A refuge in Nasu-machi (Nasu Town), Tochigi-ken (Tochigi Prefecture)has opened up to take in dogs, horses, cattle and other animals whose owners are unable to care for them after the March 11, 2011, earthquake, tsunami and nuclear radiation disasters.
Miori Yaegashi (surename first), 36, founder of Brave Stable, is urging people to contact her before they consider putting down their cattle or pets.
"I want this to be a place where as many animals as possible can live in peace," she explains.
Yaegashi-san—born in Sendai-shi and now living in Chuo Ward, Saitama-ken (Saitama Prefecture)—says she had cared for more than 200 animals over the past 10 years.
She started working to help abandoned dogs and cats 10 years ago after finding a stray cat in Ueno, Tokyo. She began to find new owners for dogs and cats staying at an animal refuge in Sakado, Saitama-ken, where she was in training to become an animal welfare worker while also working as a dental hygienist in Warabi, also in the prefecture.
In May, 2010, the Sakado, Saitama refuge accepted a retired racehorse that was going to be put down, which inspired Yaegashi to open her own refuge with a pasture where retired racehorses could live out their life in contentment.
While looking for property, an acquaintance told her of an unused pasture in Nasu-machi, Tochigi that also had some stables available for rent nearby
Just as she was about to open the doors to the Brave Stable refuge, the 9.0 Magnitude earthquake hit.
Yaegasho volunteered her time, making six trips into the hard hit areas of Minami-Soma and Tomioka-machi in Fukushima-ken (Fukushim Prefecture) to care for cats and dogs who had lost their owners.
Now with more needy animals than ever thanks to the disaster, Yaegashi was forced to quit her job as a dental hygienist in order to better prepare the Brave Stable for the arrival of the new residents.
There are about five hectares of open pasture and 33 shelter stalls, with horses, cows, goats, sheep, cats and dogs welcome.
Animals can be brought in on a temporary or permanent basis.
Should anyone in Japan be interested or needing their animal accommodated,... contact Brave Stable at (080) 5035-8402.
Miori Yaegashi (surename first), 36, founder of Brave Stable, is urging people to contact her before they consider putting down their cattle or pets.
"I want this to be a place where as many animals as possible can live in peace," she explains.
Yaegashi-san—born in Sendai-shi and now living in Chuo Ward, Saitama-ken (Saitama Prefecture)—says she had cared for more than 200 animals over the past 10 years.
She started working to help abandoned dogs and cats 10 years ago after finding a stray cat in Ueno, Tokyo. She began to find new owners for dogs and cats staying at an animal refuge in Sakado, Saitama-ken, where she was in training to become an animal welfare worker while also working as a dental hygienist in Warabi, also in the prefecture.
In May, 2010, the Sakado, Saitama refuge accepted a retired racehorse that was going to be put down, which inspired Yaegashi to open her own refuge with a pasture where retired racehorses could live out their life in contentment.
While looking for property, an acquaintance told her of an unused pasture in Nasu-machi, Tochigi that also had some stables available for rent nearby
Just as she was about to open the doors to the Brave Stable refuge, the 9.0 Magnitude earthquake hit.
Yaegasho volunteered her time, making six trips into the hard hit areas of Minami-Soma and Tomioka-machi in Fukushima-ken (Fukushim Prefecture) to care for cats and dogs who had lost their owners.
Now with more needy animals than ever thanks to the disaster, Yaegashi was forced to quit her job as a dental hygienist in order to better prepare the Brave Stable for the arrival of the new residents.
There are about five hectares of open pasture and 33 shelter stalls, with horses, cows, goats, sheep, cats and dogs welcome.
Animals can be brought in on a temporary or permanent basis.
Should anyone in Japan be interested or needing their animal accommodated,... contact Brave Stable at (080) 5035-8402.
