Dogs at Minami Soma, Fukushima Rescued by Japanese Volunteers

By on Apr 15, 2011 in Animals, Asia, Science, World • 21 comments



Fukushima, Minami Soma Dogs
Strayed Dogs at Minami Soma
Image Credit: AP Photo/Hiro Komae

According to several international news reports on Thursday, a group of Japanese volunteers braved the nuclear exclusion zone to rescue stray dogs.

Etsumi Ogino initiated the effort when she saw a news photo of a pack of shelties wandering around an abandoned town near the nuclear plants. It was reported that she immediately contacted the website that featured the photos and asked for the details on the dogs’ whereabouts. She was informed that the dogs were found on an empty street in Minami Soma city in Fukushima.

Ogino gave the information to Sheltie Rescue, a team of animal rescuers. They were able to track the owner of the dogs thru emails and internet research, and asked her permission to rescue the dogs.

The volunteers rescued the dogs early Sunday morning. To protect themselves from radiation, the volunteers prepared radiation suits and other wore simple vinyl raincoats.

The group were able to save a total of 20 dogs. Most of them were taken to a veterinary clinic. The owner, who refused to be named, was “extremely happy.”

“They were waiting for their owner,” Tamiko Nakamura, a volunteer who went with the group was quoted saying.

Nakamura said that there are still countless others stranded in the evacuation zone. “There are still some left behind. I’m concerned about them and want to pull them out,” she said.



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  1. Stephen on Apr 15, 2011, 1:30:10 pm:

    My sincerest heartfelt thanks to the incredible Japanese volunteers who rescued these beautiful dogs. As always, dogs are gifts from God and I believe we should treat them as we would any other being that lives with us, protects and defends us, and loves us NO MATTER WHAT. If I can help in any way – would you please feel free to contact me as I’m available to take one or two of these beautiful animals if they are up for adoption. Let me know how I can help. You can leave a comment here. God Bless you all.

  2. nonicroc on Apr 15, 2011, 6:47:05 pm:

    Thank you for rescuing the dogs. There are only a few brave people like you.

  3. Natalie on Apr 15, 2011, 8:52:44 pm:

    GREAT BIG THANKS to the rescue volunteers, for thinking about our lesser brethrens safety!

  4. Natalie on Apr 15, 2011, 8:56:56 pm:

    I wish I could be there to adopt but I’m from another country. Dogs are a BIG part of my life. They inspire loyalty, braverY, persistence and undying love!

  5. Terry on Apr 15, 2011, 9:38:03 pm:

    I’m more impressed with the Japanese people every day. So much caring and compassion.

  6. ryry on Apr 16, 2011, 1:43:49 pm:

    i wonder how many of those dogs will end up on the menu…

  7. Akazikian on Apr 16, 2011, 3:32:37 pm:

    Ok, I like dogs, but what a waste of resources… the dogs will still be there a few months from now (they’ve survived this long). Go fix the nuclear reactor first.

  8. Coco on Apr 16, 2011, 8:31:47 pm:

    @Akazikian – animals are breathing, sentient beings that deserve as much respect and care as humans. Don’t be such an insensitive d**k.

  9. Julie Amiri on Apr 16, 2011, 10:36:24 pm:

    Amazing compassion and bravery. As usual, of course, there are the brainless wastes of space who have to find something negative to say. Last time I checked, ordinary citizens were not allowed to work on nuclear reactors. Maybe I’m wrong, however, and all of the Japanese are qualified nuclear technicians. I’m sure that for those people with very limited mental capabilities, it would seem that everything is mutually exclusive and that if one group of people choose to help animals at a particular moment, it means that they are abandoning people, repairing the nuclear reactor and a multitude of other more important tasks. Some people are actually able to manage more than one thing at a time.

  10. Mandy on Apr 16, 2011, 11:09:57 pm:

    So they risked radiation sickness to rescue dogs. Stupidity at its highest. But then again, I’ve been to Japan, and those who live in the countryside are none too bright.

  11. Mandy on Apr 16, 2011, 11:11:00 pm:

    Sounds like we should send Coco into the radiation zone to look for more dogs….

  12. Mia Murphy on Apr 17, 2011, 1:21:13 am:

    Mandy & Akazikian should go into the radiation zone to fix the reactor – they would be no great loss to humanity!

  13. Jade on Apr 17, 2011, 1:30:05 am:

    Its not like they took the ppl who work on the reactor away from their work to save the dogs it was a group of volunteers who chose saved them.

  14. J on Apr 17, 2011, 4:06:26 am:

    @ryry
    Sorry to ruin your joke, but you’re thinking of China or Korea, not Japan. Dogs and cats have always been considered pets in Japan. Since the traditional diet is mostly rice and fish, they’ve never needed to resort to eating dogs for meat.

  15. Theresa on Apr 17, 2011, 6:50:53 am:

    I never realized that the citizens of Japan were so compassionate towards animals, even risking their lives to rescue stranded dogs. It brings me much heartfelt joy to know this as I love dogs and have my own “babies” to include two Shelties who are waiting for me in Heaven. God bless the Japanese.

  16. Sandy on Apr 17, 2011, 1:10:38 pm:

    the people of Japan will be blessed for thousand of years because they remember to save the helpless God’s creatures who were suffering just as much, animals have always serve humans faithfully. This is the divine love between humans and animals, can never be measured in tangible monetary value unless you have no feelings for them, just want to sell them off as meat.

  17. Vasile on Apr 17, 2011, 8:32:11 pm:

    Hei peoples from Japan!
    You shold not build the same kind of buildings in that place.
    The piramides are the best solution for you from now on.
    Just listen to me and do that! Is for yours own good and you really can do that.

  18. Pam on Apr 18, 2011, 3:52:21 am:

    Mandy, if you do not show compassion for other living beings, you cannot expect other living beings to show compassion for you. If you are ever in a situation where you need to be rescued, you can only HOPE that someone has enough compassion to try to rescue you. And if no one does, you will be forced to remember your own lack of compassion and have no right to complain.

  19. Darla Welch on Apr 18, 2011, 10:18:13 pm:

    I am overwhelmed by the love and compassion the Japanese are displaying toward their animals. There are many here in the United States should take a lesson from this – some have even responded to this article. Thank you for tending to God’s creatures.

  20. stover on Apr 18, 2011, 10:24:59 pm:

    May God Bless Everyone of You! Animals need our help too. “If one has never loved an animal..their soul remains unawakened”

  21. Jane on Apr 19, 2011, 3:06:47 am:

    Comments which denegrate what these people did by rescuing these helpless dogs are perfect examples of humans who are not as valuable as the dogs. No compassion, intelligence or love…all of which dogs have in abundance and which you obviously lack. God bless the rescuers, and to he!! with you negative morons.