Our Work in Puerto Rico
December 3, 2024
215 Animals Sterilized in Puerto Rico, Thanks to PETA’s Global Compassion Fund
Backed by the Global Compassion Fund, PETA fieldworkers returned to Puerto Rico and teamed up with the Humane Society of Puerto Rico for a successful Spay-a-Thon on the island. Over just two days, we helped sterilize and vaccinate 215 animals free of charge to their grateful guardians—and we even brought one home with us! Read on for the details.
A Successful Spay-a-Thon: 500th Surgery in Puerto Rico, Minnie’s Rescue, and More
Over the weekend, we celebrated our 500th spay/neuter surgery in Puerto Rico. The 500th animal, a “sato” (a Puerto Rican term for mutt or street dog) posed with her guardian for an interview and photo. This Spay-a-Thon brought the total number of animals spayed or neutered to over 600.
In addition to spaying and neutering, we treated several dogs for mange and many cats for ear mites and shaved down matted dogs at the event.
While guardians were waiting for their animal companions, we handed out vegan starter kits and PETA Latino literature and coloring books.
One compassionate woman drove over two hours with four street dogs in her car. She left her home at 3 a.m. to get to the clinic and said she was “praying on her rosary” that the dogs would be able to be sterilized despite not having appointments.
We sterilized all four dogs, but one was in rough shape. She was anemic, emaciated, suffering from a severe case of mange, and unable to use her back leg. We knew this dog needed more help than the clinic could provide, so we flew her back to the Sam Simon Center, PETA’s headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia.
Minnie is in foster care while she receives treatment and recovers. She’ll be available for adoption once she’s healed.
How You Can Help: Support the Global Compassion Fund
Unlike humans, dogs and cats can’t do their own family planning. It’s up to their guardians to have them spayed or neutered to help curb the companion animal overpopulation crisis. Funding for temporary sterilization clinics, like this one in Puerto Rico, helps reduce the suffering of animals for generations, as fewer unsterilized dogs and cats mean fewer animals born into communities that don’t have the resources to care for them. You can help change the lives of countless animals by supporting PETA’s Global Compassion Fund today: