of veterinarians has not allowed outside vets to come and practice medicine in Puerto Rico, despite the necessity of Puerto Rico adopting humane solutions to address the animal overpopulation problem, seeing outside veterinarians as a threat to the business of local veterinarians; a big oversight on their part, according to Christine Driscoll Rodriguez, president and founder of Amigos de los Animales and Coalition member.  "What these agencies and associations don't realize, is that nonprofits like ours, not to mention the countless others on the island, staunchly support the local veterinarians. Amigos de los Animales alone supported them to the tune of more than $50K last year. And it's not acceptable for government to simply implement animal control measures, sweeping beaches and other areas of animals, without adopting statistically proven humane solutions such as spay and neuter and trap, neuter and return [TNR], both of which prevent the births of hundreds of thousands of animals." Coalition members were told early on that their proposal would not be accepted because members of the veterinary licensing board and the college of veterinarians are not progressive enough in their policies and are undereducated on alternative humane "best practices" in dealing with animal overpopulation issues. But the question remains, can Puerto Rico afford not to adopt humane solutions to combat the pet-overpopulation crisis? It is statistically proven that animal control alone cannot adequately address animal over-population issues. With tourism a growing support to the local economy, an economy in its third year of recession, and the media continuing to keep a watchful eye on animal welfare in Puerto Rico (recent articles include March 9th in The New York Times, People magazine's April 28th edition and a spot on the Ellen DeGeneres show in May), rescue organizations are wondering how many more tourism dollars need to be lost in order for government to see Puerto Rico is facing an image crisis precisely because it has no humane alternatives in place. "I think government doesn't realize the extent of the relationship between animal welfare advocates and the media. We are going to keep the pressure on until they embrace humane alternatives," continued Driscoll Rodriguez. According to the proposal submitted, the spay/neuter event would target the pets of low-income residents—in collaboration with the Housing Administration—in as many as seven to 10 different municipalities where local veterinarians and rescue groups have expressed an interest in participating. RAM would work under the local vets and rescue groups associated with them to spay and neuter as many as 125 animals in each location. However, the real investment of this initiative would have come from the training of volunteers who would then be able to host future events for veterinarians willing to donate their time to this worthy cause. http://www.elnuevodia.com/diario/noticia/puertoricohoy/noticias/tronchada_la_ayuda_humanitaria/424436"Picture Key: 1) Three male dogs following a female dog in heat on Playa Lucia (Dead Dog Beach) 2) Christine Driscoll Rodriguez, president and founder of Amigos de los Animales, holding three puppies about to be rescued from Dead Dog Beach. The puppies were sent to a dalmatian rescue group in Florida and have since been adopted.
They just keep coming
  Jodie, whom Sandra believes is another of Maggie's puppies and this little girl showed up yesterday. Summer is the time so many dogs are dumped at the beach. We are desperate for help! Nothing is being done to help this situation! The dogs keep coming - and then they either "disappear" by us rescuing them or by animal control taking them away. But we KNOW where the dogs are that we rescue - where are the dogs animal control takes away? What is happening to them? And why is NO ONE understanding that this is only going to keep happening over and over and over until there are changes made in the system BEFORE the dogs get to the beach!?!? Just sweeping them up like garbage and killing them is an ignorant, uninformed, and nonsensical policy. Why not help the situation BEFORE the dogs get thrown away by instilling responsible pet ownership and providing low cost spay and neuter services? I'm telling you, I could give a 2-minute description of this situation to my 6-year-old niece and EVEN SHE would be able to come up with a solution - as opposed to a non-effective bandage that would continually get soaked and infected and need constant changing! It completely baffles me why the Puerto Rican governmental agencies that are in office to deal with problems exactly like this one are completely inept with coming up with any viable solution. Until now, the only "solution" we have seen proposed is to have animal control trucks come to the beach a few times a week, catch the dogs and take them away to be euthanized. This it NOT a solution! It's an insane treadmill that will never stop. THE DOGS WILL KEEP COMING UNTIL SOMEONE TAKES THE TIME TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP DUMPING THEM!!!! What is so complicated about this concept? How much do you pay to hire animal control workers to spend hours on the beach each week setting traps for dogs and chasing them through the woods? How much fuel does it take in those trucks to travel back and forth to Humacao? How much does it cost for each euthanization of each dog (though I am convinced this is not done at all properly)? Wouldn't it be so much cheaper to just teach people that dumping their dogs is wrong AND illegal? To educate them that spay and neuter is good for the animals, not harmful to them? To provide low-cost spay and neuter services the citizens could utilize? To provide public awareness and education in the schools that animals are not inanimate objects - that they feel pain and get hurt and should not be treated like garbage? Welcome to my morning pre-caffeine rant. These are the things that circulate through my head all night long, every night as I attempt to find a few moments of sleep - sleep used only to recharge my body so I can spend the next day frantically trying to pick up the "trash" for selfish people who refuse to pull their heads out of the sand. Maybe that's the solution - start dumping PEOPLE at the beach and see how quickly a solution magically appears!
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Look at happy Kerr!!!! He was rescued from the beach after living there for about 8 months. He was heartworm positive with a heavy load and started his treatment last week. A wonderful woman offered to foster him for 2 weeks while he's being treated - he needs to stay calm and not get too excited. Here he is about to get in the car to go to his foster home. Sandra said he walked very well on the leash - which he had hated before - and seems very happy. Yeah Kerr! He will be ready to fly in 2-3 weeks and is looking for the perfect forever home! He's about 1-2 years old and weighs 50 lbs but needs to put on about 10 lbs to be healthy.
