Where to move in the Caribbean (not Puerto Rico!)?

I traveled to Puerto Rico for the first time a few years back, and I loved it. I continued to go every six months, taking more and more friends with me when I did. My best friends from Seattle have fallen in love with it also. We jokingly began talking about moving there. It is no longer a joke – they are looking for a sailboat to purchase, and we are all now on a ‘two-year moving plan’. Puerto Rico was the destination.

However . . I did some research and found I simply cannot live somewhere with such a barbaric approach to animal rights. Animal cruelty is rampant in Puerto Rico, and the government cares nothing about it. I saw the random dogs, cats and horses abandoned and wondering the streets on my visits there, but what I didn’t know is how these animals are treated by the Puerto Ricans. Teenagers torture the animals for fun. Cabbies run down dogs in the streets without care. Just last year 80 dogs and cats were THROWN FROM A BRIDGE to dispose of them, after being forcibly removed from a housing complex. What does the Puerto Rican government say about all of this? Allow me to quote from the NY Times:

“In our culture we have not addressed these issues because, probably, we did not think they were important,” said Carlos M. Carazo, director of the animal disease division of Puerto Rico’s State Office for Animal Control, in an interview in San Juan last month. “In Puerto Rico, we have so many issues to address, we haven’t had the leisure time to think about animals.”

And save your ‘who cares about animals?’ posts. I do. I like my dogs better than most people. My dad was a big, hard cop, and he gave me one piece of advice I’ve found true my whole life: ‘Never trust anyone who could hurt an animal.’

So, this leaves me with a sour taste for Puerto Rico. I would definitely never move there, nor will I ever visit there again. My question is this . . what other islands down there are friendly? Where is nature in abundance, but a major city just a bit down the road? Where is the real estate not outrageous? My friends are looking to operate sailboat snorkeling and fishing charters; I on the other hand would be looking to open a little restaurant, tavern or snack shop.

I SO appreciate any information that any of you have to offer. At the least, it will mean fun vacations while we investigate your suggestions!

Thank you again!