Hope for the animals

MANILA, Philippines - It has been a month since the killer earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. Still, there are no words to describe the devastation it has caused.

Yet, the stories of rescue, hope and kindness continue to be told as people from all over the world have come to the aid of the country so struck by the tragedy.

Amid the tragedy there are so many stories of hope. Like the one of the grandson and his grandmother found alive almost two weeks after the tsunami, the baby that was found still strong among the ruins and then there are the stories of humans united with their animal companions and how the dogs in the shelters have been keeping the Japanese there happy because of their presence.

A Love Affair With Dogs

Hachiko: A Dog’s Story is a 2009 American drama film based on the true story of the faithful Akita Hachiko.

The movie is based on a true story about the bond that forms between human and dog.

The movie starts with Ronnie (Kevin DeCoste) telling the story of Hachiko, his grandfather’s dog.

The story goes that an Akita puppy is sent from Japan to the United States, but his cage falls off the baggage cart at an American train station where he is found by college professor Parker Wilson (Richard Gere).

Two good: Akita Shane swam through the tsunami to be reunited with his human. 

Parker’s friend, Japanese college professor Ken (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), translates the symbol on the pup’s collar as Hachi, Japanese for good fortune, and the number 8.

A few years later, Parker and Hachi are as close as ever. Every morning Parker walks Hachi to the station, where he leaves on the train. Hachi comes back in the afternoon to walk with Parker home.

One afternoon Parker attempts to leave, but Hachi barks and refuses to go with him. At work that day Parker is teaching his music class when he suddenly suffers a heart attack and dies.

For the next nine years, Hachi waits for his owner.

At the end of the movie, the closing credits show that the real Hachiko was born in Odate in 1923. After the death of his owner Hidesaburo Ueno in 1925, Hachiko returned to the Shibuya train station the next day and every day after that for the next nine years. Hachiko died in 1934.

And The Rescues Continue

NGO Care2, which has among its causes animal welfare, reports that while international relief organizations are pouring into Japan to help people after the earthquake and tsunami, a handful of animal welfare groups are pulling together to take care of the nation’s displaced pets.

Since Japan is well-known as a country that loves its pets, it comes as no surprise that rescue groups have teamed up to help the estimated thousands of cats, dogs and other animals that were injured or left homeless after the quake, Care2 reports.

A best friend indeed: A dog is rescued from the earthquake in Japan.

Elizabeth Oliver, who chairs Ark (Animal Refuge Kansai), says, “Here at ARK we are preparing for what might be a huge influx of animals. We already have some facilities in place and a team of experienced staff able to deal with traumatized animals. We may have to build emergency shelters as well.”

Aside from Care2 three other rescue groups have joined together to save animals.

Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support is a collaboration of three animal welfare organizations in Japan: Tokushima, Animal Friends Niigata and Japan Cat Network.  

The Japan Cat Network posted on their website:

“We are all greatly saddened and have been continually horrified by news of the devastation, following the recent earthquake here in Japan. We, the kitties at the JCN Kansai shelter, and the shelter itself, are all fine. However, we remain very concerned about the animals in the severely affected areas who may be overlooked in the midst of so much immediate need to address human concerns. We are working with two other no-kill organizations to coordinate plans for getting animals from these areas out to safety, and have already begun helping people with pets in crisis.”

Organizations outside of Japan are coming to the aid of injured and homeless pets. World Veterinary Association, a nonprofit organization that provides global veterinary care has sent a first-responder team to treat animals.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has sent its own team of veterinarians. Their goal is to help pets whose families can’t take care of them while they are being housed in temporary emergency shelters.

Reunited

Global Animal Foundation had a very heart-warming story about an Akita who swam through the tsunami just to reach his human.  Global Animal reports how it met a man at an evacuation center in Sendai who had a very touching story about his Akita 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, six 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 led him there. The dog swam through chest-high water before being reunited with his guardian.