Response to The Sun - "Nuke Brit stays in Japan to look after his dog"

Did you read this piece in The Sun about a Martin Dean, a Brighton man living in Japan with his family, who has refused to leave his dog due to quarantine restrictions? We read it and decided to contact the Sun to let them know that we had some information that would be useful to Mr Dean or others in a similar predicament. If you're interested, you can read our letter here:

Hello,

I’m writing from the charity Dogs Trust regarding your piece in today’s paper on the Brit in Japan who’s refusing to leave his dog due to quarantine restrictions [p 19].

I wanted to let you know about an animal rescue shelter called ARK that is based in Osaka, Japan, that is caring for dogs/cats/domestic pets caught up in the devastation. ARK is running a boarding programme for pets which allows owners to leave Japan safe in the knowledge that their pets are cared for.

The charity and is run by a British woman called Elizabeth Oliver. Today Elizabeth has issued the following guidelines which may be of interest to your readers:

• The charity will take in pets at either ARK Tokyo or in the Osaka shelter and will look after any animals left behind or at risk from people having to leave Japan, at no cost. Pets can board at ARK for three months. If after three months there has been no contact from the owner, those pets will then become the property of ARK and will be rehomed to a loving new family.


• Anyone wishing to leave their pets at ARK will need to visit the rescue shelter themselves details on http://www.arkbark.net/ or have the animals sent to the nearest airport which is Osaka Itami. Here, dedicated members of staff will meet them the animals and/or their owners - this is a huge task so they are short of transport staff but will do all they can.


• All animals will be checked by vet upon arrival and ARK asks pet owners to prepare details including vaccinations, health issues, or daily habits.


• ARK will board free of charge but would appreciate any donations.

Photo courtesy of the ARK website at http://www.arkbark.net/.

Animal news: Postie saves otter in post bag

From time to time, I reserve the right to veer away from dog news for a bit for the following reasons:

1) Dog lovers tend to like other animals too
2) Some stories are too cute / amazing / interesting to miss

This definitely falls into the 'cute' category.

Postie Kenny Wilson discovered a young otter lying alone near the roadside while doing his rounds. He scooped the weakened little creature up, cradled her in his post bag, and thn realised she was hungry. He thought that kitten milk might be a reasonable foodstuff, so bought her some and dribbled it into her mouth through the barrel of a ball-point pen! After taking her with him on his rounds, and to a car rally he was due to attend, he delivered the otter - now known as Orla - to a rescue centre.

Thanks to Kenny's prompt care, little Orla survived and is now gulping down £15 worth of salmon every day with the kind aid of a local supermarket (otters are part of the weasel family, some of the smallest - and most deadly - carnivores in the UK).

And if that's not doggy enough for you, then here's an otter fact: otter young are known as whelps or pups. See? Totally relevant.

[Source: CBBC Newsround]

Dog saves kittens from fire

Australian media has provided a few really good animal stories in recent months! First there was the dog that saved its owner from a kangaroo attack, and then the rabbit that saved its owners from a fire (same link). Now Leo the Terrier cross has come to the rescue of some feline pals.

Having risked his life by standing by the kittens in a smoke-filled building and refusing to leave until they were rescued, Leo had to be revived with oxygen and a heart massage after the incident. Both Leo and the kitten family are now safe and well, and he is rightly being lauded as quite the canine hero.

Well done, Leo! You join Angel, another Terrier, as a courageous and clever kitten rescuer.

[via Pet Connection]

Happy Dog Stories: Jo and Daisy

We like to share our new happy dog story updates on our Facebook page, and this prompted Jo to leave us a message and then send us some very cute pictures, at least one of which I couldn't resist publishing above. Here's what she had to say about her rehoming experience:

"I just wanted to share my experience from Dogs Trust Snetterton. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. They matched me with my puppy who had been found abandoned along with her sister a few weeks before. Her sister had been fortunate to have found a home and we're glad we were matched with Daisy as she has bought nothing but fun and excitement since bringing her home! She had been named Susannah but we renamed her Daisy. She is a 9 week old JRT Cross.

"Jo & Daisy (who is curled up next to me having a nap!)"

If you have a happy story about your rescue dogs (whether they came from Dogs Trust or not), please email me with a photo and your tale and it could appear here soon! If you're interested in adopting a dog, please visit our website for more information.

Previous Happy Dog Stories: Kim and Jake | Sarah and Alfie