Spotlight: Save A Sato

I've blogged about animal cruelty in Puerto Rico a number of times.  For what it's worth I think it is the sad result of a society which treats animals as things, and completely ignores the extreme demand of over population on a closed ecosystem.

When people ask me where I live, I usually tell them "I live on a rock in the middle of the ocean."  Consisting of approximately 90% volcanic rock, Puerto Rico is literally that, a rock in the middle of the ocean. My point is, just like any closed ecosystem, everyone, everything, is constantly competing for very limited resources.

One source of hope for me, is the small set of people who have chosen to help our animal management crisis.  I've reported on one other organization, but I want to do more to shine a spotlight on the incredible work going on in Puerto Rico to combat animal cruelty.

Spotlight - Save A Sato

Save A Sato is a non-profit organization dedicated to easing the suffering of Puerto Rico's homeless and abused animals. "Sato" is slang for street dog. We rescue Satos from the streets and beaches, give them medical care, food and shelter, and plenty of love. When they are healthy, we send them to one of our shelter partners for adoption into loving homes.

Recently they received the honor of being reconized by Animal Planet's "Dog Whisperer," Cesar Millan. From their blog:

"Save A Sato has been honored with $5k grant Award by the Cesar Millan Foundation, to keep helping the satos of Puerto Rico!! We feel so honored for this great gift of love! Many many satos will be helped!! Special thanks also to Juan Agustin Marquez from the documentary 100,000 for helping the satos of Puerto Rico and also showing to the world what we do everyday to help the strays of Puerto Rico. We want to share a picture of Cesar's Foundation Facebook Page, of the announcement, we feel so proud!!"

I want to express my deepest gratitude for everyone who helps to make Save a Sato one of the shining examples of animal love and caring in Puerto Rico.

Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

While the topic of the day is protest , I'd like to share another perspective. When you were a child, did you ever have a dream? Perhaps you wanted to be a fireman, an astronaut, or who knows, maybe a Transfomer. However, as you grew older, your hopes and dreams changed. For most of us, reality begins to diminish the glimmer of those dreams. We begin to make subtle decisions, which slowly extinguish the light of our dreams. Then, before you can even catch your breath, your dreams have died, victims of years of subtle decisions. Want to hear another version, then I highly recommend you watch Randy Pausch's Last Lecture:"Achieving Your Childhood Dreams."

I have a close friend and his son he has a dream. He wants to be a pop star. While he finished high school, got a decent job, and started working his way through a degree at UPR, an opportunity presented itself. He started singing with some friends and finally formed a group. However, to pursue his dream, it meant that he had to quit everything. So he did.. But his father said that he wouldn't support him like he had been while he was attending school; he could stay and eat at home, but that was it. It was a tough choice, not only for him, but his family.

Over the course of the summer, I had a few opportunities to speak with the young man. I wanted to share with him my support for what he was doing. I wanted to let him know that he wasn't alone, and that the isolation he was feeling was normal. Much like the manifestations today, I told him that his greatest struggle was to combat the status quo. While he wants to chase his dream, most adults are encouraging him to get back into line and not to make waves. To them I offer you the words of Steve Jobs:

"We're here to make a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why even be here?"

So to hell with not making waves. I say, make so many waves that you dent the universe. So today, I'm asking you to help my friend's son put a dent in this world. I've talked with the young man, and he knows the reality of the new music industry. So while embracing all of the social media tools available, they have started their journey. They've created their first waves and who knows how far he'll be able to go or how big of a dent he will make.

However, I hope that when you hear them, you'll help me to amplify his waves and help him reach his dream. Please watch the following video. If you agree with me, that these young Borikeños have something worth spreading, then please do so. Become of fan of theirs on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, share their video with your friends, and help them make this world a more beautiful place. It's an honor to present you "Me Falta" from Anima 5: