Puerto Rico’s Pooches Jet Off to the Hamptons
PUERTO RICO— Citigroup banker David Brownstein, one of the executives charged with helping this U.S. commonwealth through its fiscal emergency, launched his latest rescue effort at dawn on a San Juan airstrip. Once airborne for the mainland, Mr. Brownstein, Citi’s head of public finance, got up from his seat to reassure a nervous flier, a black, 20-pound stray dog named Dulce Maria.
Dulce Maria gazed wide-eyed around the private jet, which was littered with comforts, including overstuffed chairs and trays of pastry—a far cry from scrounging for scraps in the dumpsters of beach bars. Mr. Brownstein and his team coaxed the shivering canine out of her pet carrier, fed her a turkey sandwich from the plane’s catering, swaddled her in a blanket and set her in the lap of one of the dog rescuers, a model. Dulce Maria was one of almost 100 pooch passengers on this trip from the back roads of Puerto Rico to shelters in the Hamptons and Jersey Shore. “They need help and I can help,” said Mr. Brownstein. “At some point, it became everything.”
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Along with a collapsing health-care system and 10 years of economic stagnation, Puerto Rico has a population of at least 300,000 stray dogs. Typical satos are small-to-medium in size, with short fur, big ears and short legs. Advocates say the dogs make great pets. They are also a nuisance on an island overrun with strays.
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Mr. Brownstein, a lifelong animal lover, adopted three satos in 2010 from Julie Sinaw, the model turned dog rescuer. She introduced him to El Faro de Los Animales, a no-kill sanctuary on the island. Ms. Sinaw eventually became president of the group, known on the mainland as Animal Lighthouse Rescue, which operates through donations, adoption fees and Mr. Brownstein’s own spending.
Georgina Bloomberg, Olympic equestrian hopeful and daughter of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has twice flown dogs home on her own jet from Puerto Rico as part of her work with the Humane Society of the United States, which is making a big push on the island. Mr. Brownstein’s prints are all over it. “Our pilots went over to his plane and looked at how he was stacking crates,” Ms. Bloomberg said. “When we went back, we modeled our plane on his.”
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On a February trip, “Operation Puppy Love,” Mr. Brownstein greeted much of the 16-person team at the airport in San Juan, including workers from four shelters and veterinarians, plus volunteering stockbrokers and artists. There he distributed keys to vans and condos in a beachfront development he rented and paid for in advance, along with two jets.
After three days examining and documenting dogs, the team embarked on their first four-hour run to the mainland at 4 a.m. The dogs were given a tranquilizer and an anti-diarrheal, thanks to one learning experience. “Otherwise, in 10 flights we’ve had no accidents on these fancy jets,” Mr. Brownstein said.
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