From Puerto Rico to Columbia: How a national dog problem seeks local solutions

Columbia resident Kiley Prevatte went on a volunteer trip to Puerto Rico last summer and said her life has been forever changed.

“I didn’t know what was going on over there,” Prevatte said. “I went to three or four animal shelters in Puerto Rico, and there is simply a lack of urgency.”

Puerto Rico faces an unmatched, overpopulation crisis among street animals. But one animal rescue partnership is looking to Columbia shelters to help make a difference.

Moyo Village is an animal rescue organization that brings animal lovers from around the world on volunteer trips to Puerto Rico. The goal is to bring rescues to the U.S. mainland to find their forever homes.

Moyo Village founder Judith Patterson said the organization has begun to connect local rescuers and provide them with resources they might not otherwise have.

“They’re busy,” Patterson said. “They’re on the ground rescuing dogs every single day. They don’t necessarily have time to fundraise or recruit more volunteers to help further what they’re doing. And that’s where we come in.”

Moyo Village partnered recently with Final Victory Animal Rescue in the Midlands to host a puppy yoga fundraiser event at Savage Craft Ale Works in West Columbia.

Prevatte, a fundraising and grant writing intern with Moyo Village, is hosting two fundraisers.

“I teach yoga, and I love it,” Prevatte said. “But I’ve never done puppy yoga,” which is just people doing yoga while surrounded by puppies.

“I have friends who have fostered for Final Victory, and I knew a lot about them,” she said. “So I just reached out to see if they’d be interested. And luckily, it all worked out.”

Prevatte’s trip to Puerto Rico was a yoga and volunteer retreat to rescue puppies. That’s where the inspiration came from, she said.

“The retreat gave me the opportunity to combine two of my passions,” Prevatte said. “It seems like my passion for yoga brought me to this opportunity, and I am really grateful.”

Patterson, who used to work at Riverbanks Zoo, said she is always looking for ways to stay active as a volunteer in addition to the work her organization does in Puerto Rico.

“It really is full circle,” Patterson said. “We’re able to give back to the local community and local rescues in Columbia but also represent Puerto Rico and our mission there as well.”

Karen Gregory, the marketing and operations manager at Final Victory, said events such as the puppy yoga fundraiser are crucial for the dogs’ adoptability.

“Dogs need socialization,” Gregory said. “They need to be in different environments with different sounds and different things for them to walk on, especially if they spend the majority of their time in kennels. It gives them the added exposure and decompression they need.”

Patterson said there’s a widespread need across the country for people who can foster dogs to help socialize them before they’re adopted. 

Columbia sees just part of the need.

“For whatever reason, people are scared to foster,” Patterson said. “Sometimes it’s just for a couple of days or a week, and sometimes it is a longer commitment. But you always have the choice to tell the rescue (organization) how long you’re available to foster and what kind of animal you are looking for based on your own personal needs.”

Gregory said one of the biggest contributors to the fostering and shelter overcrowding crisis is a lack of education.

“People need to be well-informed about what it takes to care for a pet,” Gregory said. “We see a lot of people adopting puppies, and then it’s more than they expected, so they’re dumping them in shelters.”

Moyo Village started its mission during the height of the pandemic. Patterson said Moyo Village is excited to get back to in-person events.

“We’ve done some events in Charlotte, Chicago, and Puerto Rico, but this is the first one we are doing here in Columbia,” Patterson said.

Patterson said the volunteer trips offer people an opportunity to make a direct impact.

“We invite everyone to come out on one of our trips,” Patterson said. “Being able to talk to people who share the same values as us will hopefully encourage more people to join us in the future while raising awareness locally at the same time.”