Checking in with Sato Project Founder Chrissy Beckles

If you’ve followed us here for a while, you’re probably familiar with the Sato Project and its founder, Chrissy Beckles. We first met Chrissy through our Inspired by Women campaign and have been honored to follow and support her work rescuing abused and abandoned dogs in Puerto Rico in the years since. Read on to find out what’s new and what’s next for the Sato Project.

It’s been a minute! For those unacquainted, tell us about The Sato Project and how it got started.

I visited Puerto Rico for the first time in 2007. My husband Bobby was filming a movie there (he is a professional stuntman) and was staying on island for a couple of months. He told me before I arrived that “I would freak out” when I saw all the stray dogs there and I did. I spent the week of my vacation feeding satos (the local term for street or stray mixed dogs) and taking them to vets’ offices. I left feeling completely overwhelmed but determined to do something about what I had seen. I began volunteering for two organizations on island and in 2008 we adopted Boom Boom, our first Sato. She came from one of the five municipal shelters in Puerto Rico and was the only member of her family to make it out alive. Her eyes told stories and they were not good ones…I would look at her and knew that I had to do more. I closed my successful consulting business and dedicated myself to rescuing full time. The Sato Project ‘officially’ started on November 29^th, 2011 (when we received our 501c3 status but as you can read here our work started long before then). Boom Boom is the dog in our logo.

The Sato Project celebrated its 10^th Anniversary in 2021. First of all, congratulations—what a milestone! What are some of your favorite memories or accomplishments from the past decade?

Thank you! This has been quite a journey. Not one I ever expected to be on but there is truly nothing else I would rather be doing. There are so many memories! Working with Bryce Dallas Howard for Moroccanoil’s ‘Inspired By’ series was incredible. I would love to do a follow up with her! Although the actual memories are mixed (good and very bad), I continue to be in awe of how The Sato Project responded to Hurricane Maria. We were the first organization to transport dogs (and some cats!) off island just 9 days after the Category Five Hurricane decimated Puerto Rico. It was the first of 77 flights that we organized. We flew in and distributed over 130,000lbs of humanitarian supplies – for people and animals. We launched a program that we named ‘No dog left behind’ that is still operating to this day. We have helped reunite more than 250 families who had to leave PR with their pets. Receiving the Moroccanoil ‘Inspiration to Action’ Award at the Variety Power of Women luncheon in LA just 3 weeks after Hurricane Maria was surreal. I stood in a room full of celebrities in the only dress that I was able to salvage from my destroyed home. My husband had to power wash it three times because it had been sat in five feet of black water for two weeks. The over 6,000 dogs that we have rescued, rehabilitated, completely vetted, transported and that are now living in loving homes. They are always my inspiration to go back for the next ones.

How has the pandemic impacted your organization and operations?

At the beginning of the pandemic we had over 100 dogs stuck in PR. There was no way for us to fly them. The majority had families patiently waiting for them as well. At the first opportunity – over July 4^th weekend 2020 we flew 243 dogs off the island. There were 100 families in New York who finally got meet their satos. Some had been waiting more than 6 months! It was incredibly emotional for our entire team.

Tell us about one of the dogs that captured your heart recently.

In August last year one of our volunteers witnessed a car run over a puppy and sadly as often happens in these cases, the car did not stop. The puppy was immediately brought to our vet’s clinic and it was there we learned the extent of his injuries. Irwin was a shut down, traumatized puppy. He was, in all honesty one of the worst cases I have ever worked with. He would scream, yes scream in terror if you went near him. Forget touching him. I cannot and do not want to imagine what happened in this little sato’s life before we rescued him. Our small but mighty team on the ground in PR were determined to earn Irwin’s trust. And we did. Breakfast with Irwin was how we began. I teared up when I got my first Irwin kiss. A tiny lick of his tongue as I sat by him was a huge milestone. Irwin’s injuries were severe and we had to amputate his leg. It was a hard surgery for a tiny puppy and the screams began again. I wanted to hold him tight and soothe him but he was not ready. Irwin had bonded with Benito, my sato, and we sat by him all night. The next morning with Benito as his guide, Irwin made his first steps as a tripod sato. He was a natural! Irwin flew to New York in September and was adopted by Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan who is a huge supporter of our work and is now Dad to two (2) satos!

How does The Sato Project identify dogs to rescue? Do you work with the island’s animal rescue community?

We continue our work on Dead Dog Beach in the Yabucoa municipality. Our team visits daily and where you would once see hundreds of dogs running in packs you now see none. There are a couple of feral dogs on the beach that we are working with to gain their trust so they can be rescued. We have partnered with several of the island’s municipal shelters to do large rescues of dogs that are on their euthanasia list. There are only five (5) municipal shelters in PR – by law there is supposed to be an animal control facility or plan in each of the 78 municipalities. Sadly these shelters have a combined euthanasia rate of 96%. We visit as often as we are able and pull a minimum of ten (10) dogs at a time and as many as eighty (80). Since Hurricane Maria we have continued to partner with Wings of Rescue to fly our dogs to New York. We always offer space on our planes to other rescues at zero charge and regularly help two of the island’s municipal shelters to fly and place their dogs.

What’s the rescue process like—from finding a dog to placing it in a new home?

We have standard operating procedures and protocols for every aspect of our work. When a sato is rescued they immediately begin our unprecedented vetting protocols. They are something that our entire team is incredibly proud of – they are written with and under the advice of some of the World’s leading infectious disease specialists and Veterinarians. Rescues are quarantined, diagnostically tested for infectious and contagious diseases, receive complete sets of vaccines (not just one shot), spayed or neutered and microchipped. Our protocols are 14 pages long and take on average 8 weeks to complete. And that is for a dog with no underlying medical conditions such as heartworm, orthopedic issues, skin problems or severe trauma. They can take much longer to rehabilitate. We learn about each sato’s personality and work to gain the trust of those who have been abused, are shy or shut down. We document each sato’s journey and once they have cleared quarantine and are at a certain point of their vetting protocols our adoption team can begin to find a family for them. We do large ‘freedom flights’ every two months and the majority of our rescues go directly into homes. We do partner with some independent shelters in New York for our much larger flights.

What’s the biggest challenge you face as an organization?

Funding is key. Sadly, we cannot continue this work without money. We receive zero financial help from the Government of Puerto Rico. We rely completely on donations to continue our mission. I started with a $200 donation from my husband and 15 years later I am still here. The Sato Project is entering year 11 of our work and the challenges continue. We understand that rescue alone will never solve the problem of an island roughly the size of the State of Connecticut having an estimated 500,000 stray dogs. We run a community outreach program that has spayed/neutered and vaccinated over 7,900 animals. There are fifty vouchers available each month to help needy local pet owners get their dog or cat spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped at zero cost to them. We would love to double that number monthly but have really struggled to find vets on island that will help.

How can people help?

If you cannot adopt, foster. If you cannot foster, donate. If you cannot donate, volunteer. If you cannot volunteer, then spread the word. Tell your friends, family and co-workers about us. Help us change the lives of dogs in Puerto Rico. You can also donate directly here. Featured photo by Alexandra Lloyd courtesy of The Sato Project.