Japan - animal rescues & news of

[ChrisH]

GOOD NEWS FROM THE ROAD: Yesterday, we met a man at an evacuation centre in Sendai who told us a very touching story about his Akita dog, named Shane. The man is a pillar in his community and when he heard the tsunami warning he rushed to warn his neighbors after letting Shane free in the yard. After notifying his neighborhood, he tried to get back to his house to get Shane, but the tsunami was rapidly approaching and he was forced to go to the local school on higher ground. He had given up hope of ever seeing Shane alive again. But, 6 hours later, one of the people staying in the center said they saw a dog outside. The man went to look, and it was Shane!! Shane had never been to the school before, but somehow, his instincts lead him there. The dog swam through chest-high water before being reunited with his guardian.

The man took us to Shane, who was staying at his house several blocks from the school (the water had receded of course). Shane must have hung onto debris, as he cut both his elbows on something. We instructed the guardian on how to clean his wounds and gave him some ointment to ward off infection. We were able to leave fuel with the local veterinarian, so he will return to check on Shane and provide him with antibiotics to ensure his wounds heal.

Picture links
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=209131459099356&set=a.207917969220705.55764.207835229228979&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=209134012432434&set=a.207917969220705.55764.207835229228979&theater

[ChrisH]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xhogik_tsunami-dogs-stick-together_lifestyle

[ChrisH]

Japan's 'Cat Island' survives quake (http://news.discovery.com/animals/japans-cat-island-survived-quake-needs-supplies-110315.html)

[ChrisH]

Here are some of the animals we have welcomed to our shelter since the earthquake and tsunami, either because they were found lost or their owners could no longer take care of them (hopefully, just temporarily).

We've already taken in over 20 animals who've been displaced by the disaster but there are sure to be more and more coming, and we are trying to create temporary shelters at Animal Friends Niigata to house them. We are also looking into renting a nearby warehouse.

Thank you to all for the great support.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Japan-Earthquake-Animal-Rescue-and-Support/207835229228979

Chiro
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Miscellaneous/Chiro.jpg

Hana (she feels more secure when her paw is being held)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Miscellaneous/Hana.jpg

[ChrisH]

Lucky
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Miscellaneous/Lucky.jpg

Mimi
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Miscellaneous/Mimi.jpg

Nana
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Miscellaneous/Nana.jpg

[ChrisH]

Animal welfare groups working around the clock to help Japan's hardest hit areas care for pets (http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/pets/2011/03/19/2011-03-19_tsunami_of_tragedies_most_animals_in_hardest_hi t_areas_did_not_survive.html)

[ChrisH]

Lucky and the other two dogs, refugees who were staying at our shelter, were reunited with their owner and able to return to their home in Fukushima together. We gave them lots of food and told them that if they found any other people in need of help they could put them in touch with us.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=209663255712843&set=a.207917969220705.55764.207835229228979&theater

[ChrisH]

UPDATE FROM THE ROAD: We are the Iwate rescue team, led by Animal Friends Niigata founder Isabella Gallaon-Aoki. We reached Morioka city in Iwate tonight. We found an article in a local paper that had a story about the animal plight - and will visit an animal hospital that was mentioned in it first thing tomorrow. The hospital has reportedly taken in 30 animals whose owners have been unable to take care of them due to the tsunami. We hope to get more information for rescue needs there. Thank you again for your support and we will be sure to keep you all updated on our progress. Good night, from Japan.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=896882&id=207835229228979

UPDATE FROM THE ROAD: We are the Sendai rescue team, made up of the founders of Japan Cat Network. We made it to Sendai this evening and will stay with the amazing local vet we've teamed up with (and mentioned here before), Dr. Sasaki, who is tirelessly caring for animals in need despite having missing family members and friends. We plan to pick up a Corgi and Pomeranian tomorrow and also travel to the coast where there is an animal rescue group already caring for 80 animals and running short on food and supplies. Thank you everyone and we will update soon again.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=896890&id=207835229228979

[ChrisH]

Japan's pet survivors face post-tsunami struggle

By Giles Hewitt (AFP) – 13 hours ago

SENDAI, Japan — Hungry, hurt and separated from owners who are either dead or in evacuation centres, hundreds of family pets are struggling to survive in the desolation of Japan's tsunami-ravaged northeast coast.

Among the many rescue teams sent from around the world to search for survivors and bodies after Japan's worst natural disaster for nearly a century, a handful of specialised animal rescue groups have also been at work.

In the days immediately after the March 11 tsunami that wiped out dozens of thriving coastal towns, the prospects looked grim.
"In the hardest hit areas, we saw no animal life whatsoever," said Ashley Fruno, from animal rights group PETA. "We did see some paw prints in the mud at one point, but they didn't lead anywhere, and we could not find any animals nearby."

Slowly but surely, however, abandoned pets began to emerge, often from damaged homes where they had managed to ride out the destructive force of the tsunami.

Many pet owners left their cats and dogs when the tsunami warning sounded, never imagining that the wave would be as large and powerful as it eventually was. The animals were left to fend for themselves in a hostile environment with no food or fresh water.

Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support (JEARS), a hastily assembled coalition of animal welfare groups, has spent the last two weeks searching what's left of the worst-hit coastal towns.

The teams, which include several volunteer vets, provide food and treatment for injured animals and try to find temporary shelters for those that have lost their owners. They also visit evacuation centres where those people who escaped the tsunami with their pets are having trouble holding on to them in difficult, cramped surroundings where animals are not always welcome.

"There have been some problems in the centres, with tensions between those with pets and those without," said vet Kazumasu Sasaki. "Some people have pet allergies, and they complain that the dogs are barking and fighting. It's understandable."

There have been cases of people choosing to stay in their ruined houses because shelters refused to accommodate pets, and JEARS coordinator Isabella Gallaon-Aoki said it was difficult to persuade those in the centres that their animals would be better off in a temporary shelter. "People here see pets as family members. For some, after everything that has happened, their pet is the only thing they can cling on to -- the only thing that brings them comfort," she said.

Timo Takazawa, who survived the tsunami along with her husband, refused to give up their dog, Momo, despite complaints from other evacuees in their crowded shelter in the city of Sendai. "When we escaped from the tsunami we didn't take anything, just Momo," said Takazawa, 65. "I can't imagine not being here together. If anybody said to me I couldn't keep Momo here, we would leave with her, we would go somewhere else."

Animals have featured in a number of unusual tsunami survival stories, most notably a porpoise rescued from a rice field after it was washed two kilometres (1.2 miles) inland.

Then there was the case of Tashirojima island in Miyagi Prefecture, known locally as "Cat Island" for its feral feline population that vastly outnumbers the 100 or so human residents.

The tiny island was engulfed by the tsunami -- but a rescue team that flew in by helicopter reported that both cats and people had come out unscathed.

In Sendai, tsunami warden Mr Kamata tried to return for his dog -- a large pedigree Akita -- after warning neighbours about the incoming wave, but found his way blocked by the churning water. "I thought there was no way he could have survived. It was terribly sad," Kamata said.

But later that night, as he sheltered in a refuge with hundreds of other residents, Kamata heard that a dog had been found outside. "It was him. He'd swum and found me. He'd ingested a lot of sea water and kept throwing up and I thought I was going to lose him anyway, but he pulled through," Kamata said.

Heartwarming stories of survival aside, PETA's Fruno said that animal welfare groups would be busy in tsunami-affected areas for some time to come.

"Recovery from this disaster is going to take months, if not years," she said. "People in the hardest hit areas will continue to need pet food and veterinary supplies, as will the animal shelters, which will also need to house animals until their homeless guardians are able to find somewhere to live."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hl__e4edLqqCQq-BAWuvhI5hB_wQ?docId=CNG.c7e2f3ac6e6f3e31f7a65b32cc 3266c1.221

[ChrisH]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/index.png

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/canvas2.png

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=907713&id=207835229228979

Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support (https://www.facebook.com/AnimalRescueJapan)

[ChrisH]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oumugLViW9c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qlb9_ZGVrPo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_LI9KhGOHo&feature=related

[ChrisH]

We came out to an animal control center here, to see if we could take out a dog who was pulled from the rubble after 11 days. Maruko's fate hung in the balance, because of aggressive behaviour and the fact that the family had decided that they could no longer provide care.
Discussions were tense at first...there was some resistance to releasing Maruko into our care. The vet helping us spoke up to the room at large, insisting we be allowed to give Maruko a chance. Finally they consented to release Maruko into the vet's care and let him give a professional evaluation. That has since happened and soon Maruko will be heading out with us. There were tears of joy for this survivor, all way around!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/190721_212370152108820_207835229228979_912829_2364 615_n.jpg

[ChrisH]

Stranded tsunami dog rescued in Japan, a dog stranded at sea for three weeks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puXbqK3tNbM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/208354_111041388978143_105503326198616_95916_40810 40_n.jpg
SENDAI, Japan - Supplied photo shows a dog, which was rescued from a roof drifting on the sea off earthquake and tsunami-hit Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, on April 1, 2011, at an animal care center run by the prefectural government on April 4. The female dog was reunited with its owner on April 4 after the owner saw a TV news report on the rescue and visited the center. (Photo courtesy of the Miyagi prefectural animal care center)(Kyodo) Kyodo

https://www.facebook.com/notes/kk-kyodo-news/dog-reunited-with-owner/111041332311482

Video of the reunion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaNPz_qlBnk&feature=youtu.be

[ChrisH]

3/30 - 3/31/11: "FOR 2 WEEKS, MY DOG LIVES ON SCRAPS. NO FOOD." (Kinship Circle - Japan Field Notes)

www.facebook.com/notes/kinship-circle/330-33111-for-2-weeks-my-dog-lives-on-scraps-no-food-kinship-circle-japan-field-/175913492456467

[ChrisH]

Kinship Circle Dog Rescue - Japan 2011
March 29, 2011 - A Kinship Circle-JEARS team rescues this forlorn cocker spaniel, concealed in tall grass in Minami-Soma. Like most animals we find, he wears a collar. We do not know if this dog is orphaned or abandoned, but reunion efforts are made for rescues brought to the Animal Friends Niigata

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxyzj2TuExU

[Freedom]

What a WONDERFUL thread! Thank you for compiling and sharing all of this!

[ChrisH]

Three days on a roof.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/208099_212579502087885_207835229228979_913957_1187 293_n.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/206979_212579482087887_207835229228979_913956_7265 961_n.jpg

"He bites," were the first words Isabella heard about this little corgi. Traumatized after floating for three days on a roof, he struggled at the evacuation center in Niigata. "I've never seen an expression like that on a dog's face," said Isabella. Found after floating on a roof for three days, profound fear and stress kept the corgi on the defensive in the somewhat unsettled surroundings of the center. Answering a call for help, JEARS brought the dog to Animal Friends Niigata. After a few days of careful attention, an amazing change occurred. Calmer and happier and no longer terrified, the dog has bonded with one of the staff, a young male, which makes them suspect his owner must have been a younger fellow. But for the moment, he remains nameless and the JEARS team is looking for suggestions for the little guy.

www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=212579468754555&id=207835229228979&aid=57607

[ChrisH]

What a WONDERFUL thread! Thank you for compiling and sharing all of this!
You are welcome.

I cannot praise the people who are doing such wonderful work enough.

[ChrisH]

Some of you are probably wondering about "Susie", the spaniel from the video. She has settled in at Animal Friends Niigata as you can see. The area we found her is now under mandatory evacuation and there's no telling if her owner will show up, or if they were victims of the tsunami. If she comes up for adoption though, you'd be getting a real sweetheart.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/208692_213932361952599_207835229228979_926244_8088 737_n.jpg

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=213932361952599&set=a.207917969220705.55764.207835229228979&theater

[ChrisH]

Meet Trixie, broken paw but rescued and safe.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/217787_213962425282926_207835229228979_926388_3687 50_n.jpg

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=213962425282926&set=a.207917969220705.55764.207835229228979&theater

[ChrisH]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/2767524_431.jpg

The beautiful brindle dog pictured above spends each day since the disaster in Japan, staring anxiously at the door outside a Japanese evacuation center. He waits for his owner to come out into the freezing weather to comfort him. Dogs aren't allowed inside evacuation centers so his owner tethered him to a post and gave the young dog a small kennel and blanket to keep him warm. But the dog insists on waiting in the open air in hopes of catching a glimpse of his beloved human.

This is just one of the daily tragedies witnessed by Kinship Circle, a nonprofit organization that specializes in animal advocacy and disaster rescue. The group was the first U.S. animal welfare organization to be on the ground after the Japan earthquake and tsunami. Outside every evacuation center pets can be found chained to buildings or locked inside cars.

Kinship Circle rescue workers offered to take the man's dog to an animal rescue shelter in another town that would provide a warm, safe place to stay. The man broke down and sobbed. He had lost everything and his dog was all he had left. Parting with him was too much for the man to bear. The volunteers left the dog behind and gave the man plenty of food to keep his pal alive.

More here.
Japan pet survivors (http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/japans-pet-survivors-stories-from-first-disaster-team/)

[ChrisH]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/207270_214244355254733_207835229228979_928939_1907 835_n.jpg
Went inside the exclusion zone today to check on a situation involving many cats left behind, after their guardian evacuated. The kitties were all very hungry, as nobody had been able to get in since the evacuation took place. Tomorrow going back for kitty round-up...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/207678_214245741921261_207835229228979_928941_6650 714_n.jpg
Some of the kitties we'll be picking up are already friendly, but some are still a little cautious...

[ChrisH]

Trixie, where we found her limping down the side of the road. This is one very sweet dog!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/210140_214080911937744_207835229228979_927270_8099 040_o.jpg

The other dog our team picked up last night...standing at the side of the road, hair matted and dirty.
Benji didn't make a single sound. Just seems completely in shock.
Heading out again this morning to do more search and rescue in the area, and to meet evacuees for pick-ups.
Thanks to new volunteers Tim and Mary for driving and for helping with Japanese communication!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/190902_214079585271210_207835229228979_927260_6091 73_o.jpg
In the light of day, we realize that this dog is a Lhasa Apso not a terrier mix.
Due to the beaverlike appearance of his tail everyone is calling him Beaver.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/191711_214155038596998_207835229228979_927687_5437 417_o.jpg

This is the bull for the dairy farm we checked on. They are being cared for by a woman who refuses to leave them
and has run this farm for 40 years. Just inside the exclusion zone.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/190819_214154648597037_207835229228979_927685_3463 684_o.jpg

https://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=207917969220705&id=207835229228979&aid=55764

[phesina]

God bless you all.

[ChrisH]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/216148_214603968552105_207835229228979_931133_8194 743_n.jpg
Koko, a little brown hen, was found on a trip to Tawauchi to retrieve two family dogs. She clucked her way right into the van along with them. Taking an evacuee back to get the dogs, Koko came up to say hello. Unable to keep her, the evacuee hesitated. Isabella offered to board her with a flock in Niigata for the time being, and so Koko started winging her way to safety.


Koko is not shy about letting us know she's hungry!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Japan%20eq%20tusa%20pet%20rescue/217153_214604238552078_207835229228979_931135_7528 230_n.jpg

[sasvermont]

I contributed to this rescue, thus I receive updates from time to time:


Update 6th/7th/8th April 2011


Day 1


Boys set off by van from Osaka bound for Tohoku. I managed to get the last seat on a plane from Osaka Itami to Fukushima. I was on a small plane full of rescue workers since Fukushima is one centre for the earthquake rescue teams. If one didn't know about the disaster there were only a few signs which indicated anything unusual along the route I took by taxi from the airport towards Motomiya, a town in central Fukushima where I would stay; military aircraft at the airport, the highway somewhat cracked and bumpy and gradually more houses with blue tarps to cover holes where the tiles had come off.


Stayed at Joyama san's mum's house. Joyama san worked at ARK 10 years ago but is now married with two small kids. She runs a pet trimming business and does pet sitting. Since the earthquake she has set up a distribution network with friends to carry food and other necessities to pets of people in evacuation centres, 15 in all. Fortunately her mum helps her too and her mother in law takes care of the kids. J's mum welcomed me and the boys who came later with a comfortable place to sleep, a hot bath and delicious supper. Really grateful to these people for putting us up


Day 2.


Set off in van for meet up in Minami Soma with ECONOMIST bureau chief in Tokyo, Henry Tricks and his Japanese assistant Amie. It's a two hour switchback drive over back roads, many damaged. Suddenly come across 3 dogs in the road. One very matted female ShihTsu , a white mixed male and brown mixed male. We managed to catch two of them but the brown dog, although hungry, refused to come close enough to be caught. The van was so full of kennels and food, we had only space for one cage for the white dog, so I held the ShihTsu on my lap. Arriving at Minami Soma city office, a nerve centre for the local area, we decided to split up. I would travel with Henry and the boys would check on the ownership of the two dogs.


Nice to be in a comfortable car after being cramped in the van. There were four of us including a local evacuee who would act as our guide. He was glad to get out of the evacuation centre for the day as he had no car himself and was bored to death. Henry suggested we try to go as far into the 20k no-go area around the reactor as we could. He had a small geiger counter in the car to register levels of radiation. Soon we come up against a police block. Guarded by a very stroppy policeman who refused to let us pass despite the car having a diplomatic number plate, Henry had a press pass and we had a resident with us. It was not worth arguing with this policeman so we chose another smaller road to get inside. Actually there are a lot of back routes in.


Coming closer to the coast we could see the total devastation of where the tsunami struck Like a desert with piles of trees, rubbish, cars and bit of houses. They say that many old people kept all their savings in a chest (tansu ) as they didn't trust banks so a lot of money was carried back out to sea. Negotiating the tree strewn road we came across a barn with horses. Their owner was feeding them with hay and grain as best he could but was limiting rations. These poor creatures are thin, hungry, with woulds all over their legs and bodies, standing in the mud and rubbish left by the tsunami. What terror they must have felt when the wave came in.


The owner was at first reluctant to talk but gradually he opened up, telling us of his experience. He and his family fled to Niigata but were then prohibited from coming back to their place for two weeks, since it is within the 20k no-go area. So the horses were left without food or water for two whole weeks. When he returned 6 horses were dead and the other 37 very weak. He had pulled the dead horses out of the barn and they lay in their death throes at the entrance. It is so distressing to see horses that have died of starvation. Now he didn't know what to do. He had run round his contacts but nobody wanted to take animals that were possibly radiated He said he was so depressed that he though he would have to kill the remaining horses. Behind the barn a bit up the hill we found 5 steers, also belonging to him, one was also dead. This one person has to carry water from a distance every day and food for the horses when he can find it. He has no energy left to clear the mud and debris in the barn.


We asked him to hold on and we would try to help. The next day we made contact with two organisations rescuing horses; Intaiba Kyokai and Uma to Aiyumu Soma.
I spoke with Numata san of the former organisation and she is in contact with that owner and will visit his place today (9th) . So will update on that. I fear that several of the horses will have to be put down due to infection of their wounds and weak condition.


After that we drove further inland to areas untouched by the wave but still inside the 20k no-go zone. Although most of the houses are unscathed, the place has an eerie feel as there are no people. Saw quite a few dogs, obviously owned but running around free. One beautiful Akita sat proudly outside his house, waiting for his owner who may never return. There was plenty of dog food at the back and water so someone must be coming. I left ARK's contact number just in case as well as in other places where there were loose dogs. It is doubtful that anyone can ever live there again due to radiation levels in the soil……. so very sad. Arrived back to J san's mum's house, very tired and hungry,had forgotten to eat lunch. No peace though, another earthquake lasting around 3 minutes magnitude 7.4 struck at 11.30 p.m. the house shook but no damage.


Day 3


Our plans change again, but we are getting used to this. Members of Tokyo ARK are driving to Ibaragi to pick up the 7 dogs which are being sent from Tokyo Haneda to Osaka Itami. The boys plan to drive around the outside of the 20k exclusion zone to see if there are animals to rescue. (needless to say they found a Golden Retriever, wandering in the middle of the road and about to be run over so load it in the van. This dog will come to Osaka 9th)


I join J san to see her storage place in Koriyama and to visit a huge evacuation centre called Big Pallette , a former event stadium, where 10,000 evacuees are living! Searched around the car park where some dogs are tied to cars or inside cars. there is no shade in this place so a dangerous situation even in this cooler weather. A woman with a pug told us there is a room inside for people and pets, around 10 dogs but she said it is so noisy and smelly nobody wants to stay there. Returned to J's Mum's house and waited for the boys to return as they are taking me and the two dogs (rescued yesterday) to the airport. Have decided to fly back to Osaka as ANA won't fly dogs which are unaccompanied. Even with a booking it is touch and go whether the dogs can be flown as it is a small plane and there are a lot of rescue workers with equipment to carry. Boys stay until we are safely airborne. ANA is flying earthquake animals from Fukushima for free. Arrive home around 10 pm, put the two dogs in a room the staff have prepared with blankets, food and water and then go to greet my gang. Good to be home.


The fear is now that the exclusion zone may be extended to 30k or more, a frightening prospect of where people and pets will go. The house we were staying is 45k away. We are now considering renting/buying a place to act as a temporary shelter in Fukushima, since we will soon be reaching capacity here and in Tokyo. J san's area Motomiya is very central and convenient. She is asking an estate agent friend to search. Will keep you all posted. When we consider that Fukushima is only one prefecture and there are maybe six or seven affected by this disaster, the scale is just mammoth but we'll do what we can.


The kids at a primary school class in the US have all sent drawings and messages supporting our efforts for the earthquake animals, all very touching. We don't know this school but they must have found us through the internet.




Elizabeth Oliver

[sasvermont]

Update 11th April 2011


One month since the quake and tsunami, so much more to do.


Many of you have expressed concern about the horses starving to death in the 20k No-Go zone. Amie Nagano from the Economist who was together with me when we came across this farm has forwarded an update. Numata san who is with Intaiba Kyokai, which runs a foster programme for rescued and retired horses, visited the farm on the 9th. She has arranged to move the horses to a temporary shelter in Soma, outside the No-go zone. Unfortunately two more horses had died and two more are too weak to be transported so they have been left with the owner. I think that Intaiba Kyokai has good connections with the local authorities and so is better placed that we are to arrange all this. I'm glad however that we could bring this to their notice and that they are helping those poor animals.


The area where that farm is was so badly hit by the tsunami, just sand and mud, not a blade of grass anywhere but in other unaffected hilly areas, horses and cows have been let loose to forage and now it's spring, there'll be enough grass for them to survive on. I will try to get more information from Numata san.


Boys came back yesterday evening from Fukushima with five dogs; cream lab female, brown mix male, beige mix male, black and tan mix female, shiba female. Their names are BE MY FRIEND, BRAVE, TOHOHOKU BOY, JUST ME and SECRET. The two dogs I brought back the day before are called : SAFE and SOUND and the Golden Retriever sent by air, I'M OK. We are running out of names so suggestions, please Since we don't know if these dogs have owners or not ,we are sending details with photos to the authorities nearest to where they were found.


An announcement this morning is very serious. Within two weeks the whole area of 20k around the reactor will be sealed off and people won't be allowed to go in there. That means that we have to rescue as many animals as possible before that time limit. Although we had found a possible place for setting up an animal evacuation shelter just inside Fukushima, it would take around a month to set it up. The same goes for our land in Sasayama. Tokyo ARK too is very over-stretched as they have to take the animals to outside vets for checking and neutering before placing them in foster homes. Therefore the logistics of moving to Fukushima and arranging for staff to go and work there is really not possible. We have therefore decided to divide the facilities here as much as we can, in order to accommodate incoming animals. It will mean a lot of extra work for our staff and less space for animals, but without doing this, the animals in Fukushima cannot be rescued and may not survive. We are ordering fence circles which can be put up quite easily and we have plenty of kennels already.


The account that we have been using for replying to English emails and sending out updates has reached it's limits so we have set up a new email account that will be used specificaly for updates and emails related to the earthquake and subsequent disasters. So as of the next update the updates will be coming from [email protected]


Elizabeth Oliver
Animal Refuge Kansai - ARK
Web Site: http://arkbark.net

[ChrisH]

jears slideshow of some of the work to date
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4fs0TxeR88&feature=share

[sasvermont]

Update 13th April 2011

The emergency at the nuclear reactor has been upgrade to a maximum of 7 and they are talking about extending the evacuation area to 35k. This is bad news. On the other hand the Government is trying to promote farm produce from Fukushima prefecture, so somewhat conflicting reports.

The boys set off yesterday evening for Fukushima. They are staying at a hot spring in central Fukushima and will probably concentrate on rescue of animals near to or within the 20k No-Go zone. They aim to rescue 10 per day for the next three days. Tokyo ARK will meet them and transport the animals to Tokyo Haneda to be flown to Osaka Itami, where we will pick them up. Marisa Miyamoto, our vet has been processing these animals very quickly; vaccinating, de-worming, checking for heartworm and neutering within a couple of days. It is a relief to have a competent vet on site in this emergency.

Our problem now will be space. A couple of days ago we heard of a motel for sale, very cheap, in central Fukushima and I was planning to go up there and see it but on hearing from the estate agent yesterday that the motel is probably in the hands of gangsters, we cancelled our trip and decided to let it go. The fact that the motel was so cheap sent a few alarm bells ringing and now we know why.

The wire panels for dividing enclosures have just arrived so we will start work on this.

Elizabeth Oliver ARK
Animal Refuge Kansai - ARK
Web Site: http://arkbark.net


How to donate: We have two ways to donate, the first being Paypal, if you follow the link
from the English http://arkbark.net site it will take you to Paypal in English. Another
option would be International Postal Money Order sent to:

595 Noma Ohara, Nose-cho
Toyono-gun, Osaka-fu 563-0131
Japan

[ChrisH]

Woman works to rescue animals in Japan (http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/14/video-woman-works-to-rescue-animals-in-japan/)

[sasvermont]

Update 20th April 2011

Four more dogs in yesterday.

HARLEQUIN female Setter
TRUE BLUE male Beagle
FAIRWAY female Beagle
VANILLA old male Beagle given up by owner

Boys also returned for a break, they have been on the go without a day off for over a week now.
They brought back photos, some very distressing; small dog left in cage which the owner had asked them to pick up, already dead of starvation; others dead on chains, their bodies just skin stretched over bones showing they died of starvation, cats and dogs dead in the road, some hit by rescue vehicles. There are estimated to be 2000 evacuation centres in Fukushima prefecture, some huge gymnasiums, others smaller, like temples or private facilities. Now that the school year has started, evacuees have to move out of schools to other evacuation places. Most pets are not allowed in any of these so people keep them tied to cars or in cars. This will be dangerous as the weather gets warmer.

When talking to evacuees about why they haven't been back to rescue their pets they answer as follows:

*many people have no transport; they were bused to the evacuation centres by the authorities. Even if they have a car, they have no petrol. There is no public transport.

* When they were evacuated, they thought it would only be for a couple of days so they left their pets with enough food and water for that time.

* they are constantly told of the dangers of radiation and prevented from going back home. This is of course a real fear because nobody knows how much radiation is in the air or on the ground.

After the boys rescued animals, they and the animals had to be checked for radiation. To make sure that animals were free of radiation, the boys shampooed and washed any that were especially dirty before sending them to Osaka.

In yesterday's update I said that the period of danger from radiation which prevents people from being able to return home, even though their homes are not damaged, would be 6 - 9 months, this is unlikely. People are now predicting one year or two before it is safe to go back and many places will become uninhabitable for ever.

Total of rescued animals to date: 71 dogs, 15 cats, one bird.

Elizabeth Oliver ARK
Animal Refuge Kansai - ARK
Web Site: http://arkbark.net

How to donate: We have two ways to donate, the first being Paypal, if you follow the link
from the English http://arkbark.net site it will take you to Paypal in English. Another
option would be International Postal Money Order sent to:

595 Noma Ohara, Nose-cho
Toyono-gun, Osaka-fu 563-0131
Japan

[sasvermont]

Update 22nd April 2011

Really a blow to all animals still remaining in the 20k zone. The Government sealed off the area officially from midnight yesterday, meaning those who break the order and return will be faced with $1000 fine and possibly 30 days imprisonment. Many evacuees, fearing they might not see their homes again for months, raced into the deserted town before the deadline. 80,000 people in all were evacuated. Some stayed however, about 40 people, many of them dairy farmers who refuse to leave their cattle. The officials are trying to force them to leave.

According to government figures about 3,400 cows, 31,000 pigs and 630,000 chickens were left in the zone, assumed to have died by now. This figure is probably an estimate of commercial farms and does not include horses, or pets.

The authorities will allow one person per household into the area for a maximum of two hours to collect personal belongings but since they are being taken there by mini bus , it is unlikely they can carry out their pets with them. No visits whatever are allowed within 3k of the plant.

Since we are unable to go into the 20k zone from now on, our main work will be in helping pets already in evacuation centres or other places. People can either board pets at ARK for free or if they decide to give them up, we can take them in and offer them up for adoption. We worry that with the weather getting warmer, pets kept in cars without shade will die of heat stroke. Already by posting photos and details of rescued animals on our homepage and on other sites, quite a lot of owners have contacted us. FAIRWAYS owner is one , GUESS, another, and a black dog now at Tokyo ARK. All these owners are actively look for homes so hopefully they can soon have their pets back with them. We are offering employment here at ARK for people with pets plus accommodation since many people in Tohoku have lost their homes and their jobs.

Many people had all their savings destroyed by the tsunami and so much money was swept out to sea and yet when people find a bag of cash they hand it in to the nearest police station. That would not happen in any other country.

We have also had a group in Miyage Prefecture wanting us to take in 30 rescued dogs since their facility is over-flowing and they lack foster homes. This situation will get worse as small organisations get over-whelmed. We have really only concentrated on Fukushima but there are still all the other prefectures to include. But in addition to this we have to take in dogs from the breeder in Ibaragi whose house was damaged and is without power or water. Around 120 dogs including; Shar Pei, Bulldogs, Cocker Spaniel, Italian Greyhounds, Chinese Cresteds, Toy Poodles, Mini Pinchers, French bulldogs, Chihuahua, Shih Tsu, Pug and mixed. Aim to go next Monday/Tuesday and start with rescue of females and puppies first.

A great dog lover in Fukuoka, Kyushu, who has adopted old dogs from ARK in the past , has offered her spacious garden to set up a rescue facility. She has offered space for ten dogs but we'll perhaps start with five. The dogs will be flown from Osaka to Fukuoka and I may go down there myself to see them settled in.

Attached photos - dogs found inside the exclusion zone, all are now at ARK in Osaka

Elizabeth Oliver ARK
Animal Refuge Kansai - ARK
Web Site: http://arkbark.net

How to donate: We have two ways to donate, the first being Paypal, if you follow the link
from the English http://arkbark.net site it will take you to Paypal in English. Another
option would be International Postal Money Order sent to:

595 Noma Ohara, Nose-cho
Toyono-gun, Osaka-fu 563-0131
Japan

[sasvermont]

Update 19th June 2011

The owner of the little Dashchund that we rescued and called REMEMBER ME contacted us. She is the daughter of the family that owned the dog, but lives herself, in Tokyo. We were shocked by the fact the little dog was tied by a heavy chain outside and would have starved to death if we hadn't rescued him. The dog is now being fostered lovingly by a family in Kansai and of course kept inside. Although the daughter has promised to make sure the dog will be kept inside from now on, it is difficult for us to check on this, we can only trust her word. This is a dilemma we face; should we return an animal to a place where it was neglected even though they are the rightful owners and want their dog back ?

We also had contact from Joyama san, a former ARK staff who is volunteering to supply evacuation centres in Fukushima with pet supplies. She has been contacted by Namie-cho officials saying that people are now being moved into temporary housing and that many cages will be needed for pets. We can't understand why pets cannot be kept free inside the temporary housing units, but apparently not. Once we know what kind of cages they need and the sizes, we will arrange a donation to them.

One veterinarian, Dr.Imamoto of Shinjo Animal hospital in Nara, has recently put his blog up, (see below), appealing for help to rescue animals in the 20k zone. We have received his permission to publish this. Out of the thousands of veterinarians in Japan, why have not more come forward to protest about the thousands of animals which have died through dehydration and starvation, due to the fact their carers were not allowed to go and attend to them ?

Elizabeth Oliver
Animal Refuge Kansai - ARK
Web Site: http://arkbark.net



Dr. Imamoto is a well known Veterinarian in Japan. He has created a statement in Japanese for The Hachiko Coalition to distribute to the media. The Hachiko Coalition has translated this statement into English:

My name is Shigeki Imamoto and I am a Japanese veterinarian. I run an animal clinic in Nara Prefecture.
I have made several trips to the danger zone in the vicinity of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant since the earthquake and tsunami disaster occurred. I’ve seen what has happened to the animals that were left behind. Cows, pigs and chickens starved to death. Dogs and cats as well.
After the incident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, residents were evacuated from the area within 20 kilometers of the plant and told they would be able to return in a few days. This is a very painful situation for those who left their animals believing it would be for just a few days. They are now able to make temporary visits back to their homes, and in doing so are confronted with the starved corpses of cattle they raised themselves, as well as the dead bodies of pets with whom they lived for many years.
Before the danger zone was established, a great number of animals were rescued due to the efforts of volunteers in Japan. Some of those who kept cattle released them from their pens before they themselves were evacuated from the zone. Many thought long and hard before taking action.
No one wanted to see animals that they had raised suffer death by starvation. But the 20 kilometer limit, which was abruptly imposed, became a line that determined life or death for many animals. Currently, primarily through the Ministry of the Environment, volunteer veterinarians have begun rescuing pets in response to requests. But these efforts so far have managed to bring only several pets out of the zone each day, and not yielded great results. There are also some areas where pet owners have been unable to make any visits back to their homes, and every passing day brings them pain.

Through all of this, animals have survived. Pet owners and cattle owners alike hope for their survival. Despite all of this concern, thus far, unable to enter the danger zone, we could do little other than worry.
I’ve received permission several times to enter and assess the situation. It’s no longer time to assess. It’s time to act. There are lives still waiting to be saved.
If we raise our voices on this issue, we can bring about a change in this situation.
— Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Shigeki Imamoto

Previous blog by Dr. Imamotot on 15th April contains very disturbing footage:

http://www.animalsasia.org/images/en/download/15042011ImamotoReport_sl.pdf


I must warn you about the photos in the link above. They are very, very graphic and not for the faint of heart. So very sad. Sad, sad, sad. Japan should take better care of their animals. They could have done food and water drops from planes and could have sent ppl in to release the animals.




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[Karen]

Oh, Sas, thanks, and I will wait until later to click that link. I am so glad at least some people are stepping up to help.

[sana]

Hana (she feels more secure when her paw is being held)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Miscellaneous/Hana.jpg

I found this extremely adorable! Its soo sweet that she feels secure with her paw being held :D:)