Angel’s Story
Pets Alive Puerto Rico is working beside the good people of Puerto Rico to fight a momentus battle to change a culture that has for too long accepted the presence of homeless and abandoned animals on the streets, and has remained silent in the face of animal abuse.
Those of you who will use Angel’s story as a reason to bash Puerto Ricans will have missed the point entirely. This island is filled with wonderful people who care deeply about the plight of the animals here. These are the people we are reaching and these are the people who are going to help change the culture and thereby change the world for the animals of Puerto Rico because we are giving them hope and giving them a voice. And that voice will embrace everyone, even those who have never been compassionate before because their eyes were not open. We will not judge them, we will help them see the error of their ways and we will teach them what they need to do now to change. Berating them is not helpful, and it hurts the animals you love so much. I hope you understand that there is no room for negativity in the Pets Alive artillery. We need to remain strong and positive in order to see this through to the end. The animals need us – all of us. Together we will change the world!!
RESCUING AN ANGEL
When PAPR received a call about a dog in need – a stray dog who had been hit by a car a few weeks ago, we were compelled to follow up quickly. The caller said the dog’s leg was injured by the car and left “dangling”. But now the leg is “gone” and the caller believes it was amputated by a “caring person” who could not afford to take the dog to the vet. The dog is a mama nursing 3 babies.
Yesterday we set out to find the dog. Once we reached the neighborhood, a kind man led us to the house where the dog could usually be found – and sure enough, there she was lying on the pavement, with two of her puppies suckling and another sleeping nearby. The look on mama’s face tells the story of the pain and suffering she has endured. My heart broke in two as I knelt down beside her.

As I spoke to her gently, her tail began to wag, and she looked up at me with a gentle and trusting expression. Mama made no objection when we picked up her babies and put them into the crate we had prepared in the back of the jeep. And mama wagged her tail even more as I bent and picked her up, carefully so not to hurt her injured leg. I held her for a few minutes and stroked her gently and promised her that her ordeal was over. She fully relaxed in my arms, and I placed her into the crate with her puppies. The little family fell asleep as we drove to the veterinarian’s office.
At the vet’s office they prepared a chart for mama and asked me her name – I said “her name is Angel”.
Miraculously, there is no sign of infection and Angel’s wound has already started to heal. Therefore, our vet has decided to postpone making a decision about surgery. If the healing continues, it will not be necessary! Angel is being treated for a tick borne disease called Anaplasmosis, from which she is expected to make a full recovery. The babies, about 6 weeks old, are suffering from the usual external and internal parasites and the resulting anemia and malnutrition, but other than that they appear to be amazingly healthy!
Welcome to Pets Alive Puerto Rico, Angel and your beautiful babies. We will take good care of you now.
Angel has a story to tell and we must all listen. An entire neighborhood cared about this girl in the only way they knew how. They gave her affection and made sure she was fed and had water.

BUT IT WASN’T ENOUGH TO PREVENT ANGEL FROM SUFFERING.

Thankfully for Angel, someone picked up the phone and made a call that changed the world for this lucky girl and her babies. BUT THAT CALL IS NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE ANSWERED. Rescue groups are very often short staffed, short on volunteers, short on money. Shelters in Puerto Rico kill 99% of the animals that pass through their doors, some on intake and many shortly after.

For every Angel saved, a thousand are left on the street or killed in the shelters.

The people of Puerto Rico who care about animals need to take action AS INDIVIDUALS to educate others about caring for animals and to help the dogs in their own neighborhoods.

• SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR OWN DOGS! If you have a dog who is not spayed / neutered, please understand that you bear some responsibility for the immeasurable suffering of dogs on the streets and for the killing of tens of thousands of dogs in shelters every year.
• Adopt your next dog from a shelter – please don’t buy dogs when so many are in need on the streets and dying in shelters. Choose to save a life instead!
• Bring your dog into the house and make your dog a beloved member of your family. Make sure your dog has everything needed to be happy and healthy – good nutrition, annual vaccinations, HW and flea/tick prevention.
• Create a feeding station for the strays in your neighborhood where residents take turns buying food, feeding the dogs, providing fresh water and keeping the station clean.
• Chip-in to have your neighborhood strays spayed/neutered – Pets Alive Puerto Rico will help you by providing spay/neuter at very low cost or finding someone in your area who will!
• Volunteer at your local shelter. Once a week or once a month. They need YOU!!
• Donate money – if everyone donated just a small amount each month, it would make a big difference. Please consider helping the animals this way.
• If you cannot afford to donate, then help raise funds – hold a car wash, a dog wash, a food and supply drive at your place of business.
• Talk openly about your love of animals – let everyone know that you care about the strays you see on the street and that you are helping them. Encourage others to do the same.

There are thousands of Angels among us.

For more information about volunteering or donating to Pets Alive Puerto Rico, please visit our website at www.petsalivepr.org.
More information about low cost spay/neuter will be available on the website beginning in November.