Wild Dogs, Satos, Strays...

Like many Caribbean countries, Puerto Rico has a problem with stray dogs, known by locals as "satos." One beach in Puerto Rico, nicknamed "Dead Dog Beach" is known for the stray dogs that roam the coast. Often times corpses of dogs are found on this beach as well, from dogs that have died of diseases, starvation, and even gunshots.

Apparently, American tourist have even decided to adopt satos. According to an article on MSNBC, many Americans have flown their new pet back to the states. This has become a problem though, as many times these dogs end up in the already over-crowded animal shelters in the United States. The Humane Society discourages Americans from bringing over satos, and says that Puerto Rico, as well as the other Caribbean countries, need to develop their own programs and shelters to help with this situation.

Save A Sato, is a nonprofit organization "dedicated to easing the suffering of Puerto Rico's homeless and abused animals."

Puerto Rico Facts!

Puerto Rico was claimed by the Spanish in 1493, after Christopher Columbus' second journey to the Americas. The indigenous population was practically eliminated under the 400 year rule of the Spaniards. Puerto Rico officially became a territory of the United States after the Spanish-American war, which lasted nearly 5 months in 1898. In 1917, Puerto Ricans were granted citizenship to the United States. However, the people of Puerto Rico have voted to hold their own internal government.

Puerto Rico is a small area, only slightly larger than 3 times the size of Rhode Island. It is a mountains place, with beautiful sandy beaches on most coasts. As of July 2009, the population was at 3,966,213 people. 76.2% of Puerto Ricans are white with a Spanish origins. And 85% of Puerto Ricans are Roman Catholic.

I found this interesting too. According to the same census put out in the summer of 2009, more women between the ages of 16 and 49 are "fit for military services" compared to men.

You too can find more facts at The World Factbook published by the CIA.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rq.html