Companion Animal Rescuers Brave Fukushima Danger Zone

Interesting. I teach Emergency Management to citizens, first responders, and others. In my presentations I detail a train derailment with chlorine that happened in Oklahoma. The residents were told to evacuate (without their companion animals). The important piece to the story is every morning they would find tracks in the snow leading in and out of the evacuation area. Some of the residents were going in to check on and feed the animals. Situations like this is why in the years following Katrina we now have a policy in the U.S. for co-locating companion animals at shelters for evacuated humans. People will risk their own health/lives for animals.

Long overdue but at least it's now being addressed.

Have you encountered info on transferring contamination from such activities as reentering a contaminated zone?

The Japanese government is so freaking slow in its drawing firm boundaries, and alerting the people of dangers, I am concerned that a larger part of Japan will end up being more contaminated than necessary because people want to go back and get a trinket from their bathroom which is now in a "no-go" zone.

It is sad about the pets left behind. Dogs--I would think it would be hard to leave them behind. Cats--dang, they are very reactive to any surprise or threat, and they are FAST when they are running away.

My brother adopted a Katrina-rescue "Staffordshire Bull Terrier," which has to be a hybrid because, man, that dog is TALL. That dog turned out to be one of the best dogs I've ever encountered. I won't say he's "sweet," but he's not aggressive and very, very family and kid friendly. He's even good with cats. He's smart as a whip, too.

My brother is familiar with Staffies, so chose the one he thought no one would take, but there were so many others awaiting adoption.

Hi, PoliticalAmazon!

If you have the link to that article, would you please consider submitting it to the "Animal Rights = Veganism" category here in Current? Or, just send it to me, if that's faster and easier for you, please and thank you.

Your questions are extremely smart ones.

Thanks for your concern, donations in whatever amount is the most helpful. To rescue animals whether it's from a hoarder in your local area or in a disaster takes huge amounts of training.

Very laudable but not for everyone. I would explore local animal rescue organizations to see where you could assist and receive the training you would need. Keep in mind, your local animal shelters and rescue organizations need your assistance too.

All of that is absolutely true, Angeliron.

And yes, rescuing animals does take some intense training. I rescue domesticated animals, feral cats, farmed animals, and also wildlife animals ( use the word "animal" in its broadest term)... it requires a great amount of skill.

Well, the feral cats are the easiest, because there are wonderfully-designed humane traps to start the whole process. Of course, we're trapping them specifically to get them spayed/neutered, examined, vaccinated, ear-tipped, microchipped (sometimes), and lots more, and then we return them to their colony. If there are babies, then we can foster them and adopt them out (after careful screening).

Any wildlife MUST be taken to, or picked up by, a wildlife rehabilitation rescue center or rehabilitation specialist. [For instance, I found two newly-hatched hummingbirds, and drove to a hummingbird rehabber who, in turn, fed them 'round-the-clock, gave them their meds, etc., and then, when they were old enough, released them in a specific place.]

Your heart's sure in the right place, of course, and just as DEM46 suggested, contact some of the rescue organizations near where you live... there is SO much you can do, believe me! As for animal shelters (at least here in the "greater" Los Angeles area, I tend to refer to them as pounds, since they're that bad), you'd want to prepare yourself emotionally for what you're going to see and hear about. And if you're against euthanasia (other than for seriously end-of-life-type medical situations), you'll be wanting to foster every single last animal every abandoned there.

See if there's a farmed animal sanctuary near you. Or a wildlife sanctuary. Or species-specific rescue organizations. It's a whole other world out there, and you're definitely needed.

Oh! And there are still some state-authorized animal cruelty investigations teams, but you'll really have to do a bit of an "underground" search to locate such, usually.

Thanks for caring enough to want to go over to Japan and just plain dive in. And, also as DEM46 said, your donations are really needed, and I strongly urge you to consider IFAW as THE organization.

Oh my god, that's IFAW! And that's THE Dr. Dick Green!!!

If anyone reads this reply of mine, THIS is the organization you should be supporting. They're legitimate, and have always, ALWAYS done the finest for animals around the world.

What IFAW is doing in and around Fukushima is astounding.

Please, please, PLEASE watch this video... and please, please, PLEASE share it with absolutely everyone you know. And, when you finish watching the video, click on 'Donate," and rest assured your money will be used PROPERLY to help save the lives of all the animals (domesticated and wild) that somehow survived thus far.

If you know nothing about IFAW, this short video will give you just a small -- but dramatic -- example of the work the organization's people do. And believe me, what IFAW is trying to do for the animals of Japan is beyond words.

Thank you SOOOO much for including the link to IFAW's video! I've already added it to Facebook, Twitter, Digg, and Reddit, and will now send it on to all the people in my personal address book.

As do I. They risk their very lives to do such work, and I'm always in awe.

I have an acquaintance who's very rich. About the third day after the Katrina disaster, she suddenly said to her friend, "What the blank am I doing?! I have money!" So, instead of just watching the news about all the animals, and moaning and groaning about it, she hired truck drivers, leased some massive trucks, and purchased cages, food, meds, anything else she thought she would need, and she drove all the way from California to Louisiana, leading this caravan.

I'm an emergency evacuation coordinator at a farmed animals sanctuary. Whenever there's a big fire, I've got a gigantic list of people who are willing to lend themselves, or their trucks, trailers, land, food, blankets, and so much more... and, in fact, several of those good people live in other states!

What frightens me so about this particular rescue is that these humans will, themselves, be exposed to radiation. Imagine being able to accept that and not let it stop you from saving the lives of our voiceless friends.

Thank you for helping the way you do... it's obvious you have a heart.

Thank you for your caring comments too. Dick was at Katrina, Haiti, and every other disaster I can think of. He is truly a wonderful, caring person and not just for animals. this is where he chooses to put his talents to work.