Champ was found in the streets in such dreadful condition that our team wasn’t sure that he would even make it through the night. However, with all of our community’s support, this fighter made a full recovery and triumphantly flew to his new family on Mission Possible 11. 

Since taking his Freedom Flight, Champ has been living the good life in New Jersey with his family and even recently became a big brother. One year in, Champ’s mum, Melissa, tells us:

“Champ has truly become a member of our family. We decided to adopt him after losing our first baby in the second trimester of our pregnancy in April 2020. Since that time, we got pregnant again and brought our son, Brian David, into the world, in March 2021. So, it's very much come full circle with Champ. He healed us during the most painful time of our life and has now been there through our most joyful moments. He loves his role as Brian's big brother, and lays down wherever the baby is. He even insists on sleeping next to the baby's bassinet! 

I worked 100% remotely from the time we adopted Champ in July all the way through my maternity leave in March. It would've been very lonely and quiet and I'm so grateful that Champ was there to keep me company. Also, toward the end of my pregnancy, my doctor put us under strict lock-down since I was a high risk pregnancy and COVID cases were starting to spike again. My husband Brian and I weren't able to see friends or family for months, even during the holidays, and Champ brought us so much joy during that very isolating time. 

Besides bringing back the baby from the hospital and introducing him to Champ - our favorite memory is taking Champ on a weeklong road trip from our home in New Jersey to Maine in September. We stopped in 4 cities and enjoyed having Champ there every step of the way. Highlights included taking him on a walking tour of Portland, where he also got to taste a famous potato donut; and hiking with him in beautiful Acadia National Park. He had the whole back row of our SUV to himself, and even got pampered when we got upgraded to the penthouse suite on our last stop. It was an unforgettable trip and having Champ there made it even better.” You can see more of our superstar over on his own instagram page @champ_the_sato.

Melo was rescued from the euthanasia list of an overburdened municipal shelter that had become even more overwhelmed after the earthquakes in Puerto Rico. 

But now, thanks to Mission Possible 11, he is living his dream life. One year later, Melo’s mom says:
“Our life with Melo could not be happier!!! Things are going GREAT! We cannot believe it's been a year. It seems like yesterday we traveled to NJ to get Melo but seems like he has been a part of our family forever. Melo really came to us just like his name states- Melo (minus jumping on our kitchen table on day 1). We moved in February to a neighborhood and the neighborhood is filled with dogs so Melo has met a bunch of new friends. Any person that meets Melo cannot believe what an amazing dog he is. As you can see from the pics wherever our son Quentin is- that is where Melo is. Quentin had struggled during the pandemic- school stopped in person for him in the middle of kindergarten. When Melo arrived in July they had an instant bond. I swear Melo knew that Quentin needed him. As I write this they are laying on his bed together watching TV. I cannot thank The Sato Project enough for matching the perfect dog for our family. My favorite moment has to be every night when Melo crawls into bed with Quentin, Elijah, or Kyla. He loves to snuggle and hates to be alone. Another favorite moment is when he runs in our backyard doing laps! He is sooooo fast! We love our Melo and are so thankful he completed our family! 

Gypsy did not have it easy before being rescued. She was found suffering from a painful skin infection and a treatable cancer. With the support of our community and all of her Foster From Afar donors, she made a full recovery and landed right in the arms of her new family after her Freedom Flight. One year later, Gypsy’s mom says:

“I can’t believe one year has passed so quickly with this sweet lovable girl. Gypsy is totally comfortable and confident in her home and with being outside. She has gone from being the terrified pup who was afraid to leave the house to being the official greeting committee of the neighborhood. I am especially grateful to have her now because my gentle pug Madeline passed away on Memorial Day.  Gypsy has been my biggest comfort with her happy butt wiggles to her dancing and talking when I mention the words -car, park or ride.  I am forever thankful to the entire sato team for bringing Gypsy into my life.”

Frisbie (fka Adore) was found in a plastic crate with her sister Roma, dumped without food or water on Dead Dog Beach.  But now Frisbie is living the big city life in New York and loving every moment. According to Frisbie’s family:

“Frisbie has really come into her own as a confident city dog. We have also learned a ton about dog behavior and training as first time dog parents… We really see how bonded she is to us now - she looks to us for guidance and reassurance which feels so rewarding. She was slower to warm up to her dad, but now she is obsessed with him! Having Frisbie also really makes our apartment feel like “home”. Want to see more of Frisbie’s adventures in Manhattan? You can follow her at @letsplayfrisbie on Instagram.

Roo lost his leg after being hit by a car, but that didn’t stop him from learning to run and flying to his forever family! Roo’s mom says:

“It's so hard to believe it has been a year already! Roosevelt (aka Roo) has come a long way since taking his freedom flight… Despite having plenty of people trying to win him over with treats and toys, he is still a “one woman” dog as he is obsessed with my daughter. She has been extremely patient, loving, and understanding which has given Roo the confidence to slowly come out of his shell over the past year.

Having Roo during the pandemic brought some much-needed light into our lives by giving us something else to focus on. The pandemic was no longer at the forefront of our lives, instead, Roo took that spot.

We’ve had so many favorite moments with Roo that it’s hard to narrow it down to just one. However, the most momentous being when he finally came out of his crate, his release from heartworm treatment (being able to run!), playing in the snow for the first time, and his long-awaited reunion with his girlfriend Rita (fellow Sato). We look forward to many more happy moments with Roo and are so grateful he is a part of our lives!”

You can see more Roosevelt over on his instagram page: @roosevelt_the_tripawd.

Back in May of 2020 our team was preparing to run a local pet food pantry when a very smart sato made an appearance. Emma (fka Santi) must have known that something big was coming because she decided to be the very first in line, and in doing so she unknowingly earned herself a whole new life off the streets! One year after her trip on #MissionPossible11, Emma’s Mom says:

“This year flew by! We are so in love with Emma. We have taken her to lakes, the beach and hiking. She goes to daycare and has so many friends! She loves her walks and enjoys playing with dogs of all sizes. She also loves car rides and gets so excited when we go to visit my son in college! Emma has brought so much joy to our lives. She is my sweet baby girl and I cannot imagine her not being a part of our family.” 

When Puerto Rico had two large earthquakes in early 2020, we didn’t know that was only the beginning of many more earthquakes to come. Sato Joey (fka Magnus/Magnitude) was one of our “earthquake puppies” - our first litter that was rescued shortly after two large quakes rocked the the island. We rescued all of them and flew them to new families. Joey flew on #MissionPossible11 and is now a resident of Cape Cod. One year in, his family tells us:

"When we saw Joey for the first time as a puppy it was an instantaneous yes - as I feel we all do when we just know the pup is the one. It’s crazy that it’s been a full year! His personality shines everyday. He has SO much energy like his mom, but he ALWAYS happy, and ALWAYS has a smile on his face (even if a squirrel or turkey is taunting him).

Joey was of course a bit nervous at first but he completely morphed into a mommas boy. We also quickly learned that he is VERY smart. In the past year there have been so many great memories with this guy. My favorite are our morning snuggles, watching him play in the kiddie pool and mud puddles, howling nights, and watching him enjoy car rides with the wind in his hair." 

This pretty Sato is Black Beauty (fka Tarka). She was one of our rescues from an overcrowded municipal shelter after last year's earthquakes in Puerto Rico. As soon as our founder Chrissy laid eyes on her, she knew there was no way we could leave this sweet girl behind. 

Beauty made her way to Rhode Island after taking her Freedom flight, thanks to your support, and is now living a happy life with her new mom and dog siblings. Beauty’s Mom says:

“Beauty is the center of attention and is ready to play with anyone who is up for it. One of the pictures shows where Beauty sits when her brother Sam and sister, Honey (also a Sato pup), go on a walk. Although Beauty is afraid of the leash, she is quite happy staying home where she is safe.

Beauty is a complete clown and loves life here in RI at the Proffitt complex! I'm pretty sure Beauty felt at home about one hour after she arrived last July. We love our Beauty!!”

Jax was rescued from the euthanasia list of an overcrowded municipal shelter. He flew to his new parents on Mission Possible 11 and hasn’t stopped smiling since. His parents say:

"Jax had a very sweet disposition since day 1, but his personality really came out after a couple of months when he adapted to his new environment. He’s extremely friendly and loves people. Jax is very popular in the neighborhood; he loves going up to new and old friends and casting his big smile. People will cross the street just to say hi to him, even before they notice us! We are so lucky to have such a sweet boy.

Jax has brought so much warmth into our lives over this past year. Whether it’s been going on long walks to decompress, or walking up to us and rolling onto his back to present his belly for a rub, his presence has cut some of the tensions and isolation brought on by the pandemic. We are so grateful he was available and feel beyond words that we were meant to have each other.”

Jax even has his own instagram account: @littlejaxey.

Sometimes a few lucky satos get to head to their forever homes together. And sometimes, those adopters are even friends and relatives of our team members, which makes their happy journeys even more special. This was the case with Ruby and Rebel (fka Cheer and Scruffy). This pair was saved together from the euthanasia list of a municipal shelter and then got adopted by relatives of one of our longtime dedicated volunteers. When we asked their dad how they’ve adjusted to life one year later, he told us:

“The past year saw them change from cautious to comfortable in their new surroundings. They are very good with each other. They love to play fight and explore the backyard together. Overall, the last year has been great watching them become used to their forever homes. We watched them experience snow for the first time and Rebel went for a swim in our above ground pool. They are great company for me especially since I am retired and was rarely able to leave the house during the pandemic. Now that I’m getting out more, I look forward to being greeted by Ruby and Rebel upon my return and they get very excited when Caroline returns from work every afternoon. They have also become very popular in our neighborhood. Our favorite moments are watching them play in the backyard after dinner. They love it so much, they don’t want to come in when the sun goes down. We are very happy to have them as part of our family.”

Without the support of our community, senior satos like Louie would never have the chance to find loving homes. One year into his new life, Louie's mom says:

"We are just so in love with Louie. He is sweet, patient and such a good snuggle buddy. He completes our little family and really helps with his sister, Milly, a 14 year old chihuahua mix that’s deaf and follows him everywhere. Over the course of the past year, Louie has become so comfortable and knows his routine- he lives for long walks and treats! 

Having him during the pandemic gave us so much- love, joy, and filled our hearts in a way that’s hard to explain, and our favorite moment with Louie this past year was taking him on our annual beach trip to Rhode Island. It was so amazing to bring him out on our boat and run on the sandbar. We have a special picture from that day of the sunset and our little family."

Toby was rescued very shut down and extremely terrified of all humans. But now, one year later since he took his #FreedomFlight on #MissionPossible11, he has made incredible progress and is truly living the life of this dreams! His dad says:

“Toby was terrified when he first came to us. It took him 24 hours to even think about coming out of his crate, and it took a full week before he discovered that he was welcome to sit with us on the couch. We slowly coaxed him out of his shell, and now he's essentially an entirely different dog! He loves his long walks through the public gardens with us, he goes on runs with us, and he watches TV on the couch with us. He's got dog beds set up through the apartment that he moves between depending on where we are, so he can always be close to us. Although he's still a little anxious/nervous, particularly around strangers, he's a sucker for tummy rubs and ear scritches.

Having him with us made a huge difference during the pandemic. We never felt too alone, because we always had him there to keep us company. Plus, it was really helpful having a scheduled walk outside multiple times a day, because it got us out of our apartment and into fresh air.

Our favorite moment is when he played fetch for the very first time. Toby didn't really know how to play when he came to us, but as the year went on he started to open up and see what other dogs were doing as we walked by. One day, he saw a lab playing fetch and decided that the game looked like a lot of fun!"

Margie(fka Jade)’s mom, Nica, was found wandering in the streets right after a large earthquake. After coming into our care, we discovered that Nica was pregnant. A few weeks later she gave birth to 13(!) puppies. Sadly two of them were stillborn, but the remaining 11 went on to thrive. Nica and all 11 of her puppies flew to new families on Mission Possible 11. One year later, Margie’s family says: 

“We can't imagine life without Margie. She's really came in and completed our family. We even had to upgrade our couch so everyone can have a spot - so you could say she made quite the impression.  Margie went from a nervous pup to a sassy and vibrant Sato who thinks she owns the streets of Brooklyn. She's very silly and expresses herself through her tail and smiles. Her tail once tucked between her legs now wags like one of those blow-up air dancers outside a car dealership. We joke, but she really was an emotional support animal during the course of the pandemic. She keeps us laughing and gives us a reason to get outside. 

It's so hard to choose our favorite moment from this past year, but we really are a party of 3 and Margie comes everywhere with us. For starters, we drove across the country with Marge to spend the winter in Arizona. She was so fun in the car and really loved the desert heat. But for us, the favorites are the little things — watching her chase ice cubes around the house, finding a stick on the street, or trying to contort herself into the smallest places in our apartment. She just keeps us laughing.” 

Luke (sibling to Margie above!) was born into our care after his pregnant mum was rescued from the streets. Since taking his Freedom Flight, Luke has been living an exciting life with his family and even has his own Instagram handle, @luke_the_sato. Luke’s family says::

“Luke is truly the most well rounded dog we have ever had, and it’s insane to think it’s already been a year with this goofball! Personality wise Luke has always been an old soul since day one. He never has a bad day.

It may sound cheesy but Luke changed our lives. Mentally, during the pandemic, Luke helped keep our spirits up with his goofy attitude. Luke also helped bring together the pets in our house. Since he’s been here, the dogs no longer chase the cats and oftentimes we even find them snuggling together! He is such a tolerant and obedient dog. One of our favorite things about Luke is how willing he is to just go along with whatever you’re doing. Throughout the pandemic we learned Luke has a passion for baking, running, and making new friends.”

Amelia was rescued from a horrific hoarding case in the Spring of 2020. Since landing in New Jersey last July, her family tells us:

"We have a lot of pride in how much Amelia has grown and she has definitely become an important member of our family. Over the past year, she has come out of her shell and has become an active and playful dog.

Having a sato over the course of the pandemic added some joy in very difficult times. It provided us with something to do and joy while we watched her progression. Our favorite moment was taking Ameila to Cape Cod with the entire family, including our 14-year-old puggle. We went in September of 2020 and then again in June of 2021. Not only was it great to get away with the two dogs, it was great to see Amelia's progress between the two trips."

Ever since taking his Freedom Flight, this gorgeous blue-eyed boy has been living the big city life in Manhattan. Marco’s mom tells us:

“We can’t believe it’s been a full year with Marco. We love him so much and can’t imagine our lives without him. He acclimated so well to NYC life! Marco has always been very lovable and social and he has not changed much over the year however he has definitely become more comfortable with us. He gets excited when we come home even after we are gone for an hour at the store! 

Marco has brought us so much joy, happiness, and much needed activity during the pandemic. We look forward to taking him out for his walks and taking care of him throughout the day. Our favorite thing to do with Marco is every Saturday and Sunday we take him to our local dog park. It’s become a family tradition and he knows exactly where to go every weekend rain or shine! We love Marco so much and this has been the best year of having him in our lives. We are so grateful for Marco and everything The Sato Project does!!”

Marco even has his own Instagram account at: @marco_rgie

Nina was rescued from the streets of Puerto Rico with severe injuries. But now she is happy, healthy, and living the dream life she deserves! One year since her arrival, her mom says:

“We love Nina! She is the sweetest, chillest dog you could ever dream of. On the one hand it feels like the year went by so quickly, but on the other we can't imagine what life was like before we had her. Nina took a few months to come out of her shell, as we expected. She was attached to us from the beginning, but seeing her start to play with other dogs, and play with her toys was a huge step forward and filled our hearts with joy. I distinctly remember it was Labor Day Weekend 2020 when she first chased down a toy and pranced around the apartment. Shortly after she made her first dog-friend, and has been growing ever since. Now she loves to try and hunt squirrels and gets overly excited when she sees her favorite people (although she's still pretty shy!). Nina has become ingrained in our lives, with our families, and our friends. Our life has shifted somewhat but we wouldn't have it any other way. Besides, with Covid we've kept traveling local, so Nina has been able to come with us when we go places. She loves being in nature, hiking, and the open road.” 

Penny (fka Domino) was part of a litter of tiny pups who had to be bottle fed after their rescued mother suddenly passed away from a brain aneurism. Penny and her siblings all flew to new lives together on Mission Possible 11 last year. 

Now Penny’s family says: 

“Penny has grown and learned so much and so have we. Penny was scared of all noises and things that moved (cars, fire trucks, strollers, etc) now a year later, she can go to the corner of the building without being afraid to see a car pass by. She’s such a Brooklyn girl. She knows her neighborhood very well. My children say Penny is their little sister to everyone. She is so gentle with children and babies. She is very protective of my son and sees him like her litter mate it seems, because she loves him so.

Having Penny during the course of the pandemic has impacted us positively. We go outside everyday and have the kids join in on the walks. We head out with the kids and Penny to the park more often and we love every second of it. She's helped us become more active in our lifestyle. One of our favorite memories from this past year was Penny’s first time playing in the water with the kids. We went to our friend's house and she had a huge inflatable sprinkler. Penny and the kids would just run under the water, it was awesome. She absolutely loves getting wet in the sprinklers, in the rain, and in the snow.  She is the sweetest and we love her so much.” 

Spark is another rescued sato who got to fly to his new life along with all of his siblings. One year later, his parents say:

“It is crazy to think that it has been over a year since we received the first pictures of Spark and thought 'Look at those ears!' It has been a delight learning more about Spark and his eccentricities since he came to us - his bounciness in the deep snow in Central Park, his willingness to do anything for a bit of cream cheese, and the way his satellite ears seem to have a 360 degree range of motion. We look forward to continuing to build his confidence as a city pup.

Spark made us develop a much-needed routine in a year that was anything but routine. He has forced us outside of the apartment to get some fresh air, encouraged us to enjoy nature and go on local hiking trips, and helped us maintain a bit of our social skills as we met fellow dog parents in the park (socially distanced, of course!). Spark was also an unofficial witness at our small and mostly virtual Central Park wedding, though he did get bored in the middle and laid down for a quick nap. He perked right back up when the cupcakes were taken out! We've forgiven him for upstaging the bride on her wedding day.

Our favorite moment of the year has been watching Spark's discovery and love for deep snow. Spark has two modes in the snow - he either frantically licks/eats snow, often scooping up mouthfuls as he walks by big piles, or he is jumping face first into it like a snow fox. Who would have thought a beach dog would be such a snow bunny!”

You can see more of Spark over on his own instagram page @i_spy_spark.