Hands for Paws

Manos por Patas (Hands for Paws) is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the suffering of stray dogs roaming Puerto Rico, desperately in need of medical attention, food and water, and a loving touch. Manos por Patas came to be in much the same way most animal welfare organizations do. Someone saw an unjust situation and couldn’t let it continue. When I was in Puerto Rico in the summer of 2005, I saw these sad, sick, emaciated dogs roaming the beach near Yabucoa. My heart was broken as it is any time I see an innocent in need. But what could I do? I was only in the area for a few short days and those days were spent working on a job for which I was being paid. All I could do was take a few minutes each morning to pet them and speak kind words to them, hoping to convey a message of hope. I was there every month for a year and I cried every time. But I felt helpless. I had no way to bring them all home with me. I had no money to have someone else take them in. But I still had the desire to right a very serious wrong. So in June 2006, Manos por Patas was born, with all the love and optimism my heart could hold. It began as just a way to feed and provide triage medical care for severely injured/ill animals but grew into a multi-program effort to not only treat the present situation but to change the paths for future animals on that beach – and on the entire island of Puerto Rico. I sent out a simple email to friends and family with a description of what I had seen and some pictures of the dogs there. The response was overwhelming and very quickly I was able to set up the first sterilization “round up”. Dr. Gwen Davis of PAWS (Puerto Rican Animal Welfare Society) came to Yabucoa and provided sterilizations and rabies vaccinations for as many animals as we could round up for her to treat. Then came more help from two veterinarians in the area. They agreed to provide reduced cost services to rescuers in the area to continue the sterilizations, further reducing future populations of miserable, suffering dogs. And that is where we stand now. The financial support is, of course, essential. The medical supplies don’t come cheaply. However, the emotional and spiritual support we’ve received from all those who hear the story of the satos of Yabucoa has been invaluable and emboldening to us all. We believe this is only the beginning of this revolution, this changing of attitudes for the beautiful country of Puerto Rico. I truly can, even without my rose-colored glasses on, see a future without the intense suffering and misery these animals live every minute of their lives. When you come upon a dog who is so skinny his rib bones are protruding, his hairless skin, bloody with mange, hangs in rolls from his body, you kneel down and gently extend your hand, the dog puts his head down and slowly, anxiously comes toward you, hoping against all hope that you are there as a friend not to harm him, that moment when your hand meets his muzzle and his muscles relax because he realizes that you are good and you are kind, at that moment, your whole world changes and you are called to action.