Celebrating 10 Years of The Sato Project

Photo by Sophie Gamand
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS
OF THE SATO PROJECT
2011 2021

2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
10 YEARS
6,000 +
DOGS & CATS RESCUED & FLOWN TO NEW HOMES
7,500 +
ANIMALS SPAYED/NEUTERED & VACCINATED
136K LBS
DISASTER RELIEF SUPPLIES DISTRIBUTED
ACROSS THE ISLAND
BACK TO THE BEGINNING: DEAD DOG BEACH
The story of The Sato Project begins several years before it was founded in 2011.
Our Founder and President, Chrissy Beckles, visited
Puerto Rico for the first time in 2007. She was visiting her
husband, Bobby Beckles, who was there for work. They
were both shocked to see so many stray dogs everywhere:
in the streets, on the beaches, begging for food outside
of restaurants and hotels. She learned that these dogs
were referred to as ‘satos’ - a local term for a mixed-breed,
unwanted, stray dog. It was not a term of endearment.
To many, a ‘sato’ was no different than a street rat or an
annoying pest. She saw puppies, adults, and many dogs
who were suffering, hungry, and in dire need of medical
care. Bobby even witnessed a car purposefully hit a
stray dog that was peacefully standing on the side of the
road, and then keep driving. Chrissy was overwhelmed,
horrified, and knew that she could not turn a blind eye.
That single trip changed her life forever.
all 78 of its municipalities; however, that law has never been
enacted. Instead, only five of 78 municipalities actually
have one. As a result, these five municipal shelters are all
constantly overwhelmed, underfunded, and have sustained
a combined euthanasia rate of 94%.
Photo by Myritza Castillo
When Chrissy returned home to New York, she poured
herself into doing research. She quickly learned that what
she had witnessed was just a window into a much larger
stray dog crisis. The entire island of Puerto Rico, which is
roughly the size of Connecticut, had an estimated 300,000
stray dogs roaming its streets at the time. Rescuing them
and taking them to shelters was only a death sentence. By
law, Puerto Rico is mandated to have an animal shelter in
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The more she learned, the more Chrissy
was determined to find a way to make a
difference for the thousands of dogs who
needed help.
She reached out to existing rescue organizations to see how
she could get involved. It was through that initial research
that she discovered ‘Dead Dog Beach’. This regrettably
named beach is at the end of a long and isolated road,
surrounded by thick jungle on all sides. It is in Yabucoa,
Puerto Rico, one of the island’s poorest municipalities.
Officially named ‘Playa Lucia’, it gained its more well known
nickname by becoming a notorious dumping ground for
abused and unwanted dogs. Chrissy went there in 2008
for the first time and witnessed the hundreds of abandoned
dogs that called Dead Dog Beach ‘home.’ Later that same
year, she adopted her first sato, Boom Boom, who was
rescued from horrific conditions at the municipal shelter in
Arecibo. After her adoption, the need to help more satos
became more personal. From thereon, Chrissy never
looked back. In 2009, Chrissy quit her job, closed her
successful consulting business and dedicated herself to
Boom Boom at the Arecibo shelter
rescuing satos full time. She went back to Dead Dog Beach
and became determined to save every single one of the
dogs there, no matter what it took. She also declared that
someday, she was not going to have to stand in front of a
large pack of dogs and only be able to rescue one. She
would be able to rescue them all. But in order to do that,
she would need help. She would need to build something
bigger than herself. In 2011, with Boom Boom’s silhouette
resplendent in our logo, The Sato Project was born and
Dead Dog Beach became our ‘home’ too.
MORE THAN 10 YEARS OF HARD WORK, ADVOCACY, AND RESCUING
Through more than 10 years of hard work,
advocacy, and rescuing, Dead Dog Beach
has been entirely cleared of stray dogs, aside
from two feral strays that The Sato Project
team monitors and feeds daily. In 2014, after
eight years of campaigning with the local
government, a gate was finally installed at one
of the two entrances to the beach. This gate
restricts access between the hours of 6pm and
6am. As a result, the number of dogs being
dumped and, in turn, abused, has dropped
considerably. In 2016, the government allowed
us to hang a sign, designating The Sato Project
as the official rescue organization of Dead
Dog Beach. This sign also clearly reminded all
visitors that abandoning or abusing an animal is
against the law. Sadly, this sign was lost during
Hurricane Maria; however, we are working on
getting another one installed.
Occasionally, new dogs are still dumped on
Dead Dog Beach. Our team continues to
monitor the beach daily and any new sato that
appears is promptly rescued. With Dead Dog
Beach now under control, The Sato Project
has been able to expand its operations into
the wider community of Yabucoa and establish
programs that not only help rescue more dogs,
but fight the systemic causes of Puerto Rico’s
stray animal crisis.
Photo by Sophie Gamand
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For the first full year of operation, from November 2011 to November 2012,
Chrissy set a goal of rescuing 52 dogs - one dog per week.
That goal proved to be the beginning of The Sato Project
going above and beyond even our own expectations.
Thanks to the support of our earliest donors, our veterinary
clinic partnership, and stretching every resource as widely
as possible, The Sato Project was able to rescue 81 dogs
within the first three months of operating. Then, in March
of 2012, The Sato Project got a boost of awareness that
elevated our trajectory even more: a four page feature in
The New York Times. Due to this story, which drove traffic to
our website, social media pages, and ultimately led to more
donations, Chrissy and The Sato Project team were able
to save 365 lives within the first year. Thanks to thousands
of people who also could not turn a blind eye to the stray
dogs of Puerto Rico, our original goal of one dog a week
transformed into one dog saved every day.
For the next five years, 300-400 dogs a year became our
rescue average while we expanded into developing other
programs to address the underlying causes of Puerto Rico’s
stray dog crisis head-on. In 2016, we organized a mobile
spay/neuter clinic and started a subsidized spay/neuter and
vaccine community outreach program that continues today.
2016 also marked our very first privately chartered ‘Freedom
Flight’ (our term for the life-changing journey that each dog
takes from Puerto Rico to the mainland) of 34 dogs.
“Impossible is not a fact.
It’s an opinion.
Impossible is not a declaration.
It’s a dare.
Impossible is potential.
Impossible is temporary.
Impossible is nothing.”
- Muhammad Ali
Before she was fighting for the dogs of Puerto Rico, The
Sato Project’s Founder and President Chrissy Beckles was
also a Golden Gloves champion amateur boxer. As a fighter,
Muhammad Ali was her personal hero. These words by
him carried special weight for her in the boxing ring: “This
quotation has become a mantra for me. I was told it was
impossible for me to win Golden Gloves (because I was
not the most talented boxer) but I learned and now know
that hard work, a refusal to give up, and determination
can beat natural talent.” When she began rescuing dogs,
this mantra continued to be just as powerful: “I continued
repeating it to myself. I started The Sato Project thinking I
may only be able to rescue one dog a month or at most a
week. That did not seem impossible to me and it wasn’t.”
The Sato Project now rescues many more than one dog
a week; however, the fighting spirit of this quotation
remains at the heart of our determination to never stop
fighting for the dogs of Puerto Rico. It is even printed on
the wall of our administrative headquarters in Brooklyn,
NY as a daily reminder. Our office is also still located in
the back of famous boxing gym, Gleason’s Gym (where
Chrissy once met Muhammad Ali in person!). Despite all
of the obstacles we face every day, our team continues to
believe that “Impossible is nothing.”
The Beckles family’s first adopted sato, Boom Boom, was
given Chrissy’s ‘ring’ name in honor of her fighting spirit.
Boom Boom is the sato who started it all. After her
adoption, Chrissy promised Boom Boom that she would
do everything she could to help as many of her Puerto
Rican brothers and sisters as possible. That promise
became the founding of The Sato Project. Boom Boom
is the dog in our logo and the inspiration and catalyst
behind everything we do and every life we save. When
Boom Boom suddenly passed away in 2016, just weeks
Boom Boom enjoying the ocean
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Photo by Sophie Gamand

Photo by Sophie Gamand
before her 8th birthday, it was devastating to the Beckles
family and to our team. We searched for a way to further
honor her legacy. Even though Arecibo is far away from
our base in Yabucoa, we decided to return to the shelter
that Boom Boom originally came from in 2009. This
shelter is not a nice place. It is packed with overcrowded
kennels, is severely understaffed, underfunded, and has
a never-ending stream of even more dogs being dropped
off. Our team went into Arecibo with the intention and the
budget to rescue eight dogs, in honor of what would have
been Boom Boom’s eighth birthday. However, it was an
impossible choice, deciding which dogs to rescue. We left
with 11 dogs instead and wanted to make even more of
an impact. With the help of a generous donor, we ran a
campaign to raise funds directly for the Arecibo shelter.
These funds allowed for capital improvements to improve
the dreadful conditions under which their staff was working
and their dogs were living in. In addition to saving as many
lives as possible, we wanted to improve the shelter’s
ability to care for their remaining dogs, even after we left.
We still miss Boom Boom every day, but continue to fulfill
Chrissy’s promise to her through every aspect of our work.
ARECIBO
Our good friend and Sony World Photography Award winner Sophie Gamand went
with us to the Arecibo shelter to capture this mission and honor Boom Boom.
We were gradually working to build up all of our ‘on the ground’
operations in Puerto Rico when, suddenly, the 2017 hurricane season
arrived. With that, came hurricanes Irma and Maria, which would change
all of our lives drastically.
VICTOR AMOR - 2014
To this day, Victor Amor remains one of our biggest triumphs.
Sadly, he was also one of the worst cases of neglect and abuse
we had ever seen. He was found dumped under a tree on Dead
Dog Beach in the pouring rain. We know he didn’t walk there
himself, as he was barely still alive. He had a body temperature
of 97.1 degrees (99 degrees is considered critical), he was
extremely emaciated, anemic, covered in mange, and was
being eaten alive by fleas. We needed a miracle to keep him
alive. He was rushed to the emergency vet, where he needed
24 hour care and an immediate blood transfusion. We refused
to give up on him. After only a few days, he revealed that he
didn’t want to give up either. Within a week, he gained 2 lbs,
was able to stand on his own, and his skin finally became pink,
instead of the pale grey it was when we found him. We were
optimistic but cautious, as we knew this little sato had a long
way to go. He began to eat and drink the way we needed him to,
and gradually his sweet personality began to show. Eventually,
his fur started to grow back in, his tail was wagging constantly,
and he was full of life. After only seven weeks, he took his
Freedom Flight to NYC, where he continued his veterinary
care, and helped Chrissy train for an important boxing match.
Victor Amor was adopted by longtime supporters of The Sato
Project and currently still lives on Long Island.
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Photo by Sophie Gamand
A BONDED PAIR
JT & KNIGHT - 2012
JT and Knight were rescued from Dead Dog Beach in the
summer of 2012. They were part of a larger pack of stray dogs,
but these two would often break off as a pair. They were both
friendly to people, which meant they were in danger of being
hurt by anyone who meant ill to the strays on the beach (Dead
Dog Beach used to be a very dangerous place, especially at
night, when the stray dogs were sometimes used as target
practice). Since they were friendly, we thought they would
be easy to rescue; however, it took several days and multiple
attempts before they finally allowed us to rescue them. We
knew they were friends, but we did not think JT and Knight
were bonded, so we sent them to separate foster homes.
However, after their separation, Knight became extremely
shut down. We reunited him with JT and his demeanor
completely changed, making it clear that they needed to stay
together. JT’s foster mom happened to be one of our longtime,
most dedicated volunteers, Barbara. After taking Knight into
her home as well, the most perfect outcome resulted: Barbara
and her family decided to adopt them both. JT and Knight still
live with Barbara in Pennsylvania today. They have helped pay
it forward many times by helping their family foster multiple
other satos over the last nine years and by inspiring Barbara
to continue volunteering for our efforts every day.
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Dead Dog Beach used to
be a very dangerous place,
especially at night, when the
stray dogs were sometimes
used as target practice.
Photo by Sophie Gamand

HURRICANE MARIA
THE STORM THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
September 20th, 2017 is a date that changed Puerto Rico forever.
Two weeks earlier, Hurricane Irma had passed by the
northern coast as a Category 5 storm. It knocked out power
for 1 million people, caused an estimated $700 million in
damage, and killed four people. Then, in the early morning
hours of September 20th, the island sustained an even
bigger hit. Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm, made
landfall in Yabucoa with sustained winds of 155 mph. The
eye of the storm was directly over our home base of Dead
Dog Beach.
Hurricane Maria was the deadliest U.S based natural
disaster in 100 years. The storm left behind the
longest blackout in U.S. history, an estimated $100
billion in damages, and a humanitarian crisis that
continues today.
Overnight, the entire island of 3.4 million people lost all
power and hundreds of thousands were left homeless,
including some of our own staff and volunteers. The island’s
infrastructure was absolutely devastated, with 97% of roads
considered impassable. Around 80% of the island’s crops
were completely destroyed, contributing to even more
island-wide poverty and food insecurity. Official data lists
Hurricane Maria as claiming the lives of 2,975 people in
Puerto Rico. However, many locals who lived through the
immediate devastation and experienced the widespread
and extended lack of access to medical care and basic
necessities such as clean drinking water, food, electricity,
and shelter, believe that number to be much higher.
Our team in Puerto Rico immediately mobilized. Within a
few days of Hurricane Maria’s passing, The Sato Project
joined forces with our partner, Wings of Rescue, to send
emergency relief supplies to San Juan. While the primary
airport hub was still closed, we were able to gain access to
a smaller private airport. Our first ‘Freedom Flight’ after the
storm was only nine days after the crisis began. We were
the first organization to fly animals out of Puerto Rico, and all
while there was still no power or running water on the island.
That first flight flew 110 dogs to safety on the mainland.
In those early days after the storm and onward, our dayto-day
operations were dramatically altered. Our world
suddenly changed and we needed to adapt quickly in order
to respond to the rapidly growing humanitarian and animal
welfare crisis that had emerged.
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THE STORM LEFT A HUMANITARIAN
CRISIS THAT CONTINUES TODAY
The number of abandoned and stray dogs roaming
the island skyrocketed after Hurricane Maria.
Immediately after the storm, there was an exodus of
residents who fled Puerto Rico for the mainland. Many
residents who remained on the island struggled to survive
and could no longer afford to care for their pets. Both
circumstances led to even more dogs being abandoned,
surrendered, neglected, and left behind. This created a
huge snowball effect.
Many of these abandoned dogs were not spayed or
neutered, which led to a dramatic increase in the number of
unwanted litters being born in the streets. The stray animal
population grew higher and higher, and The Sato Project’s
email addresses and social media accounts became
flooded with people asking for help with stray dogs. After
six years of hard work and advocacy, Dead Dog Beach had
mostly been cleared of stray dogs. However, we started
seeing more dogs show up, newly abandoned. On multiple
occasions we found entire boxes of puppies abandoned on
the front steps of our veterinary clinic or on the side of the
road. The few programs providing spay/neuter and vaccine
services that existed before the hurricanes were all shut
down for many months as well.
Before Hurricane Maria, official data estimated the
number of stray dogs on the island to be around
300,000. By the one year anniversary of the storm,
that number had risen to 500,000.
We also saw an increase in deadly diseases such as
heartworm, ehrlichia, parvovirus, and leptospirosis
among the dogs we were rescuing. Leptospirosis is
zoonotic (transmissible to humans) and can even be
deadly. In addition to this, we routinely rescued extremely
malnourished dogs in need of emergency veterinary care,
as well as entire families of female dogs with their puppies.
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Dogs with serious orthopedic issues after being hit by
vehicles or hurt in the hurricane also became a new normal.
We estimate that we lost approximately 10 years of work
due to the devastation of Hurricane Maria. It would have
been easy to feel hopeless in such dire circumstances.
However, our incredible community of donors, adopters,
and volunteers immediately came to our aid. We will never
forget how much our community showed up for us in
Hurricane Maria’s aftermath. This support allowed us
to dramatically increase our operations to meet the new
demand and logistical challenges of an island in perpetual
recovery mode.
Pre-Hurricane Maria, we rescued roughly 350 dogs per
year. In the first year after Hurricane Maria, we rescued
and transported 1,500 dogs. Additionally, we dramatically
expanded our community outreach efforts to help pet
owners and other organizations in need. In 2018, we
distributed over 69,000 pounds of humanitarian and animal
emergency relief supplies. Thanks to our partnership with
Spayathon for Puerto Rico and our spay/neuter community
voucher program, we were able to spay/neuter and
vaccinate over 2,400 dogs and cats that year as well.
Hurricane Maria also led to the creation of our ‘No Dog
Left Behind’ program. During the first few months after
the storm, some estimates suggest that as many as 10,000
people were leaving Puerto Rico each week. Unable to find
or afford passage for their pets, some families anxiously left
their pets behind in the care of neighbors or friends, unsure
of when they would see them again. No Dog Left Behind
was created to reunite these families with their pets on
the mainland. In the first year of this program, we reunited
nearly 200 dogs with their families.
All of these programs that were started in the aftermath
of Hurricane Maria today remain a permanent part of our
rescue operations.

NO DOG LEFT BEHIND
REUNITING DOGS WITH THEIR FAMILIES AFTER A DISASTER
VICTOR, MAYA, MAX, & GORDO - 2018
Victor and his family lost everything - their home, all their
possessions, and more - in Hurricane Maria. Tragically, Victor’s
father passed away in the storm as well. As soon as it was
safe to leave the island, Victor relocated to North Carolina
along with his wife and two children so they could start over.
However, transportation for large dogs off the island via
commercial airlines was impossible in the first few months
after the storm. It was a very difficult decision to make, but
feeling like he had no other option, he left his three dogs,
Maya, Max, and Gordo with a neighbor. Being unsure when his
family would ever see them again was heartbreaking. Thanks
to our No Dog Left Behind program they were reunited later
that year after being separated for nine months. When Victor
came to pick them up at the airport, it was an incredibly
emotional moment for everyone present. Victor even stayed
in touch with us and gave us updates on how wonderful it was
to finally have his other “three kids” back in his home so his
family could finally feel whole again.
Photo by Estafania Rodriguez
CLODOMIRO, COCO & SAM - 2017
Clodomiro and his wife lost everything in Hurricane Maria
and were living out of their car in Puerto Rico. Their daughter,
Denise, in New York, tried everything she could to convince
them to come stay with her so they would be safe. However, in
the months immediately after the storm, commercial airlines
shut down any transport of animals in cargo. This meant they
had no way of transporting their two rescued satos, Coco and
Sam. Clodomiro refused to leave them behind. One of these
dogs once belonged to his brother, who had passed away.
Clodomiro had promised his brother that he would care for his
dog, so he could not abandon him. Denise reached out to us
on Facebook and we immediately added Coco and Sam to our
next flight out of Puerto Rico only one week later.
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CHLOE - 2017
Chloe was found chained up and abandoned in an empty house
shortly after Hurricane Maria. This was, sadly, the case for
many dogs whose families left them behind when they fled
the island. Thankfully, Chloe found her way into our program
and took her Freedom Flight to New York where she landed
with our trusted shelter partner, Animal Haven. Shortly after
arriving, she was adopted by her mom, Carla. Instead of her
life ending on a chain, Chloe now lives every day as a princess.
She even inspired Carla to become a dedicated member of our
volunteer team!
CEIBA COMMUNITY RESCUE - 2018
In the summer of 2018, we received a call for help from a
small community in the mountains outside of Ceiba. 10
months after Hurricane Maria devastated their infrastructure,
they still had no running water. Despite many of these families
losing everything themselves, they were still committed to
sharing what little they had with a neighborhood pack of stray
dogs. However, without the resources to spay/neuter them,
this pack kept multiplying. Many of these dogs had mange,
other health concerns and injuries, and were at constant risk
of being hit by cars. They needed help. Our team went in and
rescued 14 dogs in one day from this community. The dogs
that we couldn’t rescue, we set live humane traps for and
the community helped us rescue them later. We also spayed/
neutered and vaccinated all of this community’s stray cats.
Our team was very appreciative of how much these neighbors
only wanted the best for their stray animals, regardless of
not having the resources to help them themselves. One of the
puppies from this mission even went on to compete in The
Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.
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Photo by: Keith Barraclough/Animal Planet

MAGNIFICENT SATO 7 - 2018
After Hurricane Maria, the majority of veterinary offices had
to close and any spay and neuter efforts completely ceased
for many months. Combined with the large numbers of people
evacuating the island and leaving their pets behind, we braced
ourselves for what would likely be a critical phase of this
fallout: a huge increase in unwanted litters of puppies being
born. Sure enough, by winter of 2018, entire litters of puppies
started showing up abandoned in the streets and began pouring
in through our doors. This litter, which came to be known as
the ‘Magnificent Sato Seven’, was just one of such cases. They
were abandoned in a plastic box outside of our veterinary
clinic. All seven of these little faces survived and eventually
took their Freedom Flight to Animal Haven in Manhattan. One
year later, three of their families even managed to connect
with each other and coordinate a reunion.
REUNITED
Photo by Jennifer Mitchell Photography
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AN ISLAND IN PERPETUAL CRISIS
PUERTO RICO’S ONGOING CHALLENGES TODAY
From January 1, 2020 to September 1, 2021, Puerto Rico registered 9,624
earthquakes of a 2.0 magnitude or higher.
When The Sato Project was founded in 2011, Puerto Rico’s
economy was already in the midst of a decades-long
recession. Along with this, there was a steady decline in the
population as residents migrated to the mainland U.S. for
better economic opportunities. According to U.S. Census
data, Puerto Rico lost a ninth of its total population from
2010 to 2020, the largest drop of any state or territory
counted in the census.
Due to years of underfunding and mismanagement, Puerto
Rico’s economy, infrastructure, and population were already
vulnerable when Hurricane Maria devastated the island.
Four years later in 2021, the reconstruction and recovery
effort is still far from over. Power outages and water supply
cutoffs remain constant occurrences and thousands of
houses are yet to be rebuilt. In the immediate months after
the storm, the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) distributed blue tarps as ‘temporary’ replacements
for destroyed roofs. These tarps remain installed and highly
visible in communities all over the island. It is estimated that
as many as 750,000 Puerto Ricans are still living in homes
that have not been repaired since Hurricane Maria made
landfall. This means that every time there is a new hurricane
warning, tropical storm, or even light rain, Puerto Ricans
know that they have to prepare for the worst: flooding,
landslides, sewage blocks, power outages and more. Until
vital infrastructure is repaired, this is the daily reality of our
organization and the residents of the island.
The island was met with another crisis at the end of 2019.
On December 18th, 2019, a series of small earthquakes
began rattling the island on a daily basis. On the morning of
January 7th, Puerto Ricans were jarred awake by a deadly
6.4 magnitude earthquake - the largest to shake the island
in at least 100 years. Power was lost again, more homes
collapsed, and 8,000 people became displaced. Thousands
more started sleeping outside, because they were too afraid
that their houses would collapse on top of them during the
night. Little did we know that this was only the beginning.
While none have been as devastating as the first 6.4
magnitude earthquake, smaller earthquakes have continued
on nearly a daily basis throughout all of 2020 and 2021.
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As if the earthquake crisis of 2019-2020 was not enough,
2020 also brought with it the emergence of the COVID-19
pandemic. With vital infrastructure still damaged from
Hurricane Maria, thousands of families sleeping outside in
encampments, and a very fragile and underfunded hospital
system, the government of Puerto Rico knew that the island
could not handle a COVID-19 outbreak without devastating
consequences. Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced was the
first governor in the country to order a statewide shutdown.
This swift action likely prevented an even worse healthcare
crisis; however, the economic catastrophe that followed
has been compared to the economic crisis that followed
Hurricane Maria.
For as long as The Sato Project has been doing work in
Puerto Rico, the poverty rate has been more than double
that of any state on the mainland. The latest census data
including Puerto Rico which measures the national poverty
rate is from 2019. On the mainland, Mississippi showed the
highest poverty rate at 19.6%. In stark comparison, Puerto
Rico had 43.5% of its population living below the poverty
line, including 57% of households with children. Updated
data including Puerto Rico has not been published for 2020
or 2021, yet both of these numbers are expected to be
much higher than before the pandemic.
Puerto Rico has since reopened, and as of fall 2021, tourism
and other industries have started to pick back up. However,
like the rest of the world, this status remains uncertain as the
pandemic is far from over and each day brings new changes.
Amidst declining economic circumstances, crumbling
infrastructure, ongoing earthquakes, the pandemic, and
Photo by Myritza Castillo
Over 10 years, our incredible community of donors,
volunteers, and adopters have helped us ensure that
the satos of Puerto Rico will never be forgotten.
more, there is another looming threat that is never too far
from the backdrop: the threat of more hurricanes.
As human life is continually disrupted, the suffering of
thousands of animals is exacerbated as well. The Sato
Project team remains as committed as ever to our mission to
save as many of these lives as we can. We are determined
to be a voice for the thousands of abused and abandoned
dogs who need us. Through hurricanes, earthquakes,
public health crises and more, we will never stop fighting
for them.
THIS IS THE BACKDROP OF THE
SATO PROJECT’S RESCUE EFFORTS
Photo by Sophie Gamand
The estimated number of stray dogs roaming Puerto Rico’s streets and
beaches remains around at least 500,000. The island’s five municipal
shelters all maintain an astounding combined euthanasia rate
of 94% or higher.
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Photo by The Dogist
In the beginning of The Sato Project, Chrissy Beckles
started rescuing one dog at a time as finances would
allow. First, it was one dog a month. Then, it became one
dog a week. Gradually, it became one dog a day. During
the last three years, The Sato Project team has averaged
rescuing over 1,000 dogs a year. The expansion of these
efforts is a direct result of the thousands of donors and
supporters who have joined our mission to stand up for
the abandoned dogs who need us.
Even though Dead Dog Beach is mostly clear of stray dogs,
our rescue efforts are still concentrated in Yabucoa. Our email
inboxes and social media messages are constantly flooded
with people asking for help with stray dogs all over the island.
We help with as many of these requests as we can; however,
we remain dedicated to the community in which we started.
There are still thousands more satos waiting to be rescued
in Yabucoa. Our team knows where packs of stray dogs still
live and we have a waitlist of satos waiting to be rescued as
soon as we have the space in our program.
We rescue satos of all shapes, sizes, ages, and
conditions and all of our dogs complete a very strict
and thorough vetting process.
Very young, pregnant, injured or sick dogs are given
priority. Some dogs are already friendly and easy to rescue.
Others can take months or years to build up enough trust
for them to gradually allow us to rescue them.
RESCUE & REHABILITATION
10 YEARS OF SAVING LIVES AND FIGHTING BACK
No matter what their age or condition, every dog we rescue
goes through the same identical process: our strict vetting
protocols. Rescuing means so much more than just pulling
dogs off of the street and putting them into a home. We are
dedicated to each and every one of our dogs and want to
give them the greatest chance at life. This means setting
them up for success, both physically and emotionally.
Many of the dogs we rescue have been abused, abandoned,
and/or have been trying to survive on their own in the
streets for many years. Many suffer from serious diseases,
sicknesses, or injuries. As soon as a dog is taken into our
care, they are tested for any infectious diseases, complete a
30-day quarantine and a minimum six week vetting protocol.
They are vaccinated, spayed/neutered, microchipped, and
treated individually for any additional health concerns. The
average stay for a ‘healthy’ dog is between eight to ten
weeks. For those suffering from diseases or injuries, that
stay can be much longer.
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Our vetting protocols average
$2000 for a ‘healthy dog’. Those
with severe orthopedic issues,
injuries or diseases such as
heartworm can run into the tens
of thousands. Vetting is by far The
Sato Project’s biggest expense, but
we adamantly believe it is worth it.
Cutting corners on a dog’s health could mean cutting
corners on a dog’s life, or worse: contributing to the
spread of infectious diseases and claiming even more
lives. After all of the work we put into saving these dogs’
lives, this is not a risk we are willing to take. The Sato
Project’s unprecedented vetting protocols have been an
essential part of our process since our founding, and will
always continue to be.
In addition to being healthy, we also want to make sure
each dog is set up to be successful when placed with an
adoptive family. Our team spends quality time getting to
know each dog’s unique personality and needs. Some dogs
are ready to go right into homes as soon as they complete
their vetting protocols. Others who have been abused or
lived on the streets for many years sometimes need extra
rehabilitation. Whatever a dog needs, our incredible team
in Puerto Rico is there for them.
During their stay with us in Puerto Rico, many of our dogs
live in one of our partner veterinary clinics. This allows
them to be monitored constantly while they complete their
vetting requirements. While there, they get lots of love from
our team and the staff of the clinic. Dogs who need extra
rehabilitation go to one of our volunteer foster homes,
where they are showered with love and patience until
they are ready to find a family of their own and take their
Freedom Flight off the island.
CAPTAIN WILL - 2018
Captain Will was hit by a car and tragically left to die on the
side of the road. He was saved by two vet techs from our
Candelero veterinary clinic who had seen the car hit him and
keep driving. We tried to save his right eye, but unfortunately
it needed to be removed. Once he was under anesthesia we
discovered that he also had a broken pelvis and severe skin
lacerations from being dragged. We knew it was going to be a
long road for this little fighter, but we refused to give up on him.
Luckily our community of followers and supporters cheered
him (and us) on every step of the way. Captain Will would truly
not be here today without that support. After healing from his
injuries, Captain Will took his Freedom Flight and found an
adoring family in NYC. He even became somewhat of a local
celebrity in his West Village neighborhood. In February 2019,
Will had the opportunity to compete in Animal Planet’s Dog
Bowl II. We are incredibly proud that he was able to appear on
TV in front of millions of viewers, representing all of the love,
hope, and strength of The Sato Project community.
Photo by: Keith Barraclough/Animal Planet
15

BUCKET PUPPIES - 2019
Our team will never forget the incredible story
of our Bucket Puppies. The ‘Bucket Pups’ were
found abandoned in a bucket as tiny newborns
in August of 2019. However, this horrible act of
cruelty turned into one of our most heartwarming
stories of survival. Thanks to a recently rescued
sato mum named Luna (our hero!) who was
already feeding her own pups, and some extra
bottle feeding from our team, all eight of them
survived and went on to be adopted by loving
families right before Christmas of 2019.
LL 8 SURVIVED
16

MURRAY - 2013
Murray was rescued from Dead Dog Beach in 2013 along
with his 3 siblings. They were found dumped at just 12 weeks
old. Sadly, two of his sisters passed from distemper, and at 4
months old, Murray began to show signs that he too had this
horrific disease. He developed a neurological tick and lost all
of his teeth. The clinic made the incredibly hard decision that
it would be most humane to euthanize him, not knowing how
much more he might suffer. However, once they went to start
the procedure, Murray began to wag his tail on the table, and
our veterinary team just couldn’t bring themselves to do it.
Perhaps this sato survivor had a fighting spirit in his little body,
and could find a way to thrive with an understanding family.
Then, along came his foster mom, Kristina. Her family quickly
fell in love with his friendly and outgoing personality, and soon
decided to ask if they could keep Murray forever. No matter
his appearance or lifetime of complications due to surviving
distemper, they loved him beyond words and were committed
to his ongoing care. Since his adoption, Murray has thrived
with his family, including his human and other furry siblings.
His unique appearance has also made him a star. He has been
featured on The Dodo and has his own Instagram account with
40K followers: @murraythedisableddog.
ANDROMEDA - 2016
Andromeda (now known as Daisy) is a true miracle dog and a
testament to never giving up. Rescued in September of 2016,
Andromeda had been dumped on Dead Dog Beach in dreadful
condition. Emaciated and covered in ticks, she was unable to
walk or even stand. At our clinic, we discovered that she was
severely dehydrated, anemic, had intestinal parasites, and a
shattered femur. Her eyes told us that she had very little fight
left, but we promised her that we would fight on her behalf
for as long as she wanted us too. We were not certain if she
would even make it through her first night, so our team made
sure she was monitored 24/7. After a lot of expert care, love,
and prayers, Andromeda amazed us all by pulling through and
in November of 2016 she was ready to meet her forever family.
She flew to New York to meet her new mom and cat siblings, and
has been filling their lives with unconditional love ever since.
17

MIRACLE - 2017
Miracle was rescued in 2017, having been abandoned by her
owners after Hurricane Maria. She had been relying on the
kindness of strangers for food and water, and was sadly struck
by a car that left her on the side of the road with catastrophic
injuries to her spine and back legs. She was hospitalized and
placed on medication for fever due to an infection in her
injured legs. On top of this, she was also heartworm positive.
Our vetting team was limited with the work we could do to get
an accurate diagnosis for her, as there was no ability to get her
the MRI that she needed. We had to transport her to New York
to see a specialist. The specialists determined that she would
not be able to regain use of her hindside, and also discovered
that she had an enlarged heart and a bullet lodged in her leg. It
was disheartening to know all that this sato suffered from, but
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we were determined to find her the safe and loving home she
deserved along with a doggie wheelchair to help her move
around. Thankfully she hit the jackpot and was adopted by
a wonderful caretaker with special needs experience. Now
she spends her days lounging by the pool, taking walks in
her stroller, getting lots of snuggles and scooting around in
her wheelchair.

ADRIAN/SUGAR - 2014-15
Adrian (named after Rocky’s wife) was found on Dead Dog
Beach in 2014. She had been hit by a car and dragged. Her
two front legs were so completely shredded that bones
were sticking out of her skin. One of her back legs was also
horribly dislocated. At the vet clinic, we contemplated if
humane euthanasia might be the most compassionate way to
end her suffering. However, despite being in such severe pain,
this incredible sato was still wagging her tail. She was the
happiest dog we had ever met. It was clear that she wanted
to fight. After five major surgeries, countless water therapy
sessions, and an entire year of medical rehabilitation, Adrian
was as good as new. She got adopted by a member of our core
volunteer team, who renamed her Sugar. Not only did Sugar
prove to be our ultimate champion (she even once walked
Chrissy into the boxing ring for a fight), but she also holds the
record of being our most expensive dog to date. Her medical
bills cost over $20K. The joy she brings to her family and to
everyone she meets is worth every single penny.
DANA AND DANYA - 2014
When our founder, Chrissy, first came across Dead Dog Beach
in 2007, Dana and Danya were already living there. They were
a mother and daughter pair who were feral. At around 11 and
8 years old, respectively, they had spent their entire lives on
the beach. On meeting them, Chrissy made a promise that no
matter how many years it would take her to rescue them, they
would not die there. Our team kept a watchful eye and gave
them food and water every day. We tried to rescue them many
times, but they too smart for us. However, Chrissy remained
determined to fulfill her promise. Finally, one evening in
2014, after an intense rescue mission that included Chrissy
swimming out into the ocean after them, Danya was brought
into safety. It took several more attempts before Dana was
finally rescued too. To see her safe after so many years brought
our entire team to tears. Dana was the last dog rescued from
the original pack of dogs, who had lived on the beach since
before The Sato Project was founded.
Both of these satos had a host of medical issues, including
heartworm and precancerous growths on Dana. In addition, as
feral dogs, they needed to learn how to be comfortable around
humans. They both spent more than a year living at our clinic
while they recovered. As we got to know them, we learned
that they were not bonded and would be okay if separated.
In 2016, Danya made her way stateside to a loving home and
her mother Dana found a permanent home in Puerto Rico with
one of our volunteers. Both satos lived their remaining years
surrounded by the love and comfy dog beds they deserved.
While they are no longer with us, both dogs will remain an
important part of our story forever. Every time a dog evades
our rescue - we think of them, and we know to never give up.
Photo by Myritza Castillo
Photo by Myritza Castillo
19

Photo by @KeepingFinn
ROOSEVELT - 2019-20
Roosevelt was part of a pack of dogs we rescued from
the shuttered naval base in Ceiba. They had banded
together for protection, but sadly could not protect
Roosevelt from being hit by a car and left to die.
When we found him, he was suffering on the side of
the road. One back leg was badly broken, the other had
deep lacerations. We rushed him to the emergency vet,
where he was immediately hospitalized and had his legs
wrapped in bandages. Sadly, one leg was beyond repair
and needed to be amputated. Roosevelt underwent
surgery like a champ and adjusted to his new life as
a tripod even better than we anticipated. Only a few
days later, he was already playing with other dogs and
happily chewing his favorite toys. Roosevelt was in our
care for almost eight months while he recovered before
he took his Freedom Flight in July 2020. Now Roosevelt
lives with an adoring family in New Jersey and even has
his own Instagram account: @roosevelt_the_tripawd.
BIGGEST LITTLE RESCUE - 2020-21
In December of 2020, our team went into the worst hoarding
situation we had ever encountered. 100 chihuahuas were
living in a tiny house, no bigger than 400 square feet. Each
room we opened revealed more and more of them; they were
in closets, behind closets, in the bathroom, and hiding behind
the refrigerator. One poor dog had even just given birth in
the shower. The sheer number of dogs and the smell were
unbelievably overwhelming. We did not have space to take
all of them, so we asked another rescue organization, El
Faro de los Animales, to help. Fortunately, they stepped in to
take half. Most of them were extremely undersocialized and
suffering from a myriad of health conditions. It took us over
four hours to rescue them and many months to rehabilitate
them. Thanks to several shelter partners in New York, who
helped continue their rehabilitation and find them families, all
of our chihuahuas were able to take their Freedom Flights in
the spring of 2021.
20

FREEDOM FLIGHTS
Once a sato completes all of their vetting protocols, they are ready for
the next big step in their journey: to fly off the island!
IN 10 YEARS, THE SATO PROJECT HAS FLOWN
3,100 DOGS AND CATS ACROSS 39 PRIVATELY
CHARTERED AIRPLANES AND FLOWN NEARLY
3,000 DOGS ON COMMERCIAL AIRLINES.
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
We are often asked, “Why can’t you find homes for dogs in
Puerto Rico?” The harsh reality is that there are simply too
many dogs who need homes and not enough people who
want to adopt them. The biggest illustration of this is that all
the municipal shelters in Puerto Rico continue to sustain a
94% euthanasia rate. Due to the earthquake crisis beginning
in 2020, some shelters are now nearing a rate of 99%.
Just like rescuing, Freedom Flights began with one dog at a
time flying on an American Airlines commercial flight direct
to NYC. Once there, our New York volunteers would meet
them at JFK Airport. Gradually, one dog became two, then
three, then 20 and more.
In September of 2012, we were in the middle of preparing
30 dogs to take their Freedom Flight (the largest number
we had ever flown at once up to that point), when we
decided to give this large group a special name of its own:
‘Mission Possible.’
As mentioned previously, Muhammad Ali is a personal
hero to our Founder, Chrissy Beckles. During her own time
training and fighting as a boxer, Ali’s quote, “Impossible
is nothing” was her personal mantra. When she began
rescuing dogs, this mantra continued to provide inspiration
and strength while working to make a difference in a
situation that often felt impossible.
In the very beginning of The Sato Project, it had felt
impossible for us to ever imagine flying 30 dogs at once.
And yet, here we were only one year later. From that
Freedom Flight onward, we decided to name every large or
particularly triumphant Freedom Flight a ‘Mission Possible’
as well. Gradually, these missions have gotten bigger and
21

TRANSPORT TEAM
bigger. Mission Possible 1 was 30 dogs flying together
on a commercial flight. With support from Philanthropist
and Animal Rights Activist Georgina Bloomberg, Mission
Possible 7 in 2016 was our first privately chartered airplane.
Thanks to the partnership of The Humane Society of the
United States (HSUS) and Wings of Rescue, by Mission
Possible 8 in 2017, we had escalated to flying 210 dogs at
once across two private airplanes.
This flight marked the beginning of a lifechanging
friendship between The Sato
Project and Wings of Rescue.
Founded by Ric Browde in 2012, Wings of Rescue is an
organization that specializes in flying animals from areas of
high euthanasia rates to other parts of the country where
animals have a much higher chance for adoption. Since
Mission Possible 8, we have continued to partner with them
on nearly all of our privately-chartered transports. This
partnership has allowed us to continue flying even more
dogs off the island at once and even lend support to other
organizations and animals in need.
The Sato Project has always been limited in how many
dogs we can rescue at a time. Our veterinary clinics and
foster homes are often filled to capacity, which means at
times we cannot rescue any more satos until we fly others
off the island. Since each one of our dogs is on their own
veterinary and rehabilitation schedule, sometimes we do
not have enough dogs ready to fly at once to fill a huge
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
airplane. When this happens, we reach out to other rescue
organizations on the island. As long as their satos have also
passed our required vetting protocols, we are happy to
help fly and place them in homes or mainland shelters too.
Another dog off the island is another life saved. By flying
animals on behalf of other organizations, this means we
have flown hundreds of rescued cats too!
22
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
Once they arrive on the mainland, every dog or cat is
welcomed by a trusted shelter partner, foster family, or
adoptive family that is already approved and ready to
welcome them home to their new lives.

FREEDOM FLIGHTS
“Wings of Rescue treasures our relationship with The Sato Project – because this phenomenal organization
represents everything that is right in animal rescue. They are the most cohesive and most ethical organization of
all the organizations we work with across North America. The Sato Project provides outstanding care for the pets
they rescue – pets that would have no chance in Puerto Rico who find loving homes on the mainland. All their pets
are fully vaccinated, altered, examined and certified as disease free by Board-certified veterinarians, and they
provide assistance with shelters and other rescues throughout the island. The Sato Project is the only organization
providing free spay/neuter services to the general public – which is the only way Puerto Rico will ever solve its pet
over-population problem. We adore The Sato Project team and will always be there to assist 24/7.”
— Ric Browde, CEO of Wings of Rescue
MISSION POSSIBLE 1 - 2012
30 DOGS
In the beginning, The Sato Project began flying one dog at a
time on American Airlines’ direct flight from San Juan to JFK
in NYC. Gradually, that grew to a few dogs at a time, and then
five, and then 10. On September 19th, 2012, we flew 30 dogs
at one time across two flights - the largest group we had ever
flown together at the time. We decided to give this group of
Freedom Flights a special name: “Mission Possible.” This title
became the beginning of naming all our largest, or particularly
triumphant, Freedom Flights to come. As of 2021, we have
completed up to Mission Possible 14.
MISSION POSSIBLE 11 - 2020
283 DOGS & CATS
When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, and the entire
world shut down, so did our Freedom Flight operations. Due
to live-animal cargo restrictions that went into place on
commercial airlines, all of our dogs became trapped in Puerto
Rico. Unable to fly dogs off the island, meant that all of our
space in Puerto Rico remained full and we were unable to
rescue any additional dogs from the streets who needed us.
Many of the dogs currently in our care had also already been
matched to adoptive families on the mainland. This meant that
their families, too, were left at a standstill, with no idea when
they could welcome their new family member home. Over
July 4th weekend, 2020, thanks to Wings of Rescue and all
of our donors who rallied behind us, we were finally able to
take matters into our own hands. Spread across two airplanes,
283 dogs and cats flew from Puerto Rico to new lives on the
mainland. All 100 of the dogs who were a part of our direct
rescue program went directly into the open arms of their new
adopters at the airport. Some of our adopters had been waiting
for upwards of six months for their new sato family members
to arrive. Their first moments together were incredibly special
to witness for all of us. In a time when so many families were
needing to stay apart, we were bringing new families together,
and giving our satos new lives filled with love.
Photo by Sophie Gamand
As of 2021, our team has completed
up to Mission Possible 14; however,
Mission Possible 11 remains our
largest transport to date.
23

SPAY/NEUTER & VACCINATIONS
BEYOND RESCUE & REHABILITATION: COMMUNITY OUTREACH
The Sato Project team has always recognized that Puerto
Rico’s stray dog epidemic cannot be solved by rescue alone.
In order to truly end this crisis,
we must address the systemic
causes and prevent suffering
before it begins.
Yabucoa. For $35 any pet owner could get their dog or cat
spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. Our team
went door to door with flyers in hand to get the word out
and talk directly to the community about the importance of
spaying/neutering and regular veterinary care for their pets.
Aside from the immediate months after Hurricane Maria
when all veterinary services were temporarily shut down,
our SNVM voucher program has reached its maximum
number of pets nearly every month since it started in 2016.
“Why are there so many stray dogs in Puerto Rico?” is
another question we are often asked. There are many
layers to answering this question, but at the heart of it is
many years of infrequent spaying/neutering, which leads
to unwanted litters of puppies and a never-ending cycle of
reproduction. Compounding this issue is a lack of access
to affordable veterinary care, and multiple natural disasters
that have led to even more abandoned pets.
After extensive research and planning, our first community
spay/neuter initiative came to fruition in 2016. It was a
partnership with Humane Society International and local
veterinary group, Cruz Veterinary Services. Together, we
held six mobile clinics once a month throughout 2016.
Once that initiative came to an end, we immediately used
it as a stepping stone to establishing our own permanent
program: a subsidized Spay/Neuter, Vaccine, and Microchip
(SNVM) voucher program for our surrounding community in
24

In 2018, another opportunity arrived to make an even bigger
impact: Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) asked
us to partner with them to implement the Spayathon for
Puerto Rico. As the number of stray animals skyrocketed
after Hurricane Maria, in addition to rising cases of disease,
some of which, like leptospirosis, were transmittable to
humans, Puerto Rico’s large numbers of stray animals had
become a public health emergency.
Spearheaded by the HSUS, Spayathon was a first-of-itskind
collaborative effort of over 28 local, national, and
international organizations, as well as the government of
Puerto Rico. All of these entities came together under a
single goal: to spay/neuter and vaccinate as many dogs
and cats as possible across the island. From June 2018 to
February 2020, the Spayathon Coalition held six rounds
of week-long spay/neuter and vaccination clinics. These
clinics took place at different locations all over Puerto Rico
and were completely free. Every pet owner was also given
free dog or cat food, along with other pet supplies.
The Sato Project was the Ground Team for the southeastern
sector of the island. This meant that we were in charge of
all community outreach, registration, and logistics for the
clinics taking place in our region. In the beginning, we
had no idea how many residents would show up for these
services. No program like this had ever been held in Puerto
Rico before. Our team knew there was tremendous need,
and we worked incredibly hard going door-to-door and
spreading the word. Still, we were unsure if people would
actually show up to take advantage of these free services.
SPAYATHON: 5AM
25

ONE PAIR OF UNSTERILIZED DOGS AND THEIR
OFFSPRING CAN PRODUCE AS MANY AS 67,000
PUPPIES IN JUST SIX YEARS.
Spayathon for Puerto Rico was a wake up call for all of us.
From the very first clinic, to every clinic afterwards, pet
owners lined up long before dawn. The lucky ones who
got in stayed all day waiting for their pets’ surgeries to be
completed. Nearly every day of every clinic, we reached
our maximum amount of animals that could be taken
in, to the point where we sadly had to turn people away.
Spayathon was proof of how many Puerto Ricans truly love
their animals and want to do what is best for them. It also
made us realize how many people do want to be a part of
addressing Puerto Rico’s stray animal crisis. However, on
an island where nearly half of the population lives below
the poverty line, they need help accessing affordable
veterinary care.
POPULATION
EXPLOSION
1 YEAR: 16
2 YEARS: 128
3 YEARS: 512
4 YEARS: 12,288
6 YEARS: 67,000
As an organization that has had to face horrific cases
of animal abuse and neglect in Puerto Rico over and
over again, our first spay/neuter clinics were incredibly
meaningful. It was an honor for us to meet so many people
who would go to such lengths to care for their pets, even
amid such challenging personal circumstances. Sadly, due
to the COVID-19 pandemic, Spayathon officially ended.
However, across the six completed rounds, the Spaython
Coalition spayed/neutered and vaccinated 56,294 dogs
and cats in total.
The Sato Project team is directly
responsible for facilitating 5,896
Spayathon surgeries.
Spayathon for Puerto Rico made a huge impact on the people
and pets of this island. While our team is disappointed to see
this initiative come to an end, it was only the beginning for
us. We are already applying everything we’ve learned and
pouring it into developing new programs aimed at picking up
where Spayathon left off.
VACCINE CLINIC
NINA - 2021
Sato Nina was once living in the streets, scared of humans,
struggling to survive, and pregnant. Her mom had to work very
hard to gain her trust and rescue her. Now Nina is a beloved
family member and all of her puppies have gone to happy
homes. Nina’s mom told us that many people like her want
to help Puerto Rico’s stray dogs, but cannot afford veterinary
care even for their own pets. When she first found out about
our free drive-up vaccine clinic from friends, she thought it
was too good to be true. She came to the clinic early without
her dogs to confirm that it was real. As soon as she saw that it
was, she ran home to grab her two dogs and returned. She was
very grateful for the opportunity to get Nina and her other dog
vaccinated for no cost.
26

SPAYATHON
YILDA & BODOGA - 2019
Yilda comes from an entire family of animal lovers. She lives
on a big farm filled with animals, including thirteen satos
that her family all rescued themselves. Her brother found
out about Spayathon at school, where he was training to be
a vet tech, and immediately spread the word to everyone he
knew. Yilda came to the Spayathon with a rescued cat and
her dog, Bodoga. Yilda told us that she thinks the Spayathon
initiative is “a lifesaver for so many people in Puerto Rico
because many people want to care for their animals, but they
cannot afford the veterinary care.“ It is especially difficult for
animal lovers like her and her family who rescue multiple pets
from the streets to save them from suffering: “we want to
give them the best lives possible, but can only afford to care
for so many.”
CATALINO & BRUNO - 2020
Catalino could not just stand by when he witnessed his
neighbors abusing a helpless litter of three puppies - especially
when it reached the extreme of cutting off one of their ears.
He marched over and told them they had three options: they
could surrender the puppies to him, find a rescue group to take
them, or he would call the police and report them for animal
abuse. Thankfully they conceded to give Catalino the puppies,
who immediately made themselves right at home with their
adoptive dad. He came to Round 6 of The Spayathon for two
full days in order to get all three of them spayed/neutered
(there is a daily maximum of two animals per person). He is
shown here with Bruno, who was his last pup to get treated.
Catalino was very grateful for the opportunity to provide his
new family members with vital veterinary care and the chance
to see a vet for the first time.
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SNV VOUCHERS
SPRINKOLINA - 2021
While The Sato Project does not rescue cats directly, we do
include cats in our Freedom Flight operations (when helping
other organizations transport their animals), our No Dog Left
Behind program, and all of our spay/neuter community outreach
programs. 1 year old Sprinkolina was found abandoned in the
streets. However, the people who found her were not in a
position to adopt her and could not find her another home. Not
wanting to abandon her again or see her suffer, they took her
to one of our partner veterinary clinics to have her euthanized.
Fortunately, the clinic staff stepped in and were able to find
a family for her instead. They also informed her new mom,
Rosemily, of our voucher program and she jumped at the
chance to get Sprinkolina spayed/neutered and vaccinated
for free. Rosemily says, “there is such an overpopulation of
pets in Puerto Rico, in part because so many people are not
educated about the importance of sterilization and/or do not
have the resources to treat their pets.” She really appreciates
how our program addresses both issues and would love to see
even more such programs across the island so that more cats
like Sprinkolina don’t end up unwanted and abandoned.
Our spay/neuter efforts are continuing to evolve and expand. As of spring
2021, thanks to the support of Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Henry Friedman of
@KeepingFinn (our sato Instagram star), our community voucher program has
gone from being low-cost to completely free so that we can reach even more
pet owners who need it the most.
Yet another health emergency has surfaced in 2021:
outbreaks of deadly distemper have been reported all over
the island this year. We even experienced an outbreak in
one of our own veterinary clinics. Distemper is a highly
contagious disease and there is a routine vaccine given to
all dogs who are lucky enough to receive regular veterinary
care. So for most dog owners, it is never a serious concern
they have to face. However, in Puerto Rico, where there
are thousands of stray dogs trying to survive in the streets
and many families who cannot afford routine veterinary
care for their pets - distemper is a harsh reality. As soon
as this disease surfaced among some of our intakes, we
knew we needed to take action quickly. In the spring we
held two completely free drive-up vaccination clinics in
Humacao, Puerto Rico. Through these two no-cost clinics
we vaccinated 1,210 dogs for distemper, parvovirus,
leptospirosis, and rabies. We plan to hold additional clinics
in the fall and/or winter of 2021.
28
The Sato Project has
spayed/neutered 7,500
dogs and cats across all
of our combined spay/
neuter and vaccine
outreach programs over
10 years.

FINDING A NEW HOME
DIRECT ADOPTION AND SHELTER PLACEMENTS
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
The Sato Project’s rescue efforts
would not be possible without the
thousands of families who have
opened up their hearts and homes
to our Puerto Rican treasures.
Every dog deserves to have a safe place to live, a cozy bed
to sleep on, healthy food to eat, and a family to love and
cherish them. This is the dream we have for every sato that
we rescue.
From the very beginning, we developed an adoption
application process to ensure that our dogs only go to the
safest and most loving homes. After everything these dogs
have been through, it is extremely important to ensure
they never want for anything in their lives ever again. At
first, Chrissy Beckles found these families herself through
friends and word of mouth. Then the creation of a Facebook
page helped us reach more adopters. Gradually, as word
spread, we started getting more adoption applications than
we could keep up with. Our team of adoption volunteers
Photo by Alexandra Lloyd
29

quickly realized that we could save even more dogs if we
had help in placing them and finding their families. We
will never forget our very first trusted shelter partners -
Kent Animal Shelter in Long Island, NY, Animal Haven in
Manhattan, and Northeast Animal Shelter in Boston, MA.
Within our first year of operation, all three shelters jumped
in to help us place even more satos in the homes they
deserve. We now partner with many private shelters all
across the East Coast from Florida to Maine.
Photo by Alexandra Lloyd
Photo by Alexandra Lloyd
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
HOME SWEET HOME
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Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
Over 10 years, our adoption team has placed over 6,000 dogs and cats
either directly into loving homes or with trusted shelter partners. We
are so proud of every single one of these unique sato and gato dreams
that came true. It is their stories of success that help keep us fighting for
every dog that still needs us.
Photo by Alexandra Lloyd Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
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ADOPTER STORIES
INDY
Indy was found on Dead Dog Beach with her two sisters right
after Hurricane Irma. After she took her Freedom Flight, she
went to a foster family who were also recent adopters of
another sato. After Hurricane Maria, they really wanted to do
something to help, so they signed up to foster. When she first
arrived, Indy was extremely stressed after everything she had
experienced in the previous few weeks. Then suddenly, her
foster dad, Taylor, unexpectedly lost his job right after she
arrived and he became very stressed too. That shared stress
transformed into a shared special bond. Taylor says:
“We were both hurting, and in our pain, we were able to heal
each other.” He was able to devote much of his time to helping
her adjust to her new life and, in the process, she helped
him adjust too. When another family expressed interest in
adopting Indy, Taylor instantly realized that he could never let
her go. He says, “I was never someone who really understood
the whole ‘dog is man’s best friend’ thing, or how close you
could be with an animal. Until I got Indy. She’s taught me what
unconditional love truly is. And how to be present… and not to
take a single moment with the ones we love for granted.”
PITA
“Look at these happy little faces and you’ll know all you need
to know. The Sato Project rescues thousands of abandoned
dogs in Puerto Rico and brings them to the mainland US,
finds them homes via an extensive vetting process to make
sure each dog has the perfect family, and gives these dogs
a life they couldn’t have dreamed of. These three are sisters,
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all rescued in 2020, who met up for a reunion for their first
birthday thanks to the adopter network The Sato Project has
created. This non-profit creates families and saves lives, and
what could be better than that?"
- Nicole G., Adopter of Pita

MELO
Melo was rescued from the euthanasia list of an overburdened
municipal shelter that had become even more overwhelmed
after the earthquakes in Puerto Rico.
One year since his arrival, his mom, Carla, told us:
“Our life with Melo could not be happier!!! Things are going
GREAT! We cannot believe it’s been a year. It seems like
yesterday we traveled to NJ to get Melo but seems like he
has been a part of our family forever. We moved in February
to a neighborhood and the neighborhood is filled with dogs so
Melo has met a bunch of new friends. Any person that meets
Melo cannot believe what an amazing dog he is. As you can
see from the pics wherever our son Quentin is- that is where
Melo is. Quentin had struggled during the pandemic- school
stopped in person for him in the middle of kindergarten. When
Melo arrived in July they had an instant bond. I swear Melo
knew that Quentin needed him. As I write this they are laying
on his bed together watching TV. I cannot thank The Sato
Project enough for matching the perfect dog for our family.
My favorite moment has to be every night when Melo crawls
into bed with Quentin, Elijah, or Kyla. He loves to snuggle and
hates to be alone. We love our Melo and are so thankful he
completed our family!”
Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
got pregnant again and brought our son, Brian David, into the
world, in March 2021. So, it's very much come full circle with
Champ. He healed us during the most painful time of our life and
has now been there through our most joyful moments. He loves
his role as Brian's big brother, and lays down wherever the baby
is. He even insists on sleeping next to the baby's bassinet!
I worked 100% remotely from the time we adopted Champ
in July all the way through my maternity leave in March. It
would've been very lonely and quiet and I'm so grateful that
Champ was there to keep me company. Also, toward the end of
my pregnancy, my doctor put us under strict lock-down since
I was a high risk pregnancy and COVID cases were starting
to spike again. My husband Brian and I weren't able to see
friends or family for months, even during the holidays, and
Champ brought us so much joy during that very isolating
time…We can't thank you all enough for making OUR dreams
come true by bringing this beautiful dog into our lives! We
were grieving two devastating losses in our family, and now
he is helping us heal. We are the lucky ones."
CHAMP
Champ was found in the streets in such dreadful condition
that our team wasn’t sure that he would even make it through
the night. However, with all of our community’s support, this
fighter made a full recovery and triumphantly flew to his new
family on Mission Possible 11 in 2020.
Since taking his Freedom Flight, Champ has been living the
good life in New Jersey with his family and even recently
became a big brother. One year later Champ’s mum, Melissa,
told us: “Champ has truly become a member of our family. We
decided to adopt him after losing our first baby in the second
trimester of our pregnancy in April 2020. Since that time, we
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DISASTER RELIEF
PREPARING FOR AND RESPONDING TO DISASTERS
DONATIONS
Since Hurricane Maria, preparing for and responding to
disasters has become an everyday occurrence for The Sato
Project team. The constant threat of more hurricanes and
earthquakes has taken a severe toll on the people, animals,
and communities all across Puerto Rico. In our desire to step
up and help relieve suffering, we recognized that we were
in a unique position to provide additional support to the
island. Every private airplane that we charter to fly dogs off
of the island has to first fly into Puerto Rico, and they used
to fly in empty. Thanks to a collaboration with our partners,
Wings of Rescue and Greater Good Charities, we’ve
ensured that these airplanes are filled with humanitarian and
animal relief supplies whenever possible. From there, we
coordinate distributing the supplies to other organizations
across the island. In August of 2021, alongside Wings of
Rescue, Georgina Bloomberg, and Project Medishare, we
even coordinated an airplane of humanitarian supplies to
Haiti to assist in their earthquake recovery.
Through all of our aid and
recovery efforts, The Sato Project
has distributed 136,000 lbs of
disaster relief supplies since
Hurricane Maria.
When the pandemic began in the spring of 2020, we also
started holding periodic pet food pantries to distribute
supplies directly to the people and animals who needed
it the most. With so many people laid off from work due to
stay-at-home orders, we knew there were many pet owners
across the island struggling to afford to feed their pets.
Through these efforts, our team has distributed 34,000
lbs of dog and cat food directly to hungry pets in need
during the pandemic.
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When the earthquake crisis began in early 2020, another
emergency immediately followed: the surrendering of pets
to municipal shelters. Without feeling safe in their homes
or having adequate resources to survive, many families
were forced to make difficult decisions. For many, this sadly
included surrendering their pets.
Every animal shelter across the island is severely
overburdened; however, municipal shelters in the
southeastern corner of the island, where the earthquakes
are the most frequent, were pushed to a breaking point.
The municipal shelter in Ponce, Puerto Rico has
faced a euthanasia rate of nearly 99% since the
earthquakes began.
Once The Sato Project found out that so many family pets
were being euthanized due to lack of space, our team
immediately took action. Within five days of the first major
earthquake, we organized an evacuation of 116 dogs and
cats directly from the struggling shelters in the center of the
earthquake crisis to welcoming shelters on the East Coast.
Two weeks later, we organized another flight of 140 dogs
and cats. These first evacuation missions turned out to only
be the beginning.
"The students and faculty from Puerto Rico at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine
(RUSVM) mobilized our community soon after the disaster events, in an effort to raise funds to
assist with relief efforts for animals in the affected areas. The students decided to donate the
monies to The Sato Project, as it proves to be an organization that year after year continues to
provide a holistic approach to improving animal welfare in Puerto Rico."
-Doris M. Castellanos,
Research and Postgraduate Studies Lead Administrator & IRB Administrator, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine
As the earthquake crisis continues in the southwestern corner, so have our
efforts to relieve shelters in that region.
Since these efforts began, we have rescued and helped
transport over 600 animals from two municipal shelters,
Ponce Municipal Shelter, Villa Michelle Mayaguez, and the
non-profit sanctuary Santuario De Animales San Francisco
de Asis, which sustained severe damage from earthquakes
and tropical storms. Saving dogs from euthanasia at the
municipal shelter in Ponce and taking them into our program
has now become an ongoing feature of our rescue efforts.
In the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021, we pulled 70 and 80
dogs respectively from Ponce and incorporated them into
our own rescue and rehabilitation program.
Our No Dog Left Behind program, started as a response
to the devastation of Hurricane Maria, has also continued
helping pets stay with their families. Since this program
started, The Sato Project has reunited over 220 dogs (and
a few cats!) with their families on the mainland who had to
leave the island.
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MIRANDA - 2020-21
When we first met Miranda at the Ponce municipal shelter
in October of 2020, it was clear that life had not treated
her kindly. She appeared to be paralyzed and was awaiting
her fate on the euthanasia list. Once we had her safely
at our veterinary clinic, x-rays revealed two bullets and an
arrowhead still lodged in her body. The cruelty that this poor
dog faced in her short lifetime was hard to fathom. After six
months of constant care and rehabilitation in Puerto Rico,
Miranda’s condition improved; however, our vets assessed that
she needed hydrotherapy in order to have any hope of walking
again. Miranda took her Freedom Flight in April of 2021 and
saw a team of specialists who oversaw the rest of her care.
One of the team’s veterinary technicians, Danielle, even
agreed to foster her. After three months of water therapy, not
only was Miranda able to walk, she was also able to RUN. In
the course of her recovery, another amazing thing happened:
Danielle completely fell in love with Miranda’s sweet and
soulful personality. Miranda’s adoption became official in June
and the two of them have been living their best lives together
ever since.
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VINICIO JOSÉ - 2021
Between the earthquakes, the pandemic, the constant threat
of hurricanes, and everything else happening in Puerto Rico,
Alexandra and her other adult siblings had been trying to
convince their mother to move to the mainland to be closer to
them for a long time. However, their mom refused to leave the
island without her ‘baby’ Vinicio José. Alexandra did not want
to leave her sato brother behind either, but did not know what
to do since cargo transport for animals on commercial airlines
from Puerto Rico had not yet reopened since the pandemic
began. Then she heard about our No Dog Left Behind program
and it became the solution to their problem. We arranged for
Vinicio José to hitch a ride on our Freedom Flight in May of
2021 and then they arranged for their mom to move on the
exact same day. Now Vinicio José and his mom are both getting
to live safely surrounded by their other family members who
love them so much.

ALBERT - 2021
Albert was a special senior dog we rescued in February from
the municipal shelter in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He was severely
thin, his body was covered in sores, and he was scheduled
for euthanasia. However, we knew there was a fighter in his
small body and we promised to give him the second chance
that all dogs, no matter what their age, deserve. While his
prognosis was never great, he fought through being exposed
to distemper and other illnesses. We knew he might not be
with us for very long, but we were determined to let him live
out the rest of whatever days he had left in a loving home. His
health took a turn for the worse just days before his Freedom
Flight, but we refused to give up. Albert flew on June 19th and
was picked up by our incredible foster volunteers, Rob and
Robbie. They knew Albert was a hospice case and did not have
a lot of time left, but they promised to fill all his remaining
moments with love. Only a few days later, while snuggled in
next to Robbie on the couch, Albert passed away peacefully
in his sleep.
a time when our team in Puerto Rico desperately needed it.
Albert reminded us to never give up and that it is never too
late to fight for your dreams no matter how old you are. In
honor of Albert, we started a special fund, Albert’s Senior Dog
Fund, to help more senior satos just like him.
Our dream was for Albert to be in a home, in his own bed,
before he left this world. And even though it was only for a few
days, that dream did come true. During the time that Albert
was in our care, he deeply affected us. As he kept fighting
multiple health battles, he gave us hope and inspiration during
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LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER
This has been quite a journey. Not one I ever expected, but uncertainty usually makes for the greatest
adventures. It is over fifteen years since I first visited Puerto Rico. She has now become home. The small
but mighty team that I work side by side with daily are my family. We continue to fight for the dogs of
Puerto Rico every single day. Literally not figuratively. I have stepped into the ring to fight for them and our
team has fought against overwhelming odds: hurricanes, earthquakes, and a worldwide pandemic.
Training is always the hardest part of a fight. When done correctly the fight should be the easy part.
Muhammad Ali said it best: ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion’. The Sato
Project trains every day. 365 days a year for ten years now. The inspiration and the champions in this
journey are the incredible stray and abandoned dogs of Puerto Rico: the satos, the extraordinary street
dogs who have the innate will to survive. They keep moving forward often against insurmountable odds. I
say the same thing to every single sato that we rescue: “Today is the day your life is going to change. Don’t
quit. Please trust me now. And I promise you the greatest life. Whether that life is hours, weeks or years.”
In this work I have witnessed the worst of man and the best of him. There are dogs that still haunt me
– especially those that I met when I first walked onto Dead Dog Beach all those years ago. There were
hundreds of dogs running in packs. It was overwhelming. Standing in front of a sea of imploring faces and
only having the resources to take one. Knowing that the ones I could not rescue would face certain death.
When we adopted our first sato, our darling Boom Boom, I had a face that held me accountable every day. I
had to do more. She was the fuel I needed then and continues to be to this day. I wanted to be able to look
at Boom Boom and know I was doing everything I could to aid the hundreds of thousands of her Puerto
Rican cousins that desperately awaited help. And so, The Sato Project began. With a vision and a promise.
We would vet every dog to the highest possible standards, before they left the island. My biggest fear then
and still now is putting a sick dog on a plane. I consulted with one of the world’s greatest canine infectious
disease specialists, Dr. Cynda Crawford, to write our vetting protocols and we still work together all these
years later.
This organization is my life’s proudest achievement. It is Boom Boom’s legacy, and her memory is honored
with every sato that we save.
None of this would have been possible without you – our supporters, colleagues, friends and family. I am
so incredibly grateful to have all of you in our corner. The next chapter of The Sato Project is already being
planned. I cannot wait to share it with you all and I am unbelievably excited as to what the next ten years
will bring.
Never underestimate the will of a scrappy southpaw from England. I dream big.
Thank you for making my dream, Boom Boom’s dream, and 6,000 other satos’ dreams a reality.
In gratitude,
Chrissy Beckles
Founder and President
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Photo by @NYCPetPhotographer
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS WORK POSSIBLE
In The Sato Project’s 10 year history, we have flown 6,000+ dogs and cats rescued from the streets
of Puerto Rico to new lives on the East Coast and spayed/neutered and vaccinated more than 7,500
animals. None of this work would be possible without the support of our generous community.
The Sato Project team would like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who has supported
our rescue and community outreach efforts over the last 10 years. As Puerto Rico continues to face
disaster after disaster, your donations have helped us save lives, end suffering, and build permanent
change for the animals and people on the island. Knowing that we still have your support, even in the
midst of a global pandemic, truly means the world to us and to the dogs we rescue.
Due to a combination of economic hardship, infrequent spaying and neutering, the mass exodus of
residents since the devastation of Hurricane Maria, and continuing natural disasters, an estimated
500,000 stray dogs are a sad reality of life in Puerto Rico. Many of these dogs are suffering and
struggling to survive. Founded in 2011 by Chrissy Beckles, The Sato Project is dedicated to ending
this suffering and helping as many of these satos (“stray dogs”) as possible, find the safe, loving
homes they deserve.
The Sato Project is working to make permanent change in Puerto Rico through a threefold mission:
1. rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming abandoned and abused dogs; 2. addressing the underlying
causes of overpopulation, abandonment, and abuse through community outreach and low-cost or
free spay/neuter and vaccine services; 3. bringing national attention to the problem of abandoned
and abused dogs in Puerto Rico.
For more information about our work visit:
www.thesatoproject.org
Facebook.com/thedeaddogbeachproject
Instagram.com/thesatoproject
Twitter.com/thesatoproject
130 Water St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
thesatoproject.org/donate