Written by PETA
Belle was abandoned after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan when her family fled because of the fear of radiation. PETA Asia-Pacific's Ashley Fruno flew her today—in the cabin, of course—to her adoptive family in Canada.
Ashley was the first member of a foreign animal group to enter the areas of Japan most devastated by the tsunami. Working alongside the Animal Friends Niigata shelter, she rescued animals who were left homeless or were abandoned by their families. After her second trip over, Ashley left with some VIP hand luggage—Belle—tucked safely under the seat in front of her on the plane.
It was donations from caring PETA supporters that got Belle placed with her new family. Thank you to everyone who helps animals otherwise devastated by emergencies by donating to our Animal Emergency Fund.
Written by Michelle Sherrow
PETA Asia senior campaigner Ashley Fruno has been in Japan helping many homeless animals, and she lent a hand at an animal shelter run by Animal Friends Niigata. Before returning home, she instructed the many new friends she had made to contact her if they needed anything. The following is her account of her last few days in Sendai:
I have left Japan, but my heart is still there. Up until the end, the smell of decaying flesh was still strong and undeniable in the disaster-stricken areas. We saw bodies being pulled out of a primary school last Friday, more than a week after the tsunami. My plane was full of people who were evacuating, and children were crying. We have a wonderful group of helpers in Japan who care about the animals caught up in this horror. We are so happy to support Isabella Gallaon-Aoki of Animal Friends Niigata. Isabella is a strong soul, and while others were afraid of a second tsunami, radiation exposure, and earthquakes, Isabella drove with me into the worst-hit areas and stepped into the ruins with me, searching for animals. We spent day after day searching for animal survivors, taking in animals who couldn't evacuate with their guardians and delivering dog and cat food and medicines to the evacuation shelters that were allowing animals. We met a kind and wonderful veterinarian, Dr. Sasaki, who was desperate to go into the affected areas but didn't have any gas. He called us for help and now has visited several evacuation centers. He is going to each of them one by one to provide treatment to injured animals and deliver food. On the first night in his hard-hit area, Dr. Sasaki put us both up (which we were so grateful for because we would otherwise have been spending another freezing cold night in our car), and his wife made a lovely vegan meal for us from the scarce amount of food that they had. Isabella is continuing to bring Dr. Sasaki more fuel and veterinary supplies, and we are helping with that effort. There is still much work to be done in Japan, and a PETA Asia volunteer, Ulara Nakagawa, is helping in Tokyo. Ulara is updating the Facebook pages of the local animal rescue groups with important messages about animals and supplies, and she is following up on tips about homeless animals as they come in. Although I have left, I am staying in touch with my new friends in Sendai—and PETA is helping them with additional food and supplies as needed.
I have left Japan, but my heart is still there. Up until the end, the smell of decaying flesh was still strong and undeniable in the disaster-stricken areas. We saw bodies being pulled out of a primary school last Friday, more than a week after the tsunami. My plane was full of people who were evacuating, and children were crying.
We have a wonderful group of helpers in Japan who care about the animals caught up in this horror. We are so happy to support Isabella Gallaon-Aoki of Animal Friends Niigata. Isabella is a strong soul, and while others were afraid of a second tsunami, radiation exposure, and earthquakes, Isabella drove with me into the worst-hit areas and stepped into the ruins with me, searching for animals. We spent day after day searching for animal survivors, taking in animals who couldn't evacuate with their guardians and delivering dog and cat food and medicines to the evacuation shelters that were allowing animals.
We met a kind and wonderful veterinarian, Dr. Sasaki, who was desperate to go into the affected areas but didn't have any gas. He called us for help and now has visited several evacuation centers. He is going to each of them one by one to provide treatment to injured animals and deliver food.
On the first night in his hard-hit area, Dr. Sasaki put us both up (which we were so grateful for because we would otherwise have been spending another freezing cold night in our car), and his wife made a lovely vegan meal for us from the scarce amount of food that they had. Isabella is continuing to bring Dr. Sasaki more fuel and veterinary supplies, and we are helping with that effort.
There is still much work to be done in Japan, and a PETA Asia volunteer, Ulara Nakagawa, is helping in Tokyo. Ulara is updating the Facebook pages of the local animal rescue groups with important messages about animals and supplies, and she is following up on tips about homeless animals as they come in. Although I have left, I am staying in touch with my new friends in Sendai—and PETA is helping them with additional food and supplies as needed.
To support PETA and PETA Asia's lifesaving work in disaster-stricken areas, consider making a donation to PETA's Animal Emergency Fund.
Homelessness can happen to anyone—be it a reigning beauty queen or a sweet family feline. That's the lesson that Blair Griffith, Miss Colorado USA, wants people to learn from her story. Just weeks after winning the Miss Colorado USA crown, Griffith found herself homeless. Her mother had suffered a debilitating heart attack years earlier, and the financial strain of mounting medical bills ultimately cost the Griffiths their home. They were able to move in with a friend, but Griffith's ordeal made her think about people—and animals—trying to survive on the streets.
In an opinion piece she wrote that was printed in Boulder's Daily Camera, Griffith says, "I have been fortunate to be the recipient of many offers of assistance since losing my home, but most of Colorado's homeless animals aren't so lucky. It's them we should feel sorry for. After all, an abandoned dog can't ask to sleep on a friend's couch for a bit, nor can a stray cat apply for social services."
Every day, countless animals find themselves homeless through no fault of their own. If you have the time, energy, and resources, you can help by opening your home to a shelter dog or cat.
Read Blair Griffith's complete opinion piece here.
The ferocious tsunami in Japan, caused by one of the largest earthquakes on record, surged several miles inland and claimed the lives of hundreds of people and countless animals. PETA Asia-Pacific is sending staffers to some of the hardest-hit areas along the eastern coast to offer aid. You can help animals in disasters by donating to PETA's Animal Emergency Fund.
The key to protecting ourselves and our animal companions in any kind of disaster is being prepared. PETA offers a tip sheet for animal guardians on how to prepare for any type of natural disaster that may arise. Tips include having an animal emergency kit ready, keeping all animal tags and records up to date, and having window stickers in obvious places on the front and back doors, alerting emergency responders to the presence of animals in the home.
We will give you more information about PETA Asia-Pacific's rescue efforts in Japan as it becomes available.
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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