We are a registered non-profit organization in Japan, helping people help pets.

We help with rescue and re-homing of abandoned or stray animals, we provide limited sheltering space to those working to help stray or abandoned animals in their communities, we help to organize sterilization campaigns, and we provide advice to people who contact us about animal welfare issues in Japan.

Following the earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan, we responded immediately, in order to provide animal rescue and sheltering assistance to evacuees needing help with pets. We continue to run a small shelter and rescue base located in a completely safe area. Our organization has been featured on Animal Planet and in other international media.

Fukushima-ken

The main duties of the volunteers involve tending to the animals. There are more than 30 cats in three rooms and currently 2 dogs. The primary duties include dog walks; cat room care and clean up (changing litter boxes and refreshing food); general shelter maintenance (cleaning, dishes, laundry); building projects; animal transport; and charity event planning.

English is the primary language so people looking for a language study might be disappointed. Many volunteers have no Japanese ability.

Also, the shelter is located in Fukushima, but far from the reactor. It is located in the woods in a small town, but there is a convenience store and a few restaurants around. It’s about a 45 minute walk from the nearest station (taxis are available).

English (Japanese speakers are present, but it’s an English environment)

We have a comfortable cottage that includes 3 cat rooms and volunteer living space.

There are both private sleeping areas and public living areas, including kitchen (vegetarian food prep only), laundry, and bathroom. There is a hot spring bath down the road about 30 minutes. The sleeping areas include sleeping in the cat rooms, in a loft space, or on the couch-beds in the living area.

Our shelter/rescue base is located in Inawashiro, a resort town at the base of mountain. The area is very popular for skiing in the winter (the world cup for international free style skiing was held in Inawashiro in 2013), and for lake activities in the summer. We are 30 to 40 minutes away by train from several large urban areas, and 2 1/2 hours away from Tokyo by train.