Tell Japan to Allow Animal Rescuers into the Exclusion Zone - DEADLINE MAR 20TH

[jsmirman]

Last edited Fri Mar 16, 2012, 01:48 AM - Edit history (2)

THE DEADLINE FOR THEIR LAST CHANCE IS MARCH 20TH

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From LCA:

"Last Chance for Animals (LCA) was the first animal rescue team to enter the Fukushima nuclear exclusion zone after the devastating March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. One year later, the Government of Japan (GOJ) is the biggest barrier to animal welfare groups trying to rescue the estimated 5,000 cats, over 1,000 dogs, and countless farm animals still suffering. In many cases, the animals have been left to fend for themselves through another punishing winter with no shelter, inadequate and contaminated food and water.

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The people displaced by the tsunami have been forced to endure the sadness of the disaster for a year now, and they are unable to move on because they are clinging to the hope that their best friends will be found and rescued," says one of LCA's rescuers.

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The GOJ has thus far tried to prevent animal rescue organizations, including LCA, from entering the exclusion zone, the 12 kilometer area surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. However, LCA 's rescue team has slipped around police barricades, talked their way out of imminent arrest, and managed to rescue 435 animals. Many of the animals have been reunited with their guardians. Some animals who lost their guardians are being cared for and placed into new loving homes by local rescue and sheltering groups.

The GOJ has announced that as of the end of the month of March, 2012 all pigs and cows left in the zone will be killed. The GOJ has also instructed government workers to round up and capture animals who are then either shot, killed in inhumane pressure chambers, or handed over to vivisection labs where government scientist conduct radiation exposure experiments on them.

To make matters even worse the GOJ has decided to attempt an "all at once" rescue of any animals left in the zone to be carried out by government agencies ONLY. The GOJ is denying access to private rescue groups and volunteer veterinarians who can make sure more animals are actually rescued and reunited with their families. Government workers do not have the proper training to rescue these animals and there is no time to waste. Thousands of lives have already been lost because of the ineffectiveness of the government-run rescue attempts. The private rescue groups, shelters, and veterinarians have first-hand experience in the zone and have already rescued hundreds of animals. These experienced personnel must be permitted to join forces and work with GOJ employees to ensure a successful mass rescue."

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Please sign the petition, if you are so inclined:

https://www.change.org/petitions/the-japan-ministry-of-environment-moe-%E8%AA%B0%E3%81%AB%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E7%92%B0%E5%A2%83%E5%BA%81-allowing-private-groups-to-rescue-animals

[Doremus]

1. This is important, folks. Please help. K&R nt

[jsmirman]

2. Thank you - I know we're very busy yelling at one another tonight

and why should tonight be any different from any other night, but as Doremus said, this is important.

Please, folks, take a moment to pitch in on something that will tangibly help these suffering creatures.

[jsmirman]

3. Kicking for the morning crowd

in hopes that some who will see it will care.

The Last Chance For Animals website has some wonderful photos of animals reunited with their humans - this is the outcome that can happen, while the other side and the other outcome is hopelessness, despair, and death for these poor creatures trapped within the exclusion zone.

What if it were your pet?

Wouldn't you want rescue groups to have the right to attempt to rescue your lost friend?

There are amazing and wonderful stories on this page:

http://www.lcanimal.org/index.php/component/content/article/2-uncategorised/116-japan-rescue

Wouldn't more stories like this make the world a happier place?

[snagglepuss]

4. Signed. K & R

[joeybee12]

5. KNR!

Those idiots...thanks for posting.

[jsmirman]

6. Thanks, Joey

it's a little disheartening that not many people seem interested in this issue. What if these were our pets???

The amazing thing is that there have been a number of pet-human reunions in Japan when these rescuers have been allowed to do what they are trained to do.

[Bryn]

7. Done!

[CraftyGal]

8. K & R n/t

[jsmirman]

9. Thanks, snagglepuss, bryn, and craftygal

for getting involved. I don't understand why the Japanese government seems to want to heap more misery on top of a year of tragedy and suffering.

[ceile]

10. signed! n/t

[jsmirman]

11. Thanks, ceile!

[jsmirman]

12. Over 2,400 Signatures so far - 2,500 is next

would love to see this hit 5,000 by March 20th

[jsmirman]

13. We hit 2,500 - kicking for the animal-lovers at DU

please tell the government of Japan that not allowing the rescue groups in is unacceptable.

[stuntcat]

51. the animal lovers, that's ME

KICK

[Doremus]

14. Hey! DU! Can we please get some help here?

It only takes a couple of minutes and means so much to these poor creatures.

Thank you.

[Luminous Animal]

15. Signed, kicked and recced.

There are so many animal lovers on DU, I am surprised this isn't getting more attention.

[jsmirman]

16. Thank you! I just don't get it

Maybe I can change the OP to show all the wonderful things that have happened when the rescue groups have been allowed to do their work.

If the lack of attention the topic is getting has anything to do with me, I would hope people would think about the animals involved here.

If it's just not getting attention because people aren't feeling an inclination to be attentive, I would hope people would think about all the animals involved here!

All I know is that I am totally irrelevant here - this is about the suffering of so many people and of the pets/animals they left behind.

[Art_from_Ark]

17. They tried something like this last April or May

Some rescue groups did retrieve some pets from the exclusion zone, and there was even at least one mayor who expressed an interest in accommodating rescued pets, but ultimately most of them were pretty contaminated and perished on their own, or had to be put under.

Now it's a year later and it's very unlikely that very many of the previously unrescued pets have survived on their own.

[jsmirman]

18. That is just not the case

Hundreds of pets have been rescued, and if you look at the modified OP, you will see one of the very happy stories brought about by rescue.

And if you follow the link in the OP, along with this link, you will see that there is much more that can be done:
http://www.lcanimal.org/index.php/campaigns/other-issues/animal-rescues/2-uncategorised/116-japan-rescue

I don't know where you are getting your information from.

[Art_from_Ark]

19. I'm getting my information from local (Japanese) sources

For example, here is a blog that appeared in April 2011 to appeal to animal rescuers

http://lovelight.us/animal-help.html

On edit:
The Ministry of the Environment says that the reports about rescued animals being put down days after their rescue was probably an Internet rumor. However, there have already been concerted efforts to rescue pets, which the Ministry of the Environment overviews here:

http://www.env.go.jp/jishin/pet.html

[jsmirman]

20. I can tell you that LCA is a very legit organization

they have been involved in important work that has shut down numerous puppy mills and were the subject of the HBO documentary "Dealing Dogs" which earned two emmy nominations.

Your link is in Japanese and relates to an organization I have no familiarity with whatsoever. Your ability to read Japanese is impressive, however, assuming that is what is implied by your post.

LCA is far too established, however, to court the risk of running with something that is not factually true. That would make no sense.

[Art_from_Ark]

21. Here is a play-by-play of official pet rescue efforts from May to September 2011

5月10日　川内村にて事前巡回調査を実施。
5月11日　川内村にてペットを回収
5月12日　川内村及び葛尾村において、住民への事前説明及び聞き取り
5月13日　川内村及び葛尾村にてペットを回収
5月22日　田村市にてペットを回収。東京都が保護活動を支援。
5月23日　田村市にてペットを回収。東京都が保護活動を支援。
5月25日～　環境省が委嘱した獣医師が保護活動を支援
5月25日　南相馬市及び富岡町にてペットを回収
5月26日　双葉町及び浪江町にてペットを回収
5月27日 南相馬市、双葉町及び浪江町にてペットを回収
6月4日　浪江町及び大熊町にてペットを回収
6月5日　浪江町及び大熊町にてペットを回収
6月6日　富岡町、楢葉町、大熊町、双葉町及び浪江町にてペットを回収
6月7日　南相馬市、富岡町及び楢葉町にてペットを回収
6月8日　南相馬市、富岡町及び楢葉町にてペットを回収
6月9日　楢葉町、富岡町、大熊町及び双葉町にてペットを回収
6月10日　大熊町にてペットを回収
6月11日　大熊町、双葉町及び浪江町にてペットを回収
6月12日　大熊町、双葉町及び浪江町にてペットを回収
6月14日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペットを回収。兵庫県が保護活動を支援（～18日まで）
6月15日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペットを回収
6月18日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペットを回収
6月19日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペットを回収
6月21日　大熊町、双葉町及び浪江町にてペット回収
6月22日　大熊町、双葉町及び浪江町にてペット回収
6月25日　大熊町、双葉町及び浪江町にてペットを回収
6月26日　大熊町、双葉町及び浪江町にてペットを回収
6月28日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペットを回収。兵庫県が保護活動を支援
6月29日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペットを回収
7月1日　浪江町、大熊町及び双葉町にてペット回収
7月2日　浪江町、大熊町及び双葉町にてペット回収
7月6日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。栃木県が保護活動を支援
7月7日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。栃木県が保護活動を支援
7月9日　浪江町、大熊町及び双葉町にてペット回収
7月10日　浪江町、大熊町及び双葉町にてペット回収
7月14日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。東京都及び長野県が保護活動を支援（～16日まで）
7月15日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収
7月16日　浪江町、大熊町及び双葉町にてペット回収
7月17日　浪江町、大熊町及び双葉町にてペット回収。東京都が保護活動を支援
7月21日　名古屋市が保護活動を支援（～25日まで）
7月22日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。神奈川県が保護活動を支援（～25日まで）
7月23日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収
7月24日　浪江町、大熊町及び双葉町にてペット回収
7月25日　浪江町、大熊町及び双葉町にてペット回収
7月30日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。栃木県（～31日）及び長野県（～8月2日まで）が保護活動を支援
7月31日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。川崎市が保護活動を支援（～8月13日まで）
8月1日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。群馬県が保護活動を支援（～4日まで）
8月2日　浪江町、大熊町及び双葉町にてペット回収。静岡県が保護活動を支援（～4日まで）
8月3日　浪江町、大熊町及び双葉町にてペット回収
8月4日　浪江町、大熊町及び双葉町にてペット回収
8月6日 南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。山梨県が保護活動を支援（～9日まで）
8月7日 南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。茨城県が保護活動を支援（～9日まで）
8月8日 南相馬市及び富岡町にてペット回収。
8月9日 浪江町、大熊町、双葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。
8月10日 浪江町、大熊町、双葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。
8月11日 南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。
8月12日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。
8月20日　南相馬市、楢葉町、富岡町及び浪江町にてペット回収。
8月26日　南相馬市、浪江町にてペット回収。住民の一時立入りに連動した警戒区域内のペット保護・回収活動は終了。これまでの保護数は、犬302頭、猫190頭。
警戒区域からのペットの保護、回収活動について、住民の一時立入りが一巡したことから、住民の一時立入りに連動したペットの保護活動は終了。9月1日から、環境省及び福島県が全面的に協力して放浪犬・猫の保護活動を実施。保護したペットは福島県の収容施設に収容。（9月1日）

[jsmirman]

23. If I was not clear

I do not read japanese.

I believe my other posts in response to you are much more relevant, though, to the topic.

I think I present a good case for trusting LCA.

I have a dear, dear friend who is a pillar of the Tokyo community who I could consult further on the matter, although I do not know what his familiarity with this aspect of the crisis would be. Actually, I have another friend I could reach out to, but again, this doesn't necessarily seem like a productive use of time.

[jsmirman]

22. And LCA says the MoE is LYING

and is pursuing grievously ineffective practices.

*That* is all in the link in the OP.

You are again referring me to a link which is entirely in Japanese, which, as I explain in the post above this one, I cannot read.

As to what *exactly* the MoE is doing, I would, again, refer you to the LCA link in the OP.

As to who are you going to trust, I would have to go with... hmm...

An arm of the Japanese government, a government that has been dishonest, ineffective, and reckless from the moment this tragedy began, or a well-respected animal welfare organization that I am familiar with and whose work has been the subject of an emmy nominated documentary???

Such a difficult choice. Only for me, not so difficult.

[Art_from_Ark]

28. If you cannot read Japanese, how can you summarily dismiss the contents?

You don't know what they say. Let me translate some parts for you:

警戒区域からのペットの保護、回収活動について、5月10日からの住民の一時立入りと連動して、環境省及び福島県が全面的に協力し、緊急災害時動物救援本部の協力を得て合同で実施。保護、回収したペットは福島県の収容施設に収容。

"Saving and retrieving pets from the exclusion zone began on May 10, as a combined effort of residents who were temporarily admitted to the zone, with the full cooperation of the Ministry of Environment and Fukushima Prefecture, and with cooperation from the Emergency Animal Rescue Department ("Dobutsu Kyuen Honbu&quot . Saved and retrieved pets were taken to shelters in Fukushima Prefecture"

6月28日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペットを回収。兵庫県が保護活動を支援
"June 28-- Pets were retrieved from Minami Soma City, Naraha Town, and Tomioka Town, with assistance from Hyogo Prefecture in caring for the animals"

7月14日　南相馬市、楢葉町及び富岡町にてペット回収。東京都及び長野県が保護活動を支援（～16日まで）
July 14-- Pets were retrieved from Minami Soma City, Naraha Town, and Tomioka Town, with assistance from Tokyo and Nagano prefectures in caring for the animals" (through the 16th)

Here is a web page for Doubutsu Kyuen ("Emergency Animal Rescue&quot , which is a non-profit organization based in Tokyo that is working with rescued Fukushima pets.

http://doubutsukyuen.org/

[jsmirman]

29. Because I am telling you that this is exactly what LCA is protesting

You will notice in what you translated:

"Saving and retrieving pets from the exclusion zone began on May 10, as a combined effort of residents who were temporarily admitted to the zone, with the full cooperation of the Ministry of Environment and Fukushima Prefecture, and with cooperation from the Emergency Animal Rescue Department. Saved and retrieved pets were taken to shelters in Fukushima Prefecture"

that these do not mention the experienced rescue organizations who have been allowed very limited access to the zone and who have had their efforts consistently hamstrung by government authorities.

I am not "summarily dismissing the contents" - I explained to you that I have (what I consider) good reason not to favor the government accounts of the situation or solely governmental action (they are refusing to let the trained rescue professionals from legitimate rescue organizations assist in rescue). Now that I can read the contents, I am not "summarily dismissing" anything - I am disagreeing with the thrust of the contents.

As I said, I am impressed with your ability to read Japanese; I am, however, not sure what your goal is here, and have real doubts as to whether you read the LCA statement on the situation, as, once again, what you have translated is intimately related to exactly what LCA is protesting against.

I guess I will leave it at that for now.

[Art_from_Ark]

32. "Emergency Animal Rescue Department" ("Dobutsu Kyuen") is a non-profit organization

http://doubutsukyuen.org/

The points I am trying to make here are 1) Are there really so many unrescued pets left in Fukushima one year later, especially considering that it was a particularly cold winter? 2) Has the Japanese government really been stonewalling, or have efforts actually been made to rescue these animals? 3) If you cannot read Japanese materials, how can you get a balanced assessment of the situation? 4) Although your heart's definitely in the right place, what effect will submitting a petition to the Japanese government have if they can point to the MoE's web site and say, "We spent the whole summer and then some retrieving lost pets in the exclusion zone"?

[jsmirman]

34. I really think you need to read the link in the OP

LCA addresses what you are raising here, including the cold winter.

The Japanese Government, I think it would be fair to say, has allowed the response to the overall tragedy to be closely held/insular with frequently disastrous results.

I can actually read some of this stuff by putting it into chrome - I forgot that I was using firefox in this thread. Regardless, I am telling you that I have absolutely no reason to believe that LCA, a good organization, has any motivation to try to win the right to expose their brave volunteers to the radiation in the exclusion zone.

And most directly, with regard to your #4, if you would read what is linked by the OP, they make a compelling case that allowing the professional rescue organizations to do their work would be/would have been much more effective than leaving operations solely in the hands of the MoE.

And I think I now understand that you are saying that Dobutsu Kyuen is the non-MoE group referenced in one of your earlier posts, but the fact that they are a non-profit does not tell me much. Are they still connected to the government? Their name would seem to suggest that they are.

I also would like to understand, so that this does not go back and forth endlessly, exactly what it is you are suggesting underlies LCA's desire to rescue animals from the exclusion zone. Are you suggesting that LCA is lying? Are you suggesting that they are trying to drum up publicity? Donations? I think you would be wrong about these things, but I think for there to be a reason to detract from the goal of this thread, which is to get people to support LCA's effort to win the right to expose LCA-affiliated personnel to radiation, you would have to be suggesting something of the sort?

[jsmirman]

30. And LCA says they have RESCUED 435 Animals

are you strongly committed to the idea that LCA is lying???

I address what I think are good reasons that this is highly unlikely.

I have also told you that they are a respected organization who has done important work in the past, work that was lauded by and was the subject of an emmy-nominated HBO documentary.

I have also told you that I am more inclined to believe both the accounts and the position of an organization I have had interaction with over the last half-decade than I am to side with a government that, I will point out, once again, has been dishonest, ineffective, and reckless in their handling of the tragedy from its very first moments.

I don't know what more there would be to say than that.

[jsmirman]

31. Again, you have added a link on edit

in chrome, I was able to get a rough translation, and I am not clear what point you are making with the link that was recently added to your post.

It looks as though that organization did some very wonderful work - as to what they are presently engaged in, I would need to know what point you are attempting to convey through the link - and I must also mention that I must shortly go to sleep for the night.

[Art_from_Ark]

33. The point with that link is that there have been Japanese non-profits

that have been allowed to rescue animals in the exclusion zone. Also, there has been cooperation with other organizations in Japan for this purpose. And if your organization has rescued so many animals, would that really indicate that they are being hamstrung in their efforts? And you have to remember that the head of the Japanese government was unceremoniously dumped last year in part because he was perceived as providing inaccurate information to the Japanese public. So from my perspective, here in Japan, it seems that there has been more progress made by the Japanese authorities in rescuing, or assisting in the rescue of, pets in the exclusion zone than what they have been given credit for.

[jsmirman]

35. I'm sorry - we are cross posting - I have to refer you to my post #34

and you seem to have shown the existence of ONE Japanese non-profit that may or may not be openly or in reality linked to the Japanese government.

And again, if you read the OP they speak to a great deal of interference with their efforts, which makes their accomplishments something won against very difficult odds.

I must also say that from the people I speak with in Japan - and my best friend is there for the fourth time in the last month and a half, as he runs a business in Japan (and I mention him in addition to a number of other "local" people I have spoken with on the subject) - the people are still far from fully satisfied with their government.

And as to our conversation, I simply have to pick it up in the morning, because, as I also noted, I (being on EST) have to go to bed.

[Art_from_Ark]

36. One problem is that because you can't read Japanese,

Last edited Fri Mar 16, 2012, 04:28 AM - Edit history (5)

you can't get a more complete picture of what is happening here. For example, if you could read Japanese, and follow links in the non-profit web site I listed, you would have found that that organization has chapters in many prefectures throughout Japan, and its constituent members include the Japanese Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Japan Animal Welfare Society, the Japan Pet Care Association, and the Japan Veterinary Medical Association. So I doubt it is tied to the Japanese government. (It was confusing because I translated "Hombu" as "Department", but after reading more from their web site, it actually means "Head Office&quot

http://doubutsukyuen.org/main/index.php/about

So the Ministry of Environment says that this non-profit organization provided assistance with rescuing pets in Fukushima. Is the MoE lying? Last year, Internet reports (which I believed) said that rescued animals were being euthanized shortly after being rescued, but the MoE says that was a rumor. Who is lying in that case?

I may sound like I'm trying to rain on your parade, but really I'm not. It is admirable that you care about these animals in a country far away. I have to wonder, though, if the organization you cited just tried to enter the exclusion zone without the proper authorization-- it's really tough to get in there, even for residents. I can't just drive up there and start looking around-- they've got police stationed at the access points. A lot of that has to do with the lingering radiation problems, and a lot of it has to do with concerns about looting.

On edit: I wonder if your organization could develop some alliance with the Dobutsu Kyuen NPO that would allow them access to the exclusion zone? That's often how it works in this country-- foreign organizations have to develop working relationships with corresponding Japanese organizations in order to get their foot in the door.

[jsmirman]

37. Here is their Facebook page

they have affiliations with Japanese organizations and are not merely a group of Americans stumbling into Japan, looking to get radiated.

You may not agree with how they go about their efforts - they simply do not agree with the Japanese Government's approach up to the present, they do not trust the accounts of or the efficacy of government operations and they are a very legitimate organization. I see what you mean about the coalition that exists that the Japanese government *approves of* - I think that LCA, the Hachiko Coalition (below), and their Japanese partners do not trust the *disaster-related activities* of the organizations who have partnered their efforts with the government (this is a specific statement and not meant to reflect on these organizations' broader operations).

Here is the Facebook page that supports the LCA/Hachiko effort in Japan and details their relationships with Japanese organizations: http://www.facebook.com/hachiko.coalition

Not only is LCA a legitimate organization, but the Hachiko Coalition is affiliated with a number of legitimate organizations and notable American citizens (you can see this all if you browse through their page).

You may go to their FB page and still find that you do not believe they know what they are doing (they are a coalition of experienced rescue teams, though), that they have some ulterior motivations, or anything else. I don't know what you will conclude. I invite anyone who has questions to follow the link in the OP, the link in post #18, and the link to the FB page above. What I would ask of you is that you allow other people to form their own conclusions regarding the legitimacy of their efforts.

Frankly, I think a difference may be that you believe the Japanese government can be trusted to handle this all as best as possible, whereas they believe the Japanese government needs a bit more of a push to give rescue efforts the best chance of success and a high standard of humaneness in their operations.

As I have noted, I trust LCA, and feel that I have good reasons to do so.

I do want to be very clear on one thing, though, that I think you may have misunderstood - LCA is not "my organization," in any way - I have *actual* relationships with a number of animal advocate organizations, but I would not describe any of these as "my organization." When it comes to LCA, my relationship is only that of a donor to an organization, and someone who is in the animal advocacy community and so may have a little more knowledge of the universe of animal welfare organizations than the average bear.

Lastly, in answer to a question of yours above, I am more than inclined to believe that the MoE is not lying when they mention some efforts that have been taken in coordination with them by the non-profits they are working with. I can tell you that there is a real dispute as to whether the money collected from the Japanese people for animal rescue has been appropriately used, for - well, animal rescue. So they believe that there have been efforts, just insufficient and inefficient ones. When it comes to the MoE having real transparency regarding their policies toward animals in the exclusion zone, no, I am not inclined to believe the MoE.

Please understand that for some of us who are not "crackpots of the animal advocate movement" but are very legitimate participants, who hold jobs at some of the notably legitimate animal advocacy organizations, we do not have a great deal of trust for organizations like, say, the AVMA. If the JVMA is anything like the AVMA, we would have very good reason not to trust them, as well. The AVMA holds many positions that it is just not possible for many mainstream animal advocates to see as animal-friendly positions. I don't distrust individual veterinarians. I do distrust the AVMA.

I hope this answers some of your questions and concerns. I am honestly worried that the Japanese government is about to pursue a drastic and final step in this situation, and that they are not going to do so with the assistance of organizations specifically trained for and well-suited to perform disaster rescue operations.

[Art_from_Ark]

38. One question that is weighing on me is,

if your group did not have the cooperation of the Japanese government, how did they get into the exclusion zone? That place might as well be a military base. You can't just waltz into there, even if you're a local resident with roots stretching back generations there. Access is severely restricted.

And even if you think the Japanese government always lies, how would you handle a situation in which tens of thousands of homes and businesses have been forcibly abandoned in a 60-square-mile area and even local residents can't be let in unsupervised?

I'll also add another thing-- they have been talking about letting people from some areas of the exclusion zone go back to their homes. There was a report about that the other day during one of the disaster anniversary programs.

[jsmirman]

41. Again

I am confused by your reference to "your group." I have explained this thoroughly in this thread.

I can tell you that Last Chance for Animals is known for taking certain chances - the puppy mill ring they brought down was brought down through LCA's investigative courage.

And I don't know why you would engage in distortion and loaded language: "even if you think the Japanese government always lies." This is not ok to characterize anything I have said in this fashion. I have essentially said that the Japanese government's response to Fukushima has hardly been a model of integrity and efficiency. I think that such a statement is hardly a controversial one. Please don't translate it, however, into something that it is not.

As I have said, repeatedly, go to LCA's site to read about what they have done. And I would reiterate that LCA has many recognizable victories in their 20 plus year campaign to help animals.

As to your question about the exclusion zone, I would say that I would be willing to at least work with a professional rescue organization that has a track record of working with law enforcement authorities here in the United States.

I don't know if you're hunky dory with the government handling of the disaster. It has been extremely hard to evaluate their disaster management as anything other than tepid, at best.

[Art_from_Ark]

42. No doubt that Fukushima has not been a model of integrity and efficiency

I will definitely acknowledge that. And the government's response was highly criticized, and that is why the prime minister at that time is no longer the prime minister today.

But you didn't answer my question of how the LCA was able to get into the exclusion zone, if they didn't have the cooperation of the Japanese government. If they defied the order to stay out without proper authorization, then I can see why there might be some bad blood between them and the government. I would also imagine that it might have raised the hackles of local residents who themselves were not allowed into their own areas. Really, what would Americans think if they were in the same situation?

[jsmirman]

43. I asked you to go to their website

have you gone to any of the links or to their website since we started this conversation? They have video rescue diaries and written diaries - see what you see there for yourself.

Raising the hackles of local residents? You're the one with easier access to local sources - please show me *any* evidence of that.

It also seems like you're suggesting that - poof - new minister - and all the problems are solved. And yet new issues of mismanagement pop up regularly - the stories of continuing disaster at the nuclear plant are horrifying. It doesn't seem to me like the crisis of faith Japanese people have with regard to their government is "fixed."

[Art_from_Ark]

44. I said it *might* have raised the hackles of local residents

Really, how would you feel if you were forcibly evacuated from your home, with little time and space to take valuables and heirlooms with you, and denied access to your own home except under heavily supervised conditions, but heard of foreigners given free reign to roam around your area? After having lived in Japan for nearly half my life, I can say that there is a large segment of the population that has an underlying distrust of foreigners, and yes, they would get upset at such a situation.

[jsmirman]

45. Art, I don't know

if they thought these folks were risking their health to try to rescue animals that were left behind, I don't know if they would have a problem or not. I think in the absence of any evidence that these folks have been anything but a boon to, for example, the family whose dog they rescued, fostered while the family was stuck in the temporary shelter, and joyously reunited with them when they found permanent housing, it might be time to stop guessing at concerns. Plenty of Japanese people have signed the petition, for whatever that is worth. Japanese people who may have lived in Japan for their entire lives.

Please just let this thread and this cause grow or not grow unless you've got something tangible to show that LCA's efforts here are anything other than noble. This back and forth is growing draining.

[jsmirman]

46. Further, Japanese people are participating in LCA's efforts

I'm getting frustrated here. You talk about underlying distrust of foreigners, but you clearly haven't explored anything like, say, the website I directed you toward, where you would see that there are Japanese people involved in LCA's rescue efforts (as in, working side by side with them).

Please, enough.

[Art_from_Ark]

39. Here is a link to Dobutsu Kyuen's retrieved pets

The red overlays on the pet pictures mean that the original owner, or a foster owner, has been located. There is also a link at the bottom of the page where you can apply to adopt one of the remaining pets.

http://doubutsukyuen.org/main/index.php/search

[jsmirman]

40. I don't think you're

getting what I'm saying about the work of orgs like "Dobutsu Kyuen" here.

The argument from other rescue groups is not that nothing has been done by the government-approved groups - so that they have done something, I'm glad they have done something, but that is not really the point - the argument is that not *nearly* enough of the money that was raised from the Japanese people for these efforts has actually gone toward these efforts.

I don't know if you have tangible evidence to the contrary, but I just don't see how questioning the reliability, honesty, and integrity of any aspect of the Japanese government's response to the Fukushima disaster doesn't square with logic. This has been far from a model response, as I would think you would acknowledge.

[ellisonz]

24. Signed.

I faked my name, address and used one of my many emails. A little too much information asked.

[jsmirman]

26. Thanks ez/(ze)

no problem - I've gone all in and am listed on a number of petitions with this level of specificity (like Blanche's petition earlier in the day), but I understand your concerns...

[NYFlip]

25. Done

[jsmirman]

27. Thanks, NY Flip - Looking at my now much better OP

I'm just kicking myself for not realizing I could put together such a better OP than what I started with!

I guess we'll see how this goes - I almost wonder if I have to make a mea culpa thread to explain that I swear this thread is way more compelling than it might have looked, and that the fault for its less compelling initial presentation lies solely with me...

[magical thyme]

47. k&R nt

[sabrina 1]

48. This is heart-breaking. I remember seeing video of animals that were left behind and

starving, with nowhere to go but that was a year ago. So cruel to abandon them.

Thanks for the thread.

K&R

[jsmirman]

49. Thanks, Sabrina

it is definitely very hard on the heart.

Anything that can alleviate the suffering - I desperately would like to see happen.

[sabrina 1]

52. You're welcome.

Animals are so innocent and it really is unconscionable to leave them for this long without dealing with the situation.

[stuntcat]

50. Thank you, signed and forwarded!

k&r :kick: :kick:

[benld74]

53. Signed - I wish I saw this earlier

[jsmirman]

64. I'm glad you did

that's why I've been hoping from the start that the topic doesn't get buried.

I know we have a lot of animal lovers here at DU - I'm glad you saw the topic when you did.

Thanks so much for signing.

[MoonRiver]

54. Done

K&R

[jsmirman]

55. Thanks, folks - up to 2,800 signatures

more tomorrow - for tonight I am a little wiped out.

[burrowowl]

56. K&R

[OneGrassRoot]

57. DEADLINE IS TUESDAY!!!!

Huge K&R!!!

The care and protection of innocents, including these precious animals, is one thing most of us can come together to agree upon and lend our support to.

Petitions can help -- please sign and share!!!

[jsmirman]

75. We're almost up to 3,200

Thanks so much, onegrassroot - we will keep trying

[stuntcat]

58. 2,883, please sign and share

:kick:

[jsmirman]

65. 22 short of 3,000

Hope the number keeps building

[jsmirman]

59. YES there are animals stuck in there/Japanese Groups desperate to help

Just wanted to share two links I found that show that JAPANESE people/rescue groups are desperate to help, say the situation is urgent, and have been trying to rescue these animals despite government interference:

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120311/bc_group_rescue_animals_fukushima_120311/20120311/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

"Save Fukushima Animals, a group based in Vancouver and Tokyo, say more than 3,000 animals are still in Fukushima, where they were abandoned when the tsunami hit last March... It has been a year since the disaster hit, but no one is allowed back into the area, said Save Fukushima Animals leader Tomoko Shimada. There is no law in Japan that dictates pets must be rescued in a disaster. As a result, members of Save Fukushima Animals have had to sneak into Fukushima in order to rescue abandoned cats and dogs.

The group is petitioning the Japanese government to take action to evacuate and save animals that have been left behind in Fukushima."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/la-carmina/what-about-fukushimas-pet_b_1333481.html

""The Japanese government's lack of response regarding helping animals and people after March 11th has been is a disgrace," says Elizabeth Oliver, founder of Animal Rescue Kansai (ARK)... Immediately after the disaster, residents in the hardest-hit areas had to relocate. Since evacuation centers didn't allow animals, most left their pets behind. The evacuees thought they would only be gone a few days. It turned out they were not allowed to return at all.

Three local no-kill shelters formed an alliance and took action. Tim Exley, media and animal rescue volunteer of Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support (JEARS) says, "We gathered what we could and with borrowed transportation headed almost 1,000 km (621 miles) to the north to help out." Rescuers were horrified by the condition of the animals. Skeletal dogs roamed ghost towns. Elizabeth Oliver of ARK says, "Around the 20-km [exclusion] zone, we found many pets had died from starvation, tied up or left in cages."

... When the government enforced a 20-km exclusion zone in April 2011, thousands of animals were locked in. Volunteers could not legally enter to feed and rescue them. Nonetheless, some snuck into the "dead zone," risking arrest and radiation poisoning." ..."The government still mistrusts private groups rather than embracing them," Exley says, making campaigns in the evacuation zone difficult."

(note: ARK has rescued over 200 animals - and - hopefully - counting)

[Kaleko]

60. Petition signed.

Thanks for posting, js. I wouldn't have seen this otherwise.

[jsmirman]

61. Thanks, Kaleko, and thanks everyone who has signed

3,000 is definitely in sight.

I think I may email my dear friend, Miyajima-san, to see if he might help.

[Kaleko]

62. kick

[jsmirman]

63. Kick for the Sunday crowd *

nm

[AtomicKitten]

66. Done and thanks for the petition.

[jsmirman]

68. You're welcome & Thank You - We burst past 3,000!

Up to 3,015!

Thanks so much for signing!

[steve2470]

67. signed ! nt

[jsmirman]

70. Thanks, Steve

it's been heartwarming to find that there are so many animal lovers in our ranks.

[jsmirman]

69. I have heard back from Miyajima-san!!!!

He is such a wonderful man - he is a dear, dear friend from Japan. He has been involved for many decades with a group I was in during college and is one of the most gracious representatives of Japanese hospitality you will find on this earth!

He helped to host 14 of us for ten days many years ago, and we have since had the pleasure of his company many times here in the United States. He is such a kind, gentle, energetic soul.

He directed a woman who works with him and who did some Fukushima-related rescue herself to contact me, and I have passed along information about what is happening in the exclusion zone.

The petition is well past 3,000 - let us hope this will be an entree into further involvement with people who can help from a slightly closer location. One of my concerns is that the Japanese government is not respecting the wishes of the Japanese people - there are so many animal lovers in the country, as I know from my time there. The response of the Japanese people to not only aid the humans displaced by Fukushima, but also to help the animals was overwhelming (they sent many millions of dollars hoping to help, and I fear a shamefully small amount of that was actually put toward helping either the animals or the survivors).

Thank you so much to everyone in this thread for your compassion and desire to help! Let us hope for mercy and assistance to the animals in the exclusion zone.

[Kaleko]

71. Thank you a million times for working so hard

and succeeding in making a difference with your care and compassion.

[jsmirman]

73. Of course. We do what we can, but

I fear the most we can do is advocate for a better outcome.

I was at an event tonight with panelists from a number of major animal law groups, and the people I spoke to just weren't that familiar with what was going on in Japan. : (

I'm going to continue to ask around and will see what I hear back from Japan tomorrow.

But thank *you*, so much, for caring.

[stuntcat]

72. ohmygosh KICK

Thank you for what you're doing!

[jsmirman]

74. Well, I hope

we get somewhere. As I said in post 73, I'm reaching out to some people in the animal law community to see what they know/if anything can be done...

[jsmirman]

76. 3,200 crossed, with signatures still coming in

please take a moment to consider, and if you agree with their request, sign, if you haven't already.

Thank you.

[OneGrassRoot]

77. Another kick!!! n/t

[jsmirman]

78. It seems to still be going (3,325 signatures)

I'm speaking with my contact in Japan (who is, apparently, involved in the rescue community in Tokyo) tomorrow night - it will be interesting to see what she has to say.