The powerful, heartbreaking, yet hopeful, story of Steve McGarva’s heroic crusade to save the satos, or stray dogs of Puerto Rico, and an impassioned appeal to help all animals in need.Looking for inspiration and adventure in their lives, Steve McGarva and his wife Pam moved to Puerto Rico. While kite surfing at Playa Lucia, Steve made a shocking discovery—a sick and abandoned dog—that would … dog—that would transform his life. With its shimmering white sand, palm trees, and dazzling azure water, the beach looked postcard perfect. But its beauty hid a dark side: To the locals, this slice of paradise was known as Dead Dog Beach—a notorious dumping ground for the island’s unwanted canines.
Considered a threat to the area’s lucrative tourism industry, these defenseless animals were in constant danger of brutality and death. Enraged, and refusing to accept such cruelty, McGarva began protecting these helpless animals—actions that would jeopardize his marriage, challenge his sanity, and make him a target of locals determined to stop him.
The Rescue at Dead Dog Beach is the story of Steve’s fearless dedication to hundreds of dogs, and his efforts to expose their systemic abuse. Exposing the true costs of the tourist industry, it is also a call to arms for animal lovers, offering insights and practical information to help strays anywhere in the world.
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This was heart wrenching to read and so very sad but all true. This spotlights the atrocities committed daily by many living in Puerto Rico to the animals that are unfortunate enough to be born on this island and cast away as nuisances, beaten, tortured and killed. If only I were wealthy and could volunteer all of my time helping the dogs that I love more than humans.
While it is tragic how some people can mistreat animals, it is heart warming to see what lengths others will go to in order to save them. This book high lights the best of humanity versus the worst.
It took a long time to finish this book because it was so difficult to b reminded of how cruel people can be. It was inspirational to see how just a few people could make a difference by standing up to the cruelty and the indifference that allowed it to happen. The message is that each of us can make a difference for the animals who have no choice but to depend on us .
Everyone should read this book…and then go adopt a dog if you can! Or support the organizations that help these animals. This happens on many islands – I’ve heard they don’t have enough people on the island to adopt the available animals, so they need tourists to adopt, or to support! This book haunted me, in a good way.
In the beginning of the book, the author warns about the intensity of this true story and pleads with the reader to continue reading to the end. There were a few times it was hard to continue reading, but I am certainly glad I did. Amazing in every way!
I loved this book so much I read in one day in one sitting. It is very informative and a must read for animal lovers!!!
Although this book is a little repetitive and slow, it does a great job of describing the frustration an animal lover goes through when seeing how inhuman many island people treat animals. I have experienced this same thing in Mexico.
The author’s heart was in the right place, but there were times he aggravated the natives of Puerto Rico instead of trying to work with them.
A good read is you want to know what it’s really like to live in Puerto Rico as an expat.
Tough to read. A very emotional first-hand account of the ongoing mistreatment of homeless dogs on a Puerto Rican beach.
I have a rescued Sato so the book especially interested me. I believe a lot of this dogs are now being saved but at the time the book was written their lives were pretty brutal
We do not often see the places around the world as they are, rather we see cleaned up protected spots to drop our money. That includes our own towns. I applaud what this man did in honor of life. He took such great risk to be led by his heart to help these abandoned dogs. He had a window of opportunity and he took it. This riveting account of his time in Puerto Rico kept the pages turning until the end. What a great wife, too!! Read this book and be moved.
A tragic situation in Puerto Rico. What hateful humans some are to take pleasure in torturing animals. Those same people take pleasure in killing any living soul. May they get payback.
I would never have known how badly some countries treat what we consider our best friends, dogs. Very sad but worth reading.
Sad but good
I have not lived in PR since age 10. I “sort of” knew there was a problem with stray dogs, but I had no idea of this sad and cruel situation. This book is very intense. If you’re an animal lover, you will cry, cry. Very informative. People who love animals should help as much as they can. Well written.
This is a difficult read, not one for the faint of heart, but is a true hero story about one man’s fight to help the street dogs of Puerto Rico. He struggled on against unbelieveable resistance from the local community and did the best possible rescue that he could for these dogs. Speaks badly for the Island but well for this man’s selfless courage.