When the earthquake hit, some families in Japan lost track of pets as well as homes. Now a volunteer network and a local animal care school are helping bring some of them back.
Maigo Ken no Keijiban, or the Lost Dog Bulletin Board, has 150,000 members on social media and is a registered equivalent to an American 501(c)3. The group acts as a digital hub for lost pet notices and has amplified those notices after the magnitude 7.1 quake, which destroyed homes and claimed more than three dozen lives.
On Tuesday, a lost Chihuahua named Leo was identified, located and returned to his owner through social media. He was found about 1.6 kilometres from his owner.
The Japan Times also reported that another dog, a Shiba Inu named Go, has been sighted by members of the Bulletin Board’s Kyushu island chapter. His owner, Yosuke Matsuda, is waiting for more news.
“We adopted him less than a year ago. We think he was abused before, so he’s very easily frightened,” Matsuda told the Times.
Matsuda added that the earthquake likely terrified Go into running away.
As groups including Maigo Ken no Keijiban and local government offices share notices about lost animals, the Kyushu Animal Academy has turned several classrooms into temporary pet shelters. The vocational school, which specializes in animal care, is in the city closest to the earthquake’s epicentre.
About 20 pets and evacuees are staying at the school while displaced owners deal with damage to their homes. During an earthquake in the same city in 2016, the school took in 1,500 people.
“Most public evacuation centers aren’t set up to house animals indoors… I think having animals with us helps keep spirits up,” said the school’s headmaster, Ryunosuke Tokuda. “Pets are family, and having them close makes a huge difference.”
“We can’t use the school as an evacuation center forever, so we’ll see how things go over the next few days until the local government takes over,” he added. “We welcome foreigners, too. Even if you don’t speak Japanese, if you and your pet need help, please feel free to reach out.”
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