Toby here. I haven’t had much internet time lately because SHE has that giant grey NOT-a-Shiba in the house all the time, and while I’m pretty comfortable in my room, She has not given me a computer of my own yet. But I do sneak online sometimes when She is asleep, which is how I came across this:
This is Japan. This is the bad place. I’m not sure what it is called, but a bad thing happened there after the earthquake and the giant wave, and then, as far as I can see, everyone had to leave, but not all the Shibas went with their people. I don’t know why, except I do know that sometimes, well, we Shibas don’t listen that well, and so perhaps the people couldn’t catch the Shibas, or something like that, because I know no one would willing leave a Shiba behind! (Actually, She told me that the people didn’t know they would not be allowed to go back to get their pets. I find it hard to believe any humans would be so cruel as not let people get their animal family members, but She says it is true!) Now the Shibas are running around the bad place! I became very concerned about this, because of course, how could these Shibas be Fed Appropriate Things if they were alone! They might not be fed anything at all, which is something so horrific I can’t even really think of it.
I became so concerned that I told Her I wanted to send part of my dinner to Japan. Like maybe the fatty part of the chicken that I don’t like. Or the green beans. Or maybe the dead, dried up mouse I found the other day. I could do without those. She told me that She didn’t think that sending part of my dinner–especially the parts I don’t like–to Japan would be helpful, and that if I really cared, I would be willing to do more.
I hate to admit it, but She’s right. Sometimes the humans are, though usually not (I think this was a human thing that caused the bad thing in the first place. Humans are particularly stupid about doing bad things that involve machines). I decided to do more research, and write this post. It seemed more helpful then sending my dinner to Japan.
This has all made me think more about my group F(eed) A(ppropriate) T(hings) to Shibas. She thinks I have abandoned FAT Shibas because I have been on a diet and am now a svelte Shiba. That shows how little She knows! I do feel much better, and I am looking even better than usual these days, and I like the diet (which I guess is a word that means I eat different appropriate things?), well, at least I like the fish part a lot, and the green beans aren’t that great but I get a lot of them, and I like the pumpkin too, and I have a lot more energy and can run around more and even sometimes play. I don’t really get why She thinks now that I’m on a diet I would abandon FAT Shibas, but I’m not doing it!
So I did more research, with some help from my human. I found this: Some people went in and caught some of the Shibas in the bad place! (I guess not all humans are stupid!) Of course, being Shibas, they were not easy to catch, but here is the video:
There is even a cat there, and the poor Shibas are so hungry, they don’t even go after it, like I’m sure I would if I were there! I am glad to see these Shibas are being Fed Appropriate Things, and are being rescued! I don’t think they were able to rescue all the Sheebs, but they caught some of them. If I were there, I would have jumped right in the car with the people! My human said it has been hard because it is illegal for people to go into that area and so no one is feeding the animals and they are starving. I don’t think that’s right, and I don’t see how it could be illegal to help Sheebs and other animals. But I don’t really know what illegal means anyway. I do read, but some human things just don’t make sense to me.
Here is another video, in English, that explains the situation. My human says if you only have time to watch one video, watch this one from the rescue group JEARS:
We also found this which shows some of the rescued dogs. I don’t know if they are actually Shibas, but they still needed help:
My human said some people having been going in where the bad thing happened and helping the animals even though it’s not legal. I think that’s a good thing! I wondered what those dogs were wearing (I had to wear a head cone once. And a neckerchief. They didn’t look like that though) She said they are wearing giger counters. I don’t what that is. Something to count with I guess. Not the same thing as the counters I jump up on sometimes to forage for food. Maybe gigers are something to eat, so they are counting them? Anyway, they don’t look too bad wearing them, but I like my neckerchief better than those counters.
My human said that if I wanted to help other Shibas, maybe I could write this post, so people would remember there are still a lot of animals (and people) in need in Japan, and that people should donate money to help.
Here are some places that are helping animals in Japan:
Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support (JEARS)
Animal Miracle Network (has a guide for sending out needed items)
My human is going to donate to JEARS. Even $5 would help, so please give what you can.
Because it’s been 52 days since people have been allowed to go into the area. Some Shibas and other animals may have already starved, and others will. Please help groups that are trying to go into Feed Appropriate Things to these animals.
Because foraging is fun as a hobby, but I wouldn’t like to have to try stay alive like that, and I don’t like to think of any animals starving to death. And you probably don’t either.
*note: here’s a quick link to JEARS FB page, which has fast way to send a message to the government in Japan, asking them to allow rescue groups into the exclusion zone.
From the House of the Fox Dogs 