RetrievAir Partners with The Sato Project to Fly Dozens of Rescue Dogs Out of Puerto Rico

The industry's newest pet-centric aviation service partners with trusted non-profit
The Sato Project to transport dogs from Puerto Rico to their forever homes.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- RetrievAir, a new aviation service revolutionizing pet travel by allowing dogs and cats of all sizes to fly in-cabin alongside their owners, has announced a partnership with The Sato Project, a leading animal rescue organization dedicated to disrupting the stray dog overpopulation crisis in Puerto Rico. RetrievAir, along with airline partner RVR, will operate a rescue flight from San Juan to New Jersey on July 5th for The Sato Project, giving dozens of stray dogs (known locally in Puerto Rico as, "satos,") a safe, stress-free journey on their way to their forever homes.

"With hurricane season beginning on June 1st, and NOAA reporting this year we'll see "above normal" storm activity in the Atlantic, it's our priority to fly the dogs in our program to safety before disaster has a chance to strike," said Chrissy Beckles, the President/Founder of The Sato Project. "We're so pleased to get to work with RetrievAir, knowing they support our mission to disrupt the stray dog overpopulation crisis in Puerto Rico."

"This mission is incredibly important to me," says RetrievAir co-founder and aviation advisor, Mark Williams. "My wife and I adopted our dog Diego, a sato from Vieques, Puerto Rico, nearly ten years ago now. The fact that I'm now able to assist in bringing satos in need to loving families is a dream come true." 

According to The Sato Project, an estimated 650,000 stray dogs currently roam the streets and beaches of Puerto Rico. This Freedom Flight, as they call it, is part of the rescue's "one-two punch approach" to addressing the overpopulation crisis in Puerto Rico. Their mission seeks to interrupt the cycle of over-breeding at the root through a combination of no-cost spay/neuter/vaccination clinics and adoptions.

"We call our campaigns to fund flights and our spay/neuter services, 'Mission Possible,'" says Beckles. "This next round on July 5th is Mission Possible 20; so we've clearly been doing this for a while now!

Several of The Sato Project's partners have donated funds in a matching opportunity for the organization to fundraise to cover the cost of the flight, including The Miranda Family Fund, Christopher Harding and Flew The Coop®, Tracy and Andy Warren, Sidewalk Angels, and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Flew The Coop®, the animal welfare arm of Global Empowerment Mission and longtime ally of The Sato Project, has contributed to flights before—continuing a growing partnership focused on saving the lives of Puerto Rico's most vulnerable dogs.

"We've seen firsthand the incredible work Chrissy and her team at The Sato Project do," said Christopher Harding, founder of Flew The Coop®. "Our mission is to show up where animals need us most, and The Sato Project's tireless efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome dogs align with everything we stand for. We're proud to be part of this critical Freedom Flight and to work alongside Chrissy to give every animal a second chance."

RetrievAir expressed similar sentiments. "Assisting in efforts to help animals across the country is a key part of our mission," stated RetrievAir co-founder and CEO Benton Miller. "We started RetrievAir because we are passionate about pups, and wanted to create a new way for dogs to travel in a way that is easy and stress-free. This includes partnering with organizations like The Sato Project, to make sure all these amazing rescues have a safe and comfortable journey to their forever homes."

To make a contribution to The Sato Project's fundraising efforts, you can visit their campaign page today.

About RetrievAir
RetrievAir exists to make air travel simple, peaceful, and easy for pets and their humans. Inspired by the loyalty and adventurous spirit of retrievers, RetrievAir has built a pet-first flying experience—from booking to touchdown—where every pet rides in the cabin, every family stays together, and every trip feels like freedom. Founded in 2025 by Benton Miller and Mark Williams, the company combines aviation expertise with pet-centric service to create affordable, peaceful travel experiences for dogs of all sizes and their owners. Focusing on comfort, convenience and compassion, RetrievAir currently serves nine major U.S. cities with plans for continued expansion. To learn more about RetrievAir, you can visit their website at retrievair.com, or follow them on social media @flyretrievair.

About The Sato Project
Since its inception in 2011, The Sato Project has rescued more than 8,000 stray dogs (known in Puerto Rico as "satos"), rehabilitated them with the highest standards of veterinary care, and placed them in loving homes on the U.S. mainland. The Sato Project is also dedicated to addressing the underlying causes of the stray dog overpopulation crisis through community outreach and free spay, neuter, and vaccination initiative known as Operation Sato. Since the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the earthquakes of 2020, The Sato Project has also expanded its efforts into disaster relief, including distributing humanitarian and animal emergency supplies, pulling dogs from overburdened municipal shelters with 94-plus percent euthanasia rates, and reuniting families with their beloved pets via its No Dog Left Behind program. For additional information, you can visit their website at www.thesatoproject.org or follow them on social media @thesatoproject.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Simone Norman, The Sato Project | [email protected] (929) 675-5231
Evan Delvecchio-Williams, RetrievAir | [email protected] (647) 502-4054

SOURCE RetrievAir