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