The destruction continues

First off I apologize for the gruesome picture but sometimes you guys need to see what really goes on down there at the beach. Sandra found this dog inside what's left of the puppy room over the weekend. When Sandra told me about it at first I thought maybe she was alive when they dumped her and they were hoping we'd take care of her. But no, they dumped her dead - and Sandra said she was pregnant as well.

As for the construction at the beach, I had no idea how far back the fencing at the beach had been placed. You can see here it's basically almost out to the road. All that area where the dogs had all their territories set up and all the shaded areas are all blocked off now. I have no idea what's going to happen there other than Animal Control being a regular visitor and dogs being dumped elsewhere. I'm going to try to contact some people to find out if there's anything they can do to help but seeing those pictures just floored me - this is real.

Rescue 9-1-1

These are the 4 puppies we put into foster care last week. It was an emergency because they were in the puppy room and the municipality is moving very quickly on tearing down the boathouse structure at the beach. The photo at the bottom is the puppy room as of last Friday - that's the room these 4 babies were in just a few days prior and that's why we had to get them out of there. Of course I'm sure the men wouldn't have just crashed the walls in with the puppies in there but they would have called Animal Control to pick them up and we all know what happens there. But as of now, the 4 pups - Jillian, Jack, Casey and Stacey - are safe and sound and will hopefully be coming to the States for adoption at the end of the month.

Flagler Park Adopt-A-Thon

Yesterday we participated in an Adopt-A-Thon sponsored by Caring Fields Animal Sanctuary. We took sweet Mika there and she did really well once she got all the silliness out of her system. She's been in foster care for almost 6 months and she really needs to find her forever home. There were about 8 or 9 different rescues at the event and quite a lot of people showed up to take a look at the merchanside! No good hits on Mika but her day will come! (Make sure to check out the video at the end of the pics!)

Puerto Rican Chicken Dog!!!

Have you ever seen anything so hilarious in your life???!! This is Oly. His original name was Pinto but Oly seems to fit him just fine. He was adopted almost 2 years ago by a great family that keeps me posted every six months or so and it's such a joy to get a picture like this in my inbox!

Destruction at Dead Dog Beach

As if it isn't a nightmare every day under normal circumstances, now, things are about to change in a very serious way. I don't know for a fact what the plan is at the beach but it appears the municipality is going to tear down the dilapidated marina building in their "beach beautification" process.

Sandra had noticed construction at the beach in the form of a new sidewalk being laid around the perimeter of the parking lot area and other "beautifications" occurring. But yesterday she called me frantic that they had started putting a fence up around the building and there was even parts of the building that were being torn down already. She said there were 4 puppies in the "puppy room" and that probably by the end of the day, the fence would have them trapped in. That meant we had to get those puppies out IMMEDIATELY and THAT meant we had to scramble to find a foster home for them ASAP.

So we called Nilsa in the metro area and she graciously agreed to take the 4 puppies in for a couple of weeks until they are ready to fly to the States for adoption. Sandra and Nilsa weren't able to meet yesterday for the transfer so Sandra took the puppies to Dr. Reyes office just to keep them overnight and the girls will be meeting at 4 p.m. today so Nilsa can take them home with her.

And the best thing is that thanks to our beach angel, Debbie, who has sent an amazing supply of medications, vaccinations, shampoos, etc... to Sandra, the puppies already have their first vaccination and have been wormed and will be ready for their second vaccinations and their bordetella vaccinations in a few days. Sandra is sending all the vaccinations they need (except for the rabies which needs to be administered by a vet) with the puppies so that Nilsa won't have to take the puppies to the vet at all (unless something unforeseen occurs) until they need their rabies shot and health certificate to fly! Think about the money that is being saved by that! By Debbie purchasing the vaccinations online, the cost is so much cheaper than at the vet and we don't have to pay for the office visit either. This is the best way to go.

Sooooo, now we have 4 little angels in foster care and our cost will just be for their fostering ($5/dog/day for their food and space with Nilsa) plus final vet visit and shipping to the States for their forever homes! That means the cost is greatly reduced by of course not free so please send whatever you can to help. I hadn't planned on taking any rescues because we're still in "debt payment" mode but there was no way to leave these babies there for Animal Control to take them away.

So THOSE puppies are safe but there are 2 others that Sandra is trying to catch - they are a little skittish but they are staying up near the bend in the road which is very dangerous. Plus there are 30-40 dogs scattered around the beach. With this new beach beautification plan going on, there is only one "plan" the municipality has for the dogs and that's straight to Animal Control. They are supposed to keep them for a certain period of time to see if their owner shows up but I doubt they really do. Sandra always notices when Animal Control has been there because she knows who's missing and all the remaining dogs are hiding.

In the past we've just had Sandra go up to the Animal Control building and reclaim "our" dogs. They charge us $50/dog and they have their vaccinations and are sterilized. But in our financial state, we won't be able to do this. Just the fees for reclaiming them alone, for all the dogs that will be taken in, won't be possible - but then the 2-4 weeks of fostering/boarding plus any vetting and then shipping will all make it out of our reach to do much if anything.

But that is the way it is going to go down there and we have no way to stop it. The beach and the marina building are the property of the Municipality of Yabucoa and the Port Authority of Puerto Rico. Sandra and I were talking about it and of course people are not going to stop dumping dogs just because the beach is all pretty now. They will either continue to dump them there and the Municipality will just step up the beach sweeps to keep the beach clear of dogs. Or people will just change where they dump the dogs. They may dump them farther south near the balnerio which is bad because that's closer to the hotels and the hotels solve the problem by poisoning the dogs. Or they may just find a new spot alltogether to dump them which means we (Sandra) won't know where they are going and can't help them.

I don't know what's going to happen but I DO know that the Municipality doesn't care AT ALL about the dogs. The dogs are a nuisance to them and all they care about is getting rid of them in whatever way is easiest and cheapest.

In memory of Roxy

I received very sad news yesterday. The beautiful Roxy (originally Rosalie) died last week of natural causes though she was only about 1 1/2 years old. Roxy and her sister, Natalie, were rescued from Dead Dog Beach and though undeniably adorable, neither were very healthy puppies.

Roxy's family sent me a letter with the above photo included to let me know of the sad news. They said she just went through sort of a system shut-down and died in their arms at home. They all miss her terribly as does their other dog, Jake, and they said Roxy is absolutely "irreplaceable" and you can see why just looking at those huge ears and that silly smile.

Both girls came to my home for foster care and Roxy was adopted quickly but little Natalie was what's called a "failure to thrive" puppy from the very beginning. She seemed to get sicker and less energetic and the vets couldn't find what the problem was. In the end, she just lost her will to live and I had to make that horrible choice to let her go. She has a special spot in my backyard where I think about her whenever I see her little home-made marker and remember her snuggling with me on the couch.

Natalie and Roxy were apparently not made to be on Earth for long but those who were lucky enough to spend some time with them got lots of wiggles and licks and I can only hope they got all the snuggles and head scratches they desired while they were here. It's a tough part of rescue, losing one of your angels - but it's better to have them go in the arms of love with a full belly and a good life behind them rather than cold, hungry and alone at that horrible beach. And that's why we do what we do. Goodbye, Roxy. You were very loved.

Roxy (Rosalie) at the beach before she was rescued.

Natalie in the back of Yolanda's truck shortly after she and her sister was rescued. Yolanda fostered the girls for a few weeks before they came to the states for adoption.
Natalie's grave and marker in my backyard. I've since planted some Anthurium and society garlic around it so it doesn't look so bleak.

Article on Satos in "Pet News and Views"

Happy Beginnings for Strays in Puerto Rico

By Twig Mowatt, guest blogger with All Sato Rescue

Valiente, a 28-pound Chihuahua/border collie mix, was found tied to a trash can on a busy street in San Juan. His owner had dumped the dog there after he failed as a watch dog. (Valiente is a bit of a softy, who almost never barks.) It’s the sort of sad scene that happens every day in Puerto Rico, where companion animal abandonment, neglect, and abuse is widespread and largely tolerated.

Estimates place the number of stray dogs (called “Satos” in Puerto Rican slang) at above 150,000. Injured, diseased, and emaciated dogs can be found roaming most streets, beaches, mountainsides, and commercial centers. In fact, some areas, such as Dead Dog Beach, have become notorious dumping grounds for unwanted pups.

While most of these Satos end up dying horrible deaths, Valiente was lucky. He now lives like a king outside Boston, in a home where he is lavished with attention, has a bed in every room, and wears sweaters in the winter. He is one of about 2,000 Satos that are rescued off the streets, nursed back to health, and then rehomed in the mainland every year by a handful of dedicated individuals and a few small animal welfare groups.

While some of these groups focus on the root issues behind the problems of animal overpopulation, abuse, and neglect on the island, others dedicate themselves entirely to rescue and rehoming through a network of no-kill shelters in the Northeast.

Founded in 1996, the Save a Sato organization was probably the first group to send their rescued and rehabilitated dogs on commercial flights to Boston. Since then, other groups have joined the effort, including Amigos de los Animales, Island Dog, All Sato Rescue, and Manos por Patas. The arrangement works beautifully on both ends: Satos that would otherwise die on the streets get great homes, and shelters that would otherwise not have enough adoptable dogs to meet demand get a steady stream of cutie-pies.

The reason it works so well is that the spay/neuter message has been so successfully incorporated in MA, NH, VT, ME, and other Northeast states that there are very few litters of puppies being surrendered to shelters here. Faced with empty kennels and lines of hopeful adopters, most shelters have opted to reach out to rescue organizations in other parts of the country where overpopulation is still a problem. (People often don’t realize that Puerto Rico is part of the United States.)

That means that every week, beagle and hound mixes are being driven to MA from VA, GA, and TN, just as Satos are being flown in from Puerto Rico. After nearly 15 years of Sato importation, New England is surely home to the highest concentration of these former strays of anywhere off the island. And they have a devoted following. Satos tend to be on the small side (under 30 pounds) and they come in many unusual combinations, just like Valiente. Chihuahua genes are pretty common, as are enormous ear spans, stubby legs, and a penchant for sun bathing. Their gratitude at being given a second chance is often palpable.

Each Sato is scrupulously vetted for both health and behavioral issues before it is deemed adoptable, and each one arrives with its medical record, as well as a letter from the rescuer that explains where the dog was found and asks for photos and news from its new family. Rescuers, like the lovely woman who plucked Valiente off the busy street, say it’s these notes and photos that keep her motivated to work so hard.

[PHOTO: Edilia Vazquez, President and Co-founder of All Sato Rescue, with one of her rescues who is now in a great home. (Photo Credit: All Sato Rescue.)]

[See original online article at Pet News and Views]