The Rescue at Dead Dog Beach: One Man's Quest to Find a Home For the World's Forgotten Animals
Language: English
Pages: 240
ISBN: 0062014080
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
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 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.
up the beach, and a couple of them wandered off.” The man’s expression softened. He turned to the others and translated what I said. They lowered their machetes. “Have you seen my dogs?” The English speaker nodded. “Dead.” He pointed to an area at the edge of the jungle with his leathery hand. “Over there.” I knew not to ask who did it, or how. The uncomfortable expressions on their faces said it all. The men were looking over their shoulders, as though they feared getting in trouble for
prolonging their inevitable death. I kept telling myself, if they died today, at least they had known that I loved them. Later, on the way home from the beach, I stopped to look in on the girls again. They must have been in a deep sleep when I pulled up because they didn’t hear the truck. It wasn’t until I was right up on them that they startled awake. I had grabbed an old tarp that one of the fishermen had left at the beach, and used kite string that I kept in the truck to tie a rain shelter
decided to head for the store to get some dog food. “I’ll be right back, okay, buddy?” I said, petting his disfigured head. I threw my gear back into the SUV and raced away from the beach, this time with no thought of what the jungle was doing to the SUV’s paint job. Problem was, I had no idea where to go. I hadn’t been to this part of the island before. It was still pretty early in the morning, so I just hoped to find something open. Finally, I did. Communicating with the store clerk was a bit
book she was working on. She and her husband, Jesse, had asked my permission to follow me around during my daily routine with my dogs. She never interfered with my routine while she photographed. In fact, I barely knew she was there. At the end of that week, she said she’d let me know when her book was published. I received an e-mail from her in 2008 inviting me to a book signing at a Providence area bookstore over Thanksgiving weekend. I wasn’t sure what the book was about, or how I had been
hide in the sand or along the perimeter of the jungle. You only saw them if they wanted you to. I looked around for the dogs I’d been with the day before. Blue Eye lay curled up in a ball in the sand. I wondered if my fears of finding him dead had come to pass. “Hey, Blue Eye!” I called out to him. I didn’t expect him to know his name—I just wanted to get his attention. He raised his head and staggered to his feet. I rushed over so he didn’t have so far to travel. He wagged his bony, hairless