♥ The Coconut Retriever ♥
♥ Island Dogs ♥
We all think about donating our time but let’s be honest, most of the time we just don’t have it to give. However, there is a great way to enhance your island experience during a vacation by assisting an animal on it’s journey to it’s forever home. Each Caribbean island has an overly abundant population of canines and felines. There are strays everywhere. Islands tend to have small foundations and funds go directly towards an animals food, flight, spay/neuter or care as there isn’t a huge overhead. The facilities may be simple but they are made with love. Direct donations of medicine, food, shelters, collars and blankets are always needed and welcome. Future pets also need companions to fly to the states with in order to meet their waiting foster or forever families. Pick a beautiful island then contact a shelter to give back to the island that gives to you. Shelter owners will be more than receptive if you wanted to donate a day of your time or create more awareness for their animals and facilities in need via social media. You can have a great time with the animals and enrich your island experience. Each and every island has a foundation, it’s just a few clicks away!
♥ I love My Island Dog ♥
St. Martin
I Love My Island Dog, which is based in St. Martin was founded by Ursula Oppikofer and a small group of her friends. They wanted to help the animals on St. Martin. Many “Creole dogs” or “Coconut Retrievers” wander the island and puppies are prolific. In 2010 the French Government of St. Martin provided My Island Dog with a piece of land to call home. Ursula purchased a container that acts as an office and provides storage for food. The shelter seeks donations of food, medicine, towels, blankets, pet supplies, time and most of all- companionship for dogs traveling to the states. There is no cost to accompany a dog for it’s flight to the states. It’s forever owner will be waiting for your arrival. ♥
Monday-Friday 4pm-6pm
Saturday 2pm-6pm
Sunday- Closed
Please contact Ursula Oppikofer for prices for photos of available works of art, mugs or check the website! Website: I Love My Island Dog
Info@Ilovemyislanddog.org
♦ SXM Paws- St. Martin ♦
SXM PAWS, founded in 2005 by Corinne Mackie, is an all-volunteer organization without a facility. They are a network of dedicated volunteers who who open up their homes to foster animals where they can be kept and nurtured until they find their forever families with possibilities in the USA, Canada, France and Holland. They concentrate in rescuing, spaying/neutering, adopting and educating. They have rehabilitated, and found loving homes for over four hundred animals on the island and abroad. They have also spayed and neutered hundreds of animals on the island further keeping the population down.
Dorette de Leeuw Pfennings, who was born on the island and treasurer fosters 40 cats in a covered area of her garden. Jene Werner, who came to the island in 1970, owns several restaurants. The scraps go to feed the fostered animals. Angie Sollinger and daughter Sam, both help with food drives, daily feedings and driving crates to the airport.
SXM PAWS Website Here or Corinnemackie@icloud.com
♦ Dead Dog Beach & The Sato Project ♦
♦ Puerto Rico ♦
The Sato Project primarily works in the municipality of Yabucoa in Puerto Rico in the area known as Dead Dog Beach. The name pretty much explains what happens there. Yabucoa has been rated one to the poorest of the 78 municipalities, where many live below the poverty line. The dogs may be plenty but food is not. Dead Dog Beach is a place where owners come to dump their dogs. There is no fresh water or food source and it is far from any residential neighborhoods.
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The Sato Project aims at making sure each and every dog is placed in a loving home. The Sato Project founded by Chrissy Beckles operates from Puerto Rico and New York. The photos of Dead Dog Beach are from Sophie Gamand/Striking Paws
General Inquiries
info@thesatoproject.com
Volunteer Inquiries
nyvolunteer@thesatoproject.com
Donation Inquiries
jennifer@thesatoproject.com
Stephen McGarva, an American who moved to Puerto Rico and spent thousands to save strays and find them homes in the U.S., wrote a book about his experiences with the dogs at Dead Dog Beach. The link is here.
♥ IslandDog.Com ♥
Each of the cities in Puerto Rico should have a dog shelter. However, they don’t have the funds to do so and there are only a handful on the island. They are only able to help a tiny fraction of the estimated 200,000+ homeless dogs that roam the free. It is also estimated that over 500 dogs die a day on the island of Puerto Rico. It is a paradise but not for these dogs.
Healing Paws
♦ St. Croix- U.S.V.I. ♦
Like their great website states: It’s not just rabbits who multiply like rabbits.
Please click here to support the mobile truck for spaying/neutering of island strays
Paws From Paradise
♦ St. Croix- U.S.V.I. ♦
Paws from Paradise is St. Croix’s only animal air transport program and relies on travelers to escort pets to their partner organizations stateside. Paws from Paradise will bring the pet to the airport for you and a partner rescue coordinator will be stateside waiting for you. The cost varies from $100 to $200 per animal. The Program covers that cost plus the cost of the crate/carrier, and other supplies needed to travel.
Please consider making a donation, sponsor a trip, or donate an item off their amazon wish list here!
Rob DeRocker rob@saintcroixcondo.com
P.O. Box 24704, Christiansted, VI 00824
home: 657-999-paws (7297) Skype: Healing Paws
Email: contact@paws.vi
Pilots and Paws
Pilots and Paws facilitates a discussion board where pilots can assist different shelters and rescues in need of animal transport. The volunteers have helped over 1200 animals find homes in the U.S. and beyond. Sometimes it takes two or more organizations and several pilots to help save one life. A pet may have a home a 1000 miles away and it may become a multifaceted process.
See their website here.
