In order to create more space in the the new intake area, we moved a few recent rescues that had been in quarantine. Sparky is a kitty that we had planned to neuter and release, as he didn't seem friendly...however after a week or so in shelter, he really warmed up! Being around the other kitties still makes him a little nervous, but he loves being petted, and purrs up a storm.
I was looking forward to meeting the new puppies and they are as adorable as expected! All are very friendly, and love people. A volunteer named the brown female puppy, and the rest are named after soccer players, since these puppies already love to follow a little soccer ball around the dog run. We have the black and white female, Sawa chan; the cream colored male, Beckham; the black and white male, Kazu; and the brown and white female, Tanner.
The puppies spend their days in the sunny cafe dog run, and go upstairs to their kennel at night--Takumi carries them up in a basket!
Kuma is a new adult dog rescued from the restricted area. He was very very fearful when he first arrived, and managed to escape shortly after. Takumi contacted the authorities immediately. Kuma was eventually found and brought back. He has warmed up more and more everyday since then! He absolutely loves attention, loves to be brushed and petted, and cries when anyone walks away from him. He's missing part of an ear, and some fur...also started out very underweight. But little by little he is beginning to look like the happy dog he once must have been.
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to take a short trip to Tokyo, to attend a charity concert to raise funds for our work in Fukushima. I had an amazing time. It's always great to be surrounded by the people who are working hard to support us and to keep everything going, and 95 of our friends came out to the really pretty venue (What the Dickens in Ebisu). The bands that participated were very entertaining, and I talked with some of the performers about their own pets. It reminds me how lucky we are as a group to have so many dedicated and talented members. Besides that, they're really fun people to be around! I'm so proud to be a part of Japan Cat Network.
Finally, I'd like to highlight one of the wonderful dogs that we are currently watching for an evacuee. This dog is Michi-Taro.
The name Michi was given to him by one of the shelters that he stayed at previously, and the name Taro came from his guardian. Michi-Taro came to us so that he could be closer to where his guardian is staying in temporary housing. The kind soft-spoken man has come out many times to walk Michi-Taro, to brush him and to give him the warm attention that he so loves. Of course we care about this dog a great deal, too, and we like to see him being fussed over! His guardian came by this week and reaffirmed that he is so happy that Mich-Taro can stay with us here. He said that he can see how well his dog is being cared for. Some people have questioned our dedication to animals, where there is clearly so much human need. I guess that's because they can't see those human faces light up, when they see their pets cared for and happy. They don't see the tears that others still cry every night for pets that were not so lucky. And they don't hear the shaky voices as they say thank you repeatedly, for the lives that we continue to save, and for the ability to sleep at night with that knowledge. I wish they could see that. The opportunity to help people put their lives back together by saving the lives of those they love is breathtaking, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
(More photos in my June album on Facebook)
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