Dead Dog Beach

Economic factors

The Puerto Rican Economy is weakening yearly with the government being $72 billion in debt. 10% of the population has left the island (rough estimate of about 400,040 people) due to the economic problems, causing an issue with animals. Many people have abandoned their dogs by either locking them inside the house and leaving or just letting them roam. Many shelters in the area are completely full and oftentimes put the animals down upon their arrival. There is tax refund delay, home price raising, and home foreclosure. According to the governor of Puerto Rico, they are experiencing a "Death Spiral". Although there are options that can possibly help the territory of Puerto Rico, it is really hard for the different parties to agree on a solution. With this incredibly bad economy many pet owners can't take of their family or even have room in their house for a dog so they are forced to let go of the pets and allow them to wander around in hopes that they will find food and a place to stay outside.^[3]

Cultural factors

One of the biggest cultural impacts that has caused an overpopulation of dogs is pet owners not spaying and neutering their pets. More than a majority of the pet owners believe that it is not "natural" to spay or neuter their pets or "kill the sex life of their animal". It is incredibly hard to convince pet owners that this is the best thing for their pet. But with many female pet owners, they see their pets a business tool. They will not neuter their animal because once it produces babies they will be able to sell the babies for some money. Considering the poor economy and hard way of life in Puerto Rico, it is not uncommon to see pet owners fight to keep the pet population growing in effort of making money and just simply arguing that it is more inhumane to kill the sex life of their pet than to actual kill the pet itself. People more commonly will spay the female than neuter the male in the Puerto Rican culture or even will do it once their pet has reached a certain age where it no longer needs to be producing.^[4]

Barceloneta Massacre

In fall of 2007, a private animal control company captured dozens of dogs and cats from housing projects around the town of Barceloneta and allegedly pushed them off a bridge to their death. These dogs and cats were expected to go into a shelter but instead never made it to these shelters. Instead they were found dead and fighting for their lives at the bottom of the bridge. The city supposedly hired Animal Control Solution to go to these housing projects and retrieve these pets because these residents were not obliging to the no-pet policy. They would inject these dogs and cats with what they told the pet owners were "sedatives" for the ride back to the shelter. The pets and strays that were found and captured didn't head to a shelter but rather were thrown down a 50-foot bridge in the town of Vega Baja. Some of these dogs that were thrown were already dead, almost dead and some were even alive and well. About 80 dogs and cats in total were killed in this Massacre. Among these 80 pets, only several of them managed to climb back to the highway beat up and injured.^[5]

When the owner of the Animal Control found out about the accusations and horrific findings of the dogs lying dead at the bottom of the bridge, he covered the deceased dogs with lime to eliminate the smell and claimed that there was no way in proving that these were the same dogs that he instructed his men to take to the shelter. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development ruled that “locally owned and operated housing authorities” are to set pet rules but does not grant authority for a mass confiscation. Animal rights activists “have long criticized the treatment of pets in Puerto Rico, where there is no pet registration law and little spaying or neutering.” Animal shelters are overwhelmed with many pets and sometimes have to go to extreme measures and kill many of the dog population received according to the Association of Medical Veterinarians. But along with this there are a few organizations that recruit volunteers to take 1,500-2000 dogs back from Puerto Rico to the United States in an average year. At least 175 dogs in 2007 have been rescued from the Yabucoa Beach, which activists nicknamed "Dead Dog Beach" because of the strays that roam the coast and the findings of dogs that have passed away their diseases, starvation and gunshots.

Hurricane Maria

In 2017 Dead Dog Beach was hit by Hurricane Maria, the feral dogs that lived on the beach were caught by the phenomenon and did not survive.^[6][7][8]

SATO Project

The Sato Project is a major animal rescue project which operates within the entirety of Puerto Rico, however, the organization's main focus has always been on Sato or Dead Dog Beach.The Sato project has been recognized as the official rescue group in the Yabucoa Municipality. This project was launched in 2011 by Chrissy Beckles and her husband Bobby Beckles. This was in response to the conditions of the animals which they encountered on and around the Sato Beach area during an earlier trip to the Island. The Sato Project is composed of two teams, one which operates within Puerto Rico and another which operates in the United States. These teams operate in conjunction with one another to get the dogs from Puerto Rico and to the United States.

The process of helping these animals begins with them being logged and identified on the beach. Once logged, the Beach Coordinator will check in on these dogs, giving them food and medicine each day until space opens up for them to be taken into shelters. Once a dog is taken to the shelter it will receive a full check up. This will help the veterinarian determine what, if any, medication or care is required for the dog to return to full health. In addition to a check up, the dogs are spayed, neutered, and vaccinated. When a dog is finally well enough to travel volunteers in Puerto Rico help prepare the dogs to fly to either JFK National Airport or Newark Airport. Upon arriving to the US the dogs are received by another team of volunteers who transport the dogs to the project’s adoption team. The adoption team works to find every dog a home and will even take dogs back upon the owner’s request.^[9]

Spay and Neuter Campaign

The Sato Project has also begun a multi phase campaign working to promote spaying and neutering dogs and education about the benefits of neutering pets. The first major phase of the campaign occurred in 2015 when the local government agreed to put up cameras and a gate. This gate is meant to keep people from dumping animals there or abusing the animals which are already there. The gate remains closed from 6pm to 6am daily. The second phase of this campaign is set to start in March 2016, this phase of the campaign will include three distinct parts. Part one consists of teaming up with the Humane Society International to hold ten spay, neuter, and micro chipping clinics throughout Yabucoa, all paid for by the Sato Project. The second part of this phase of the campaign includes targeting areas with low socioeconomic statuses to provide 30 free vouchers per month. These vouchers provide free spaying, neutering, and micro chipping at veterinary clinics in Yabucoa. The final part of the plan is focused on fighting the overpopulation and conditions of the homeless dogs in the Yabucoa area. This will include getting the community more involved with the goal of helping change the outcome of 30 dogs per month.^[10])

Individual rescue efforts

Steven McGarva moved to Puerto Rico in 2005, upon coming to the Island and walking around the beaches he discovered the large number of mistreated and abandoned animals littering his path. In response to what he had discovered McGarva immediately began daily feeding the dogs and cleaning their wounds in the hope that this would make the dogs more attractive for adoption. McGarva remained in Puerto Rico for multiple years taking care of these animals before finally returning the U.S. to speak of his experiences and of the work he feels must be finished in Puerto Rico.^[11]

Other rescue operations

Animal Rescue Foundation is an animal rescue project started in 1997 which primarily operates in the town of Rincon, Puerto Rico. The main focus of this foundation is to rescue dogs and cats, provide spaying and neutering services, provide adoption services, and offer outreach to the community when it comes to information about pet safety.^[12]

Barks For Hope is another rescue foundation started by Leo Roubian in 2014. The primary goal of this rescue project is to provide aid and adoption for abandoned animals throughout the entirety of the island. This operation offers transportation and medical care to the animals including rehabilitation and rides to be spayed and neutered.^[13]