About 900 cats and dogs rescued from around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant were still being kept at animal shelters and other facilities in Fukushima Prefecture as of Feb. 24. These animals were rescued from homes that have been left by owners forced to evacuate. The poor pets have been retrieved from homes within the 20-kilometer-no-entry zone.
About 600 dogs and cats have since been collected by their owners or placed with new owners, but 300 remain at the facilities. Many are still unclaimed because their owners are living in temporary housing units and other evacuation facilities.
The group is struggling with the high cost of caring for the animals and health problems resulting from their long-term stay in the shelters. The Japanese officials have had to repair a former factory and warehouse to accommodate for these canine and feline friends.
The cats and dogs kept in the facility have been caged, some up to four months, and the veterinarian in charge is worried that some of the animals are under a lot of stress. Some of the dogs have stomach pains and show signs of other symptoms related to animal stress.
Dogs live happier in homes but officials understand that their owners are still unable to take care of them and that the facility, even though it is cramped and unideal, is the best option the pets have right now. Some of the evacuated owners of these pets live in temporary housing and although some buildings allow pets, owners are very hesitant as they are afraid pets will bother the neighbours.
After the nuclear crisis began, the prefectural government set up animal rescue headquarters in cooperation with the prefectural veterinarians association, a volunteer group for animal protection and the city governments of Koriyama and Iwaki
The costs are covered by donations, but their expenses can go up to about 5 million yen a month to continue the animal protection project. Costs include medicines for pet, health checkups and food amongst other things.
A prefectural official in charge of food and environmental health said, “There’s a limit as to how long an administrative body can take care of pets. We’ll eventually close these facilities but we don’t know when.”
Sourced from: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pets-342811-owners-animal.html
