Lenzi’s lifesaving mission
Holly Tonini
Erica Lenzi gives Valiente, a dog from Puerto Rico a kiss.
Valiente, a Chihuahua mix from Puerto Rico relaxes on a chair inside Lenzi's Service Station in Monongahela. He was brought here by Erica Lenzi to find his forever home.
Valiente checks in with Erica Lenzi, who runs Second Chance Sato from her home and family business Lenzi's Service Station.
Erica Lenzi shows the many dogs being taken care of by Save a Sato, a rescue in Puerto Rico. These are awaiting a clean bill of health before they are transported to recuse's like Lenzi's Second Chance Sato in the United States
Erica Lenzi of Finleyville takes care of a dog in Puerto Rico at Save a Sato, an animal rescue organization there.
Erica Lenzi of Finleyville takes care of a dog in Puerto Rico at Save a Sato, an animal rescue organization there.
Erica Lenzi was on vacation in Puerto Rico in 2010 when she happened upon Playa Lucia, which locally is known as Dead Dog Beach.
The beach is a haven for stray and abandoned dogs.
“I had no idea,” Lenzi said. “It was awful.”
In a short time on the beach, the Finleyville woman said she saw at least 150 stray dogs, many malnurished, with tumors or infections so severe their eyes were swollen shut. Others had mites and ticks.
“You know they’re in pain and no one is caring for them,” Lenzi said.
Many local residents poison the water dishes or try to run the dogs over, Lenzi said.
“There was nothing I could do at the time,” Lenzi said. “I had no idea what the laws were. But I knew once I came back (home) that I had to do something.
“I found Save a Sato and fell in love with what they were doing.”
Save a Sato is “a non-profit, all volunteer organization dedicated to easing the suffering of Puerto Rico’s homeless and abused animals,” according to its website. Sato is Spanish for mutt.
Lenzi began supporting Save a Sato with cash donations and dog supplies and ultimately began her own charity, Second Chance Sato, which partners with Save a Sato in Puerto Rico.
In October, Lenzi traveled back to Puerto Rico, this time to volunteer for several days in a dog shelter. Before making the trip, she collected dog supplies from people throughout the Monongahela area.
“We had three suitcases of medical supplies, shelter supplies and food,” Lenzi said.”Everything they needed. And they were grateful.”
In 105-degree temperatures, she fed them and cleaned their cockroach-infested crates. Their rescue shelter includes a roof and cement floor only, with more than 100 dogs stacked in crates.
She met Save a Sato Founder Gloria Marti, a native of Puerto Rico.
“They work with such limited resources,” Lenzi said. “They do as much as they can to save these dogs, but they can only do so much.”
Save a Sato vaccinates the dogs and provides them veterinary care. Dogs deemed healthy enough to travel are transported to the U.S.
The organization works through approved shelters in the U.S. to ensure the animals are sent to worthy families.
Lenzi operates a Facebook page, Second Chance Sato, and can be reached through secondchancesato@gmail.com
In October, Lenzi brought back two chihuahuas, Chucho and Miella. Since then, she has brought back eight dogs, placing each in a new home.
She brings the dogs with her to the Lenzi’s Service Station in Monongahela, where she is a partner in the business, so they can socialize and get attention.
The Finleyville resident developed her love for animals while growing up Carroll Township. Her first rescue was a Canadian goose which had hit a power line near her home. It had burn marks under its wing, but Lenzi nursed it back to health and eventually found it a home on a farm in Uniontown.
“I started rescuing cats anywhere around my home,” Lenzi recalled.
“It got to the point where people would call me to rescue cats.
Lenzi admits she gets attached to the dogs.
“It’s very difficult to give them up,” Lenzi said. “I’m the first person they know so we bond and they are so personable.”
Lenzi admits she sheds a tear when she gives a dog up for adoption to a permanent home.
“Whenever you see them going to a good home, you can’t help but be happy for them. If I don’t give them up, I can’t help them. That’s what I keep telling myself.”