130 Dogs, Cats, Saved From Flood, Earthquake Land In Morristown

MORRISTOWN, NJ - Overburdened shelters in storm and earthquake damaged Puerto Rico were given some breathing room earlier this month as The Sato Project collaborated with Wings of Rescue and Greater Good Charities on an airlift of 130 rescue dogs and cats from Puerto Rico to the East Coast.

A chartered plane took off from San Juan, Puerto Rico and landed in Morristown where all dogs and cats evacuated were either rescued from the streets of Puerto Rico or pulled from overburdened shelters impacted by recent earthquakes and/or damaged by tropical storms. In addition to dealing with COVID-19, Puerto Rico continues to be plagued by daily earthquakes and hurricane threats. Experts predicted this fall to be the worst hurricane season ever in history, making this life-saving transport especially urgent, officials said.

These healthy, friendly pets have health certificates signed by licensed veterinarians and if not already matched with families are candidates for immediate adoption. This transport also included several dogs traveling as a part of The Sato Project's No Dog Left Behind program, which has reunited 200 pets with their families who were displaced by Puerto Rico�s multiple natural disasters.

There is a stray dog epidemic in Puerto Rico, where an estimated 500,000 roam the streets and municipal shelters average a 94% euthanasia rate. For the past decade, The Sato Project has rescued, rehabilitated, and flown 5,000 rescue dogs to the Northeast.

Wings of Rescue has been flying from Puerto Rico for over three years, and since Hurricane Maria devastated the United States territory, has flown over 50 flights carrying more than 4,000 pets to safety and bringing in over 140,000 pounds of humanitarian and pet aid.

Additional support for this mission was provided by Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co., The Howard E. Stark Foundation, Moroccanoil, Nana's Tea Time Treats, and The Rosemont Foundation.

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