{"id":231865,"date":"2019-10-24T14:55:39","date_gmt":"2019-10-24T21:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lulus.com\/blog\/?p=231865"},"modified":"2021-10-06T15:34:10","modified_gmt":"2021-10-06T22:34:10","slug":"dog-emergency-kit-the-sato-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lulus.com\/blog\/lifestyle\/dog-emergency-kit-the-sato-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Rescue Group of the Month: Tips on How to Prepare Your Pets for an Emergency (and More) From The Sato Project"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image via TheSatoProject.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chrissy Beckles and her team at The Sato Project<\/a> want to make lasting change when it comes to the stray dogs of Puerto Rico. Aside from rescuing<\/a> abandoned and abused dogs<\/a> from the municipality of Yabucoa, on the southeastern coast of the island, they are taking steps to reduce pet overpopulation through community outreach initiatives. Based in both Brooklyn, New York and Puerto Rico, The Sato Project team has seen it all, from miracle comebacks to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria–and more. We chatted with Beckles, TSP’s Founder and President, as well as Communications Associate, Tara Steinberg, about tackling a problem at its source, the benefits of fostering a dog, and what you should always<\/em> have in your dog emergency kit.<\/p>\n

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Image via The Dogist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lulus: How did The Sato Project start? What is your primary mission?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tara Steinberg:<\/strong> Our Founder and President, Chrissy Beckles was visiting Puerto Rico for the first time in 2006 (her husband, Bobby, is a stuntman and was filming a movie in PR) and, as a dog lover, was horrified by the number of street dogs, many starving and suffering, that were wandering all over the island. She knew that she had to do something to help.<\/p>\n

She started by donating [to other rescue organizations] and then started traveling back to Puerto Rico to volunteer. She was so passionate about doing everything she could to help these dogs that she eventually quit her job and started rescuing full time in 2009. And then in 2011, she launched The Sato Project.<\/p>\n

The Sato Project\u2019s primary mission is to create permanent change for the dogs of Puerto Rico: for the estimated 500,000 satos currently suffering in the streets and on the beaches<\/a>, and for the dogs who might become abandoned in the future. We are dedicated to rescuing as many abused and abandoned dogs in Puerto Rico as possible, while also addressing the underlying causes of overpopulation, abandonment, and abuse through community outreach and subsidized spay\/neuter initiatives. \u00a0Ultimately, our long term goal is to someday see every sato living in a loving home and a Puerto Rico free of stray dogs.<\/p>\n

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Image via The Dogist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lulus: So what exactly is a sato dog?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Chrissy Beckles:<\/b> The term \u2018sato\u2019 is a local Puerto Rican slang term for a mixed-breed, stray dog. It is traditionally not considered a term of endearment and satos are often targets of abuse and neglect. Another part of our mission is to permanently change the public perception of these dogs and this term. We want satos to be as revered in Puerto Rico as they are on the mainland\u2014we have people waitlisted to adopt our rescues<\/a>. We believe satos represent the Puerto Rican people perfectly: they are resilient, strong, brave and beautiful with an innate capacity for survival; to keep moving forward and not look back. It is another goal of ours to make satos the national dog of Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n

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Image via Stacey Axelrod \/NYC Pet Photographer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lulus: Love that! What makes the Sato Project unique as an organization?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

CB:<\/b> Firstly, it\u2019s the way the organization started: a British Champion Amatur Boxer visiting Puerto Rico and being so moved by what I witnessed that I was compelled to dedicate my life to fighting for these incredible dogs. From the moment I adopted Boom Boom, my first Sato a year after first visiting PR, I had to do more. (Boom Boom was the inspiration for the Sato Project and is the dog in our logo.) I walked away from my highly successful consulting business to pursue the dream of helping as many satos as possible\u2014I have an incredible husband who supported me 1000%.<\/p>\n

Secondly, when I made the decision to start my own organization I was determined to approach our work from a different angle; how could we vet the dogs we were rescuing to the highest standards? What diagnostic testing was available? What quarantine practices should we use? I implemented rescue, vetting, and transport protocols to ensure that every single dog that came through our program was in the best possible health when they were put on a plane to take their \u2018freedom flight\u2019 to their new families. The Sato Project is \u2018branding\u2019 satos–much like Tampax or Hoover!<\/p>\n

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Image via Stacey Axelrod \/NYC Pet Photographer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lulus: How important is fostering to what you do? What should people know about potentially fostering a dog?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

CB: <\/b>Fostering is one of the greatest gifts that you can give a sato. You get to teach them how great humans can be! Being a foster means giving a dog positive life and human interaction experiences\u2014showing them all the new and exciting things that come with living in a home; stairs, wooden floors, washers and dryers, TV! Fosters often bear witness to those special moments like the first excited tail wag, playing with a toy, sleeping peacefully (essentially, without one eye open). Fostering truly helps a dog become more adoptable. And the more dogs that find families<\/a>, the more needy dogs we can rescue.<\/p>\n

Lulus: Community outreach and education (i.e., spay\/neuter clinics) is a large part of what you do– why is this so important?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

CB: <\/b>The Sato Project has always recognized that no matter how many dogs we rescue from the streets of Puerto Rico and fly to the mainland, we will never be able to fully solve the island\u2019s systemic stray animal crisis without addressing its root cause: the lack of spaying\/neutering. More and more dogs are being born in the streets every day. After Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017 and caused even more dogs to be abandoned, the need for spaying\/neutering access has become even more urgent than it was before.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Image via The Sato Project<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

TS: <\/b>In The Sato Project\u2019s eight-year history, we have rescued nearly 3,500 dogs and flown them off the island. Chrissy Beckles has rescued over 4,000 dogs in the 13 years she has been working in PR. But there are still an estimated 500,000 stray dogs roaming Puerto Rico\u2019s streets and beaches. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There is only one way to stop the rising street dog population from getting any bigger: We must stop the suffering before it begins and spay\/neuter as many dogs as we possibly can.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Access to spaying\/neutering and community outreach is essential to creating any kind of permanent change for the dogs of PR.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Image via The Sato Project<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lulus: <\/span>TSP has made great progress since Hurricane Maria–did you assist with any Hurricane Dorian rescue efforts? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

CB: <\/b>We were ready to mobilize if needed\u2014our friends at Wings of Rescue<\/a> spent almost two weeks flying in supplies and animals off the islands<\/a>. As a tiny team (of four) in PR we had to make the hard decision to stay on the island and be ready in case we were hit by another storm.<\/p>\n

Lulus: Any tips on disaster preparedness for pets? What should always be in a dog emergency kit?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

CB: <\/b><\/p>\n