# Sendai, Japan: Earthquake/Tsunami pet rescue



## JayJayisme (Aug 2, 2009)

All,

As the tragedy in northern Japan unfolds after a devastating 9.0 earthquake and resulting Tsunami, I am saddened by all the suffering and loss by the people of the region there. Being a native Californian, and having been through all the major quakes here in the last 40 years, I can only imagine what is happening there. I say "imagine" only because we've never experienced anything of that magnitude here in my lifetime and I hope we never do.

After spending over 20 years in the automotive industry, and doing a lot of business with companies in Japan, I have a lot of friends and acquaintances from there, many of whom can't be reached or, of those who are here, can't reach their families there. As the news channels broadcast images from there, I'm reminded of the situation resulting from hurricane Katrina here in the U.S.

There must be tens of thousands of homeless pets there. Pets, mostly dogs and cats, are massively popular in Japan. They actually outnumber children. Whether that's good or bad is a matter of debate but the bottom line is that many of the pets there have been caught in the middle of a massive disaster with few people to help them. 

There are already tons of humanitarian operations springing up to help human suffering but I haven't seen anything about pets yet. However, there is one rescue in the Osaka area that seems to have a good reputation and is already "in the trenches", so to speak. They have already been involved in disaster rescue efforts during the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995 and they are already seeking help with this disaster. Please read more here:

APPEAL for HELP for the ANIMALS made HOMELESS by the EARTHQUAKE and TSUNAMI | Animal Refuge Kansai

I do not personally know Elizabeth Oliver or the Animal Refuge Kansai organization but I'll bet they can use our help. There is a PayPal donation button on their site and yes, it comes up in Japanese by default. Just select "English" using the pull-down at the top right. Donations are in Yen, which today was about ¥82 to the dollar. When the markets open on Monday morning, the Yen will likely lose more value but that will buy more for every dollar you can donate. Just speculation on my part.

I haven't worked full-time since 2006 due to a medical condition, and I have two 6-month old twin boys, but I'm going to sell some stuff on eBay to populate my PayPal account with some cash and send them whatever I can manage. I'm sure there will be an outpouring of humanitarian help from the world community, but as always, the animals will be an afterthought. 

Please help if you can.

Jay


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

Not necessarily. Japan is notorious for being in love with cats. Cat Island in Japan, (Tashirojima), was one of those areas that was vulnerable to the quake and tsunami. The news has reported that the cats and the people are doing ok, (is what they were told...)

Here's a little info about Cat Island:

"Cat Island is famous for its penchant for cats. The island is covered with cats who are highly respected and revered. When the fishermen come back with fish, they always feed the cats first. All the cats there are sociable and friendly. They are well fed and loved by every islander and tourists from all over Japan. Most of the residents are elderly people since the younger generations prefer a more urbanized lifestyle. The elderly have worried about the future of their cats if there will be enough people to take care of them after they pass."

(There's also a Facebook page for Cat Island for those who love kittehs.)

Japan loves their cats...I'm sure they love their dogs as well. And other assorted critters so yes, absolutely, let's donate to help! I know several pet websites that are also getting people to donate for the animals. 

They would need food for sure, water and the island, building materials. Do we know if there's any place to donate goods or is it just money since things would be shipped overseas?

You are right though that often times, the animals are an after thought.


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