The old cat waited along the top of the fence. He, or maybe she, had light blue, squinting eyes. Tufts of white fur stuck out on his belly and neck, while the rest of his coat was black. He was waiting.

The family he visited in Salinas, Puerto Rico had been feeding him for about a year, although they hadn't thought he was going to make it that long.

As the feline stooped his head to nibble, his wound was unmistakeable. Almost half of the skin and fur on his neck had been ripped off, exposing a reddish pink gash. Spots of black hung off the edge and within the neck.

He was impervious to gawkers. He came for the food and when he was done, he left.

The heads of the house weren't sure if they should continue feeding him or stop so he could be put out of his misery.

Stray animals in Salinas and throughout the island have been a problem for years. While a few nonprofit organizations were founded to address this epidemic, it persists. There are an estimated 200,000 stray dogs, called satos, in Puerto Rico. That's roughly 57 stray dogs per square mile on the island.

When driving along local streets, you can see various satos on the sides, fending for their lives. It's heartbreaking.

While there are (five) municipal shelters on the island, euthanasia rates are remarkably high - some estimates are between 97-99%. Oftentimes, the dogs are picked up and then almost immediately done away with.

Organizations like The Sato Project actually rescue, neuter or spay, and vaccinate dogs to send them to the US, where they are more likely to find a home. There is not really a culture of pet adoption. "Currently the adoption rate in Puerto Rico is very low. ‘Satos’ are not revered on the island," answered the organization on their website.

The government does not have a formal, organized response to this dilemma. Animal abuse and abandonment is often ignored. No one wants these pets so sometimes people go out of their way to kill or leave them. Dead Dog Beach, a popular place to abandon dogs at Playa Lucia, is overrun with abused, abandoned, flee-ridden, possibly infected dogs.

Even as I wrote this article, a skinny gray cat sat along the fence, relaxing and waiting for a meal. He's another one who benefits from the kindness of this family in Salinas. As he ate, we could see the scars along his face. What had he been through? Where would he get his next meal? Would he survive the night?