Rico

Rico 2

We have a new addition to our family and his name is Rico. For all of my eBay friends who love animals I know you will enjoy this story.

While in Puerto Rico for our honeymoon my husband and I were dining at a restaurant outside our hotel that was right on the edge of the beach. While watching a beautiful sunset I noticed a little dog running down the beach. I was saddened and hoped he was not a stray but as I watched him avoid all the people on the beach I knew in my heart he was. He disappeared out of sight and I thought back to all the stray dogs I had seen in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico is dog hell. They treat dogs, called Satos which means street dogs, like we treat rats. They are considered vermin and the locals will not touch them since they believe they are diseased. These dogs live a short life and die of disease, starvation or abuse. I sat at the table and promised myself if the dog came back down the beach I would get him some food.

As we were waiting for the check the little dog came running down the beach again. I jumped up from my seat, grabbed the food from my plate and took off down the beach. The little dog ran and kept far ahead of me. I ran over a mile down the beach before stopping realizing I would never catch him. I called to him one last time and amazingly he stopped and turned around and stared right at me. He sat down and waited for me to catch up.

I slowely approached the little Sato hoping not to scare him away. He was skinny and malnourished and absolutely filthy. He was covered in dirt and sand and smelled horrible yet  when I looked into his eyes, I saw a gentle dog with a kind spirit. I sat down and he jumped into my lap and began licking my face. I was touched by this little dog who was so loving towards me even his life had been full of nothing but unimaginable cruelty and pain. He played on the beach with me and never left my side. When I stood up to walk he grabbed my legs and wrapped his paws around my ankle, as if begging me not to go. I knew I could not leave him there to suffer any longer and knew I would not leave the island without him. 

My husband walked slowly towards us, already knowing what he was about to hear. He didn't fight me when I told him we had to save this dog, he knew I would not leave without him. He went back to our hotel room to figure out how we could get this dog home with us. He luckily found the name of a rescue organization in Puerto Rico dedicated to saving these little Satos. The SAVE A SATO group members dedicate their lives to helping these little angels. With little funding and no government assistance or support, they care for the animals that nooone else will. They came to our rescue and were willing to do whatever they could to help us adopt this little Sato. They arranged for the little dog to be picked up at our hotel and taken to their clinic for evaluation. As long as he was healthy he could be certified for travel and return home with us. 

It turned out that getting Rico Sato home was not going to be easy. 

When the veterinarian called the next day I was devastated. The gentle little Sato had numerous medical problems. He had heartworms, and large open bite wounds on his back from being attacked by a larger dog. The vet said already in his short life he had suffered from distemper, a broken spine and broken back legs. My heart broke for this little dog with the gentle soul. I knew I had to do what I could to help him after all he had been through. The vet said the treatment for heartworms was risky and he could die from complications due to the severity of his situation. He also said it would take two months to complete. I wept as I thought of the little dog who had touched me with his gentle spirit and prayed he would survive treatment.

So I left part of my heart on that island when our plane took off the next day. 

My little Rico has turned out to be quite a fighter, probably why he managed to survive on the harsh streets. He did survive his heartworm treatment and his open wounds have healed nicely. He will always limp due to his old fractures that did not heal properly but he manages to get around fine. They say he has a sweet personality and that he is always in good  spirits. After six weeks Rico has finally been certified for travel and will soon join us here in Cincinnati.

It is my hope to provide this dog with the love and care that he has always deserved. My heart aches at the life that he had for the first few years of his life yet I know he will live out his days in comfort and surrounded with love. I am inspired by his spirit and the fact that he reached out to me after knowing nothing but indifference and pain from other humans.

There are many more starving, diseased and abused dogs in Puerto Rico. A small group of volunteers dedicate their lives to helping these amazing Satos. The Save A Sato foundation rescues these dogs and provides them with veterinary care. Due to the lack of suitable and willing homes on that island most of these Satos are flown to the United States for adoption. Please visit their website at www.saveasato.org for more about these amazing people and the even more amazing dogs they rescue.

We hope to welcome Rico to our family sometime next week. As soon as he gets here I will post a picture.     

UPDATE:

After many months Rico finally did make the long flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico to the United States and arrived in quite good spirits considering the long flight. It did not take him long to adjust to his new life and he has quickly become a cherished member or our family. He has blossomed into a vibrant dog with a fantastic and loving personality.  He has been an amazing addition to our family and is constantly a source of joy and humor.

Every day is an adventure for RIco and it is an blessing to see him experience things for the first time.  My favorite experience was when poor Rico went racing out the backdoor into something he had never seen before---snow! The look of pure shock was clearly evident on his face as he stood there in amazement. Within seconds he was racing around the yard with a look of pure happiness on his face. And still he gets excited whenever it snows. 

I feel so lucky to have this gentle little dog in our lives. He has repaid us a thousand times over already with his gentle spirit, loving and loyal nature and with his humorous antics. My husband and I were definitely the lucky ones on the beach that day back in July. Please visit the Save A Sato website and see heartwarming stories of many, many wonderful dogs like Rico that have been saved from deplorable conditions and are now cherished members of a loving family. You can see my Rico's story under the "Happy Endings" section.

ABOUT ME:

As far back as I can remember I have loved the beauty of nature and been fascinated with rocks, minerals and gemstones.  Never being able to learn enough (or own enough!) I studied to become a Gemologist and have been one for over ten years now. I used this knowledge as a Diamontologist and Graduate Gemologist while working in the fine jewelry industry.  

I have loved Jay King jewelry and watched him on TV network for over ten years now. I love the beauty and artistry of his work and the feeling his jewelry invokes within me. No two pieces are ever exactly the same and there is something beautiful and humbling about that. It gives everyone the chance to own a piece of the earth, a piece of jewelry that is uniquely ours. I respect the beauty of Mother Nature and think Jay King and his company preserve that sentiment beautifully.   

I feel honored to bring this jewelry to you and hope you will enjoy it. Wearing this jewelry is celebrating the beauty of Mother Nature. In this spirit I donate a portion of all proceeds to  charities that look after the welfare of animals including the Save a Sato foundation, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and the Animal Legal Defense Fund.    

I thank you all so much for allowing me to do what I love to do. For those of you who have purchased from me before I thank you. I thank you for trusting me to help you find a beautiful piece of jewelry. It has been my pleasure to get to know you and please let me know how I may help you in the future. If there is every anything you are looking for drop me an email as I may very well be able to get it for you.

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Kindest Regards......Wendy