a 501c3 Federal & 1101.01(a)(2) Hacienda Non Profit
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Defensa has been helping rescuers and animals in Puerto Rico since 2013. We are a Federal 501c3 and a Puerto Rico Hacienda Accredited in Good Standing 1101.01(a)(2) Animal Rescue Organization. Nothing we do is for profit, Everything we do is to help the animals and the animal rescuers of Puerto Rico. Support our efforts via you Act 20 22 60 donation requirements or make a Donation to our Puerto Rico Animal Rescue Work
Please visit our Misión Esterilizar page for financial assistance to sterilize any Dog, Cat or Stallion in Puerto Rico with ANY VET of your choice.
Animal Rescue Non Profit Puerto Rico | Defensa Animal
If you care about animals, you need to lead on helping your ‘animal-in-need’. You will find proven-successful-solutions on this website! PLEASE DON’T LEAVE a sick, injured, neglected, abused or reproducing animal on the streets of Puerto Rico without taking steps to help that animal. You may be that animal’s only chance for a better life
If You Are Trying To Help a Dog or a Cat in Puerto Rico
If you can fly them home with you?
Flying animals from Puerto Rico to the USA is easy and not that expensive when you consider it is likely saving that animals life. We have a Travel Page to help. Once in your home area, you (or a friend) can keep the animal as your pet or take the animal to a NO KILL SHELTER or foster the animal while you market the animal for adoption in your home area. The only shelter we know of accepting dogs and cats is a KILL shelter – Villa Michelle, They do work to adopt animals out but it is a KILL shelter (787) 834-4510
If you are not able to fly them home with you? We can help with Vet services and/or Marketing for adoption
The only shelter we know of accepting dogs and cats is a KILL shelter – Villa Michelle, They do work to adopt animals out but it is a KILL shelter (787) 834-4510. For dogs and cats there are MANY other rescue groups and resources on the Island. You can use their services in conjunction with our Open Rescue Program if you like.
Are You Trying To Help An Abused or Neglected Animal in Puerto Rico
These issues are to be handled by your local police and the courts. Please read our Horse Rescue In Puerto Rico page as the information applies to all Mammals in Puerto Rico
If You Are Trying To Help Any Other Breed Of Animal or Unique Animal Situation
We find Facebook is the best resource these days – start with this very large group as we help to manage it specifically to help more people help more animals
Help For Horses in Puerto Rico
To help a horse you do not own start by calling the Local Blue State Police and referencing Law 154-Protection of Mammals in Puerto Rico. If you have problems getting their help and/or you would like our help please read this complete page.
Every horse in Puerto Rico has an Owner. It is estimated Puerto Rico has ONE MILLION horses. We require you start with the Police because in the eyes of the law HORSES ARE PROPERTY with VALUE – akin to a car or a child. If you or another group want to work outside the law that is your choice. Our standing as a Non Profit with the IRS and Hacienda require we work within the law.
Contact #1 Police by Area (911 can work – try both the City Green & State Blue) #2 The Local City Hall/Mayor’s Office #3 Emergency Management Services By Area or Headquarters 787-724-0124 – You need to contact all of these and post to Social Media if the Police are not taking immediate actions. You do not have to give your name or phone number to the Police but you must save the phone numbers you called and save the names of individuals you spoke to so MORE PEOPLE CAN CALL THE same agencies and reference THE SAME INFORMATION off your post to Rincon Puerto Rico Facebook Group.
While waiting on these authorities, YOU CAN put out water & grass or hay for starving horses. You can schedule Dr. Ramos to visit and we will pay for his visit if you follow our Open Rescue Program steps. The Police will also have connections to Horse Professionals and we have a list of Horse Professionals you or the Police can contact for help outside of Defensa. The Police have the authority to investigate and hold the owner accountable to minimal care as required by Law 154. The Police and The Courts have the ability to enforce the care and punish the Owner.
Follow these steps if you would like us to consider helping the horse in conjunction with the Owner or with the Police
Make a very detailed with photos and map marker Facebook Post – including the name and numbers of the individuals you spoke to at #1 The Police #2 The Mayor’s Office #3 Emergency Services to this very large FB group we manage https://www.facebook.com/groups/rinconpuertoricogroup Include photos, map marker. In the post, Ask everyone to call the same numbers and ask they send help to the horse – referring Law 154 – EVERYONE SHOULD continue to call politely and relentlessly until they respond to help the horse. You can edit your original post as updates come in. Don’t make new posts, stick with just one post.
After making the Facebook Post email us DefensaRincon@gmail.com. We will work on our end as we can under the law to find the owner or a proper home for the horse via Social Media
Read the Open Letter on #ARescuedHorse if you would like to know more about the situations of the horses suffering in Puerto Rico. Follow are photos of just some of the horses we have helped over the years working with Good Samaritans like yourself and The Police
Adopt An Animal
Interested in Adopting or More Information?
To inquire on adopting please click on the photo of the animal you are interested in and locate the contact information for that specific animal’s rescuer, they are in charge of who adopts their rescued animal. Any issues reaching the rescuer we are at DefensaRincon@gmail.com daily during daylight hours. If you need our help marketing your rescued animal for adoption and to understand our adoption process please read all the information AFTER the animal photos on this page. Thank you for considering adopting!!
Our animals are normally rescued off the streets of Puerto Rico, after being dumped by an owner. Therefore some dogs may test positive for heartworms and cats may have FIV or FeLV. We do not want you to overlook an animal just because they have issues. Please know dogs that test positive for heartworms or cats with FIV or FeLV may live a normal unaffected life. Please ask if tests have been run on your dog or cat of choice. Please do not assume all tests are run on all cats and dogs.
We ask all rescuers to make certain your rescued animal is sterilized, vaccinated, de-wormed, de-ticked & de-fleaed prior to adopting out! We have programs to help with both. If your animal of choice needs to fly to you and the animal’s rescuer is willing to help you with logistics, you can network here with travelers willing to take a carry on animal (you will need to pay all fees).
Help with Marketing for Adoption
If your rescued animal is for adoption, please you or a friend make a PUBLIC post to FB (this video explains how to as well as this 2nd video) and include all the information and photos about your animal – it’s personality – the type of home you are looking for, etc. Include the rescue story and the ideal home for your animal & are you willing to accept adoption inquires that require airline travel (knowing logistics and costs will be handled by you and/or the adopter). Finally, in that FB Public post include a ‘Donate’ to Defensa button & let people know donations are always welcome and needed to help Defensa continue it’s mission. After making the post – send us the link to the post, the name, age, sex & weight of the animal(s) and your phone number We market for adoption but the interview and decision making will be for you. If you do not repeat these steps within 10 days we will remove your animal from our for adoption sites. Note, FB error has us in ‘Largo, FL’ – we are working with FB trying to fix that. Please understand YOU will communicate with and decide on the best home. Your adoptable animal will show up on this page as well as sites such as AdoptAPet, PetFinder, AllPaws, etc
Execution of the Adoption Process is Between Rescuer & Potential Adopter
Defensa helps with Vet services and Marketing for Adoption but Defensa never takes responsibility for dogs or cats beyond Vet services and marketing for adoption. The adoption process is between rescuer and adopter – not Defensa because we believe the person who rescued and is caring daily for an animal knows best on where that animal should go. Defensa does not require adoption fees. Donations are always welcome & always needed. A rescuer may certainly ask for money to compensate their costs in rescuing an animal or if they feel money gives the adoption more value. Should you encounter any problems reaching the rescuer please let us know at defensarincon@gmail.com – we are here to help. To rescuers: You must please respond immediately and candidly/honestly to interested adopters – and keep Defensa informed via email of the process and status of each inquiry we send to you.
*BE CLEAR* once communications start you are ‘in the running’ for adopting the animal. DO not assume just because it seems like a good match that it is a done deal. We recommend to all rescuers to continue to accept adoption inquiries/applications until the animal is officially adopted and in it’s new home.
General Information on Rescued Animals
Some information on FIV/FeLV test for catsfrom petmd“the incidence of feline leukemia is on the decline in many parts of the US. It’s also because these killer diseases have become less virulent…and their effects more treatable. Moreover, the prevalence of “false positives,” particularly in feline leukemia testing, has given some shelter docs confidence that as many as 50% of cats that test positive on test #1 will test negative on test #2.” – end quote.
Some information on HW+ dogs, depending on the severity, if you keep them on the preventative monthly heart-guard/ivermectin treatment that most all dogs should be on anyway, the worms will die slowly and over time. Or if rescuer/adopter/foster is willing to care for the dog while doing aggressive treatment with one of our Vets, Defensa will fundraise to fund that treatment also. For more information you can Google ‘heartworms in dogs’ or speak with a few Vets to get various opinions. Here is a WebMD resource. And thoughts from 2ndChance.info website … “Because of the expense of melarsomine treatment as well as the risks involved , some owners and humane groups decide to simply place heartworm-positive dogs that are not showing symptoms on ivermectin and doxycycline antibiotic. The hope was that this will weaken and shrivel the heartworms and improve the dog’s general condition, while we waits for the heartworms to die naturally.” **Pre-Treatment / AKA “Slow Kill” or “Soft Kill” – doxycycline daily for 30 days and ivermectin every 15 days for six months. A study published in 2010, 11 heartworm-infected dogs were given doxycycline daily for 30 days and ivermectin every 15 days for six months, with the following result:”One hundred percent of dogs became negative for circulating microfilariae by day 90, while 8/11 (72.7%) of dogs became antigen-negative by day 300. Of the 7 dogs that were positive for visualization of parasites at echocardiography, 6 (85.7%) became negative by day 300. Treatment was well-tolerated by all dogs. These results suggest that a combination of doxycycline and ivermectin is adulticide in dogs with D. immitis. Using this therapy, the gradual death of adult heartworms dramatically reduces the risk of pulmonary thrombosis — blood clots in the lungs that pose a serious adverse effect associated with other adulticides. This is the protocol I have used in my practice with 100 percent success.” Dr. Becker
Some information on horses – Check out Top 10 Health Benefits of Owning a Horse. & following is an edited column by: Viont Strad Vga. When we talk about horses, many people think that they are large animals ‘that eat anything green’. However, they are more complicated than that. When we decide to have a horse as a pet, we have to be clear in several points. (1) nutrition, (2) care and management, (3) veterinary needs, (4) hoof care and (5) time and dedication. Nutrition: A horse is not an animal that we can simply place in a fence to eat green grass. Of course, part of their nutrition is forage. But we have to be aware of providing water daily in the morning and in the afternoon. Evaluate the forage that exists in the place where we will place it to consume grass. In addition, we must have the fence divided to rotate the animal and rest the forage. If we have the animal in a stall (which Defensa never recommends), we should know that we have to combine the food with hay and water daily in the morning and in the afternoon. Keep the stall clean daily and feed regularly, throughout the day. Horses are not animals you feed once a day and keep enclosed. Care and Management: Caring for a horse is one of the biggest responsibilities we can choose. Since these are prone to diseases such as laminitis (disabling feet issues), colic and tetanus. We can not leave the stall wet, nor projectiles in which the animal can be cut and have open wounds. For no reason leave anything that is plastic, ropes, or objects that are not in their diet. An equine should be brushed, bathed, fumigated, exercised and above all give a lot of dedication. When we choose an equine as our companion we have to know his personality to know how to handle it. Know how to handle it as to not hurt yourself or the horse. If you do not have this knowledge you can start learning horsemanship from scratch to gain knowledge before you have an equine. Needs of veterinarians and Hoofcare: Like all animals, the equine also needs veterinary care such as Vaccination, Dental and a medical review. Time and dedication: The most important thing is that when we make the decision we are aware of the time consumed by the animal and the dedication it needs. A horse is much more than a large animal that we can ride on its back. The horse needs our time and dedication daily. I hope the information will help you understand a little more about what an equine composes. When you are going to adopt or get an equine, remember that it is an animal that consumes time and money but if done correctly can give back the most pleasure, life lessons and joy one might ever experience. If you are looking for more physical activity in your life, not just riding, having a horse can give that too. Check out Top 10 Health Benefits of Owning a Horse.
