puppies

Momoko

Two days ago, while driving back from a lovely morning at the bathhouse, I was absentmindedly playing on my phone or something when Bret spotted something. Tiny and darting through the road, a skittish animal was trotting down the road. 

Of course, this is nothing out of the ordinary at first glance. People's dogs get out of their enclosures or snap their chains occasionally  and you'll see the joyful look of freedom as a kept dog bounds around, keeping close to their home, but leaping at the chance for some exercise and to be off leash. 

Then there are nora inu, or stays. We live near one of the biggest factory complexes on the island, Imabari Zosen, a shipbuilding company that churns out one football field sized rig every month (!!!).

The nora inu stay mostly on the factory property, with "feeders" caring for them. Occasionally they have collars, and they work together in packs. 

If they stray from the factory in search of finer dining options, such as begging in front of the convenience stores, they are usually in pairs, and working together to get food from people. 

Then there is the fishing dock, where people sometimes dump animals. Some fisherman usually feed them and on a happy occasion  a neighbor with a kind heart may take them in and give them a good home. Such was the case for our next door neighbors, who adopted the white and brown dog that lurked around for a good 6 months before being captured and tamed.

Our subject, which we have now named Momoko (peach child) falls somewhere outside of those categories. 

She was running along the road with no end goal in sight (we followed her about 2 km before picking her up). She had an old collar on that she had outgrown, that was then strangling her and making her unable to eat or drink. And she was skin and bone. Completely starved. 

We checked with our vet, who called animal control, the police, and other channels, but no one has reported her missing. Our vet says that sometimes when shibas run away, people give up hope immediately as they find searching pointless...

So...what to do? We are playing things by ear, but our primary concern is getting her to a healthy weight, and probably spaying her. After that? We don't really know, but she's small and not too much of an inconvenience for me. 

More India

visiting the shelter/volunteering

The shelter where we got our dog is about 2 hours away. Unfortunately I added them on fb, so I have to see their updates, including when they get new puppies. When I can't handle it anymore,  I get a carpool together and go out there to volunteer. 

On a typical day when there aren't many people there, I walk about 50-60 dogs up and down the hill that the shelter is situated on. The scenery is great and it's a good workout. 

After the dog walking is done, I get to hang out with the puppies. If the shelter was closer I would be there every weekend!

I'm going to Australia

I am happy to say I am going to go to Perth, Australia this May. It will be their autumn season, so it may be a bit cool, but that is okay. 

There are zoos, botanical gardens, and a coral reef nearby. There's also an island wildlife sanctuary and tons and tons of beaches. Perth is famous for the beaches. 

I would love to see a lot of wildlife and natural scenery, I don't care that much about the city. 

This will be my last big trip to take advantage of the proximity of Japan to other countries. A little bittersweet. The flight was a reasonable price (much cheaper than Seattle-->Aus would be), and I have the added bonus of a good friend living in Perth. Dave came to visit us in Saijo last summer, and now he's getting married! It's a great excuse to head over. 

Early Plum Blossoms

Ah yes, spring. It snuck up on me this year. Only last night, as I stood in the kitchen shivering waiting for my midnight snack toast and reconsidering my life choices/wondering why my toaster fails at it's job so terribly (6 minutes for dark toast, whaaaaat is that?) I thought winter would never end, but in fact, it has!