Japanese risk radiation to rescue stranded dogs

[uppityperson]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014768660_apasjapanearthquakedogrescue.html

When Etsumi Ogino saw a news photo of a pack of shelties wandering through an abandoned town near Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant, she thought of her own 13-year-old canine Kein and jumped into action.
(clip)
In the wee hours of Sunday morning, seven volunteers left Tokyo and drove over broken roads and past demolished houses to meet three other volunteers in the ghost town that Minami Soma has become. Some had prepared radiation suits and others wore simple vinyl raincoats.

The first two to arrive found the pack around the Odaka train station, near the owner's home, where the AP team had last seen them.
(clip)
It took a while to entice them with snacks, and six or seven were bundled into each car. The group saved 20 dogs in all....(more@link)

Pictures from April 7

[xchrom]

1. ...

:applause:

[luvspeas]

2. I remember those poor pets during Katrina...

In both instances, many people thought it would only be for a short period of time.

[Hawkowl]

3. Heroes!

True heroes to rescue the puppies!

[shireen]

4. how to help

you can donate at http://jears.org/
Incredible people doing incredible work.

They're a consortium of volunteer groups. love them.

[sabrina 1]

5. I am so glad someone went to get them. I saw footage

of reporters who went through that area and they passed several animals trying to fend for themselves. I didn't see the shelties, but there were other dogs and a few horses plus cows in the footage. The whole area was deserted and I wondered what was going to happen to them.

I did read that they were left behind because they might have radiation on their fur. But even so, wouldn't it be better to at least put them to sleep, rather than leave them to die of starvation?

It was really upsetting to see that footage. I know the Japanese, unlike what happened in NOLA, did rescue animals and helped owners take their animals with them to shelters.

[montanacowboy]

6. Good for them

they should be so commended

[Hell Hath No Fury]

7. Anderson Cooper did a piece -

on the abandoned animals, trying to find out if any group was going into the evacuation area -- a few individuals were sneaking in but nothing organized or widespread. He showed one clip of a dog who had been tied to a post and was starving. :cry: It broke my heart. Another showed a cat in the window of an abandoned house. I would be in there every night I could, in any town I could getting those animals out.