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\u2013 credit Kyushu Animal Academy<\/p>\n \u2013 credit Kyushu Animal Academy<\/p>\n
An inspiring story of solidarity between pet owners comes from Japan, recently rattled by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake.<\/p>\n
In the wake of the disaster that destroyed homes and claimed over 3 dozen lives, an organization that acts as a digital hub for lost pet notices has amplified the signal of these notices, and worked to help reunite owners with their animals.<\/p>\n
Maigo Ken no Keijiban\u00a0or the Lost Dog Bulletin Board, has 150,000 members on social media, and is a registered equivalent to an American 501(c)3.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, a lost Chihuahua named Leo was successfully identified, located, and returned to his owner a mile away from where he was found, all through social media\u2014a testament to how effective methods like this can be.<\/p>\n
Japan Times, reporting<\/a> on the aid movement, added that another dog\u2014a Shiba Innu named Go\u2014has been sighted by members of Bulletin Board\u2019s Kyushu island chapter. His owner, Yosuke Matsuda, is waiting eagerly for more news.<\/p>\n \u201cWe adopted him less than a year ago. We think he was abused before, so he\u2019s very easily frightened,\u201d Matsuda told the Times, adding that the earthquake likely terrified him into running away.<\/p>\n As organizations like Maigo Ken no Keijiban and the local government work to disseminate notices of lost animals, others like the Kyushu Animal Academy, a vocational school specializing in animal care in the city closest to the epicenter of the earthquake, has transformed several of its classrooms into makeshift pet shelters where animals can safely stay while displaced owners address the state of their houses.<\/p>\n