Video produced by Comunicacion Integral Creativa ©2011

2011 Auction Expenses

We are now accepting Grant requests to disperse of the money for spay/neuter clinics for 2012. For an application please visit the SASY! Grants page for more details. The deadline for SASY! to accept applications for assistance is December 30, 2011.

Looking to receive funding for your animal welfare project or initiative? Well, you will first need to apply. Download the application below and complete the application with all the required information. If you have any questions, please feel free to send us a message with your question or concern. The application deadline is December 30th, 2011. Generally, the grant awards are given out the first quarter of each year after the applications have been received and the SASY! Grant Committee meets to determine the yearly recipients. SASY! is always looking to help grassroots organizations receive the funding they need and deserve in order to become sustainable organizations in their locations in Costa Rica. So go ahead and apply today!

Download the 2012 SASY! Grants Application now!

At this clinic there were 65 animals spayed and neutered with the majority being female dogs. The clinic was from 8 am to 5pm and the Dr. operating was Dra. Carol Miranda at Escuela Ciudadelas Unidas in Urbanizacion Tiribi, La Aurora de Alajuelita.

When Ottawa student Chris Bickford spent July visiting his Canadian girlfriend in Costa Rica, he was moved by the many starving stray dogs he saw everywhere, begging for scraps and eating garbage.

But he lost his heart to three hungry hounds that were tied up near where his girlfriend, Stephanie Globus-Hoenich, lives, in a rural area near the mountain city of Cartago.

One day the couple passed by a yard containing the emaciated dogs tied to short ropes: a female adult, a three-month old female pup, and a male . The latter was in an open box and was tied so closely to it, “he could only poke his head out,’’ said Bickford.

With the permission of the dogs’ owner, who has a large land holding, Bickford and Globus-Hoenich, who’s teaching English, bought them collars, lengthened their tethers and fed, watered and walked them.

“Then I had to go home to Canada and leave them to their fate,’’ he said.

But it was an outcome that niggled his conscience. “I decided I couldn’t just leave them in that yard. Somehow I had to try and get them here,’’ said Bickford, 37, who works in a grocery store and goes to college full-time.

He decided he’d try to find the dogs, who the owner is willing to part with, good homes in Canada.

So far, he’s managed to secure a promise by Ottawa veterinary clinic Carling Animal Hospital to spay and neuter the dogs at no charge, and he says Air Canada has confirmed it would waive $1,000 off the $2,000 cost of flying the dogs from San Joseto Ottawa.

As well, a Costa Rican animal welfare group, SASY (Stop Animal Suffering — Yes!), has also offered to have a veterinarian de-worm and examine and vaccinate the animals before they get shipped.

“The only real obstacle is arranging good homes for them,’’ says Bickford who shares an apartment with his brother. He’s been putting the word out through friends and put together a poster he’s put up in Ottawa’s Byward Market.

A friend of Bickford’s in Toronto, Charlotte Stevens who runs For Pets Sake Grooming, is also spreading the word about the need for homes for the dogs and is willing to foster at least one herself.

In the meantime, Globus-Hoenich, a volunteer with the WorldTeach program who lives with a local family, is continuing to take care of the dogs and is arranging to get crates for transportation to the airport.

Bickford knows some will question why he wants to save these Costa Rican dogs when there are domestic animals that also need homes.

“I think it’s their helplessness and they have nobody to save them from a painful death from starvation — I just feel someone has to step up to the plate,’’ he says. “What a miracle it would be if these dogs manage to go from that little yard in the mountains and get transported to a home in Canada.’’

The Krueger´s were generous enough to let SASY! utilize their beautiful Quinta Luna Alta for the event. Those that attended I’m sure were impressed with the beauty of the view and architecture.

Phil O’Cleirigh of Cava Mundia Wines donated the wines for the tasting and had some cases on hand for purchase. Lil of Rincon del Toro Artisanal cheeses provided wonderful cheese samples for SASY! and for purchase as well. The Sugar and Spice Catering company donated herb dip, mini cheese balls, marinated olives, roasted vegetable sandwiches and assorted breads and Scatola Rossa donated all pastries, pies, and cookies for the event. Carlos Aguilar decorated the chapel at Luna Alta with his fabulous art work and street dog collection. Carlos´s daughter, Irene, played the piano for background music.
The weather was kind to us, the wine flowed and all was eaten and several new faces to SASY! were present. Luis Madrigal was kind enough to scale the mountain of Luna Alta with his shuttle van to bring all guest up to this enchanting place!

The financials are the following:
Ticket sales $ 960.00
Raffle Tickets $206.00
Mungia painted Wine Bottle $65.00
Scatola Rossa pastry sales $ 133.00
Total: $1,364.00
Expenses $69.78
Net Donations: $1,294.22

On an average of $10.00 per animal of SASY! funds, this event allows us to attend about 129 animals x 60 unborn animals results in over 7740 unwanted animals not born to the streets. Once again I want to emphasis that explenses were employee related and transportation. All other work, food and beverages and venue were donated! We cannot thank you enough.
Thank you to all that attended from Team SASY! and we will see you on November 6th for the event of the year! Save the date!

Last year’s event was a huge success, earning over $40,000 which we have used to fund grants all over Costa Rica. It truly was the event of the year!

We hope that you will be able to support our event this year. There are four ways you can participate:

(1) By making a donation of an item or service for our live or silent auction.

(2) By making a cash donation at one of several sponsorship levels from $50 to $5000.

(3) By purchasing an ad in the auction catalog, which is an excellent way to promote your business beginning at $50.00 for ½ page. New for 2011 we are offering a $25.00 business card ad.

(4) By attending the event and encouraging your friends/associates also to attend with a ticket purchase of 15.000 colones or two for 25.000.

If you have any questions please contact us. We hope that you will be able to help us in this worthwhile campaign to Stop Animal Suffering Yes!

Limited to 50 people. Tickets available for 10.000 (c) and can be purchased by calling Rita at 2249-3722 or auction@sasycostarica.com. Assortment of cheeses, Bocas by Sugar & Spice, desserts by Scatola Rossa, wines by Cava Mundial for tasting and purchase and art showing by Carlos Aguilar. A portion of the proceeds from sold art will go to SASY! to fund spay/neuter clinics and education throughout Costa Rica. Tickets are on a first come first served basis. Sorry, no walk-ins. Don’t miss another great SASY! event and call now for your space!

Directions: Luna Alta is located in Urbanization Las Quintas Chirracal in Salitral de Santa Ana, next to the mini super La Gloria.

Questions? Send an e-mail!
auction@sasycostarica.com

Call ahead for Reservations!
2249-3722 (Rita DeVore)

We want to give a special round of thanks to those that helped plan the Golf Tournament. SASY! Board Members, Mark Gibson and Lili Hale, helped to organize a great event. From the initial idea to the hard work in planning this event, their efforts have not gone unnoticed. We would also like to give a huge round of thanks to Marjan Vuurman in her essential role in coordinating this event. Without her efforts SASY! would not have been able to be successful. And for that we can express enough of our gratitude. Thank you, Marjan!

If anyone has any thoughts or comments, please send them to
info@sasycostarica.com

This was a project that Patricia Artemania of Arca de Noa, Pets y Mas and other organizers working together with Johnny Araya, the Mayor of San Josè, in 2009. The Pedestrain Street Mall is the dedicated location for Francisco Munguia’s street dog sculptures. The SASY! Monument is named “Bobby”, in honor of a street dog that Munguìa rescued whose nose was severely mutilated. Johnny Araya the mayor of San Jose understands the importance of the spay/nueter aspect of controlling the over population problem.

En Español

El alcalde de San José, Johnny Araya, defensores de los animales, decenas de curiosos y una veintena de perros recogidos de la calle asistieron al acto de inauguración del monumento al perro callejero en el principal paseo peatonal de la capital costarricense, frente al Mercado Central.

Obra del artista plástico Francisco Munguía, se trata de seis esculturas hechas de láminas de hierro de “zaguates”, el nombre que comúnmente recibenlos perros callejeros en este país, famoso por sus políticas conservacionistas de la flora y fauna pero que no se ha librado de tener miles de perros abandonados que vagan por sus ciudades. El Monumento dedicada a SASY! se llame Bobby!

Location of the Pedestrian Mall in San Josè

View a Larger Map of Downtown San Josè