ARK: Animal Rescue Kansai

Japan has a dearth of reasonable laws on animal protection and overall is not a very dog-friendly place, despite reputedly having more dogs than children under twelve. The vast majority of rented apartments do not allow pets, dogs must be on the leash at all times, and stray dogs are gassed after being rounded up if their owner does not claim them within 3 days. I know, 3 days is not nearly enough time to give a stray animal any chance of finding a home. 400,000 dogs die this way every year in Japan.

However, there is some hope in the form of the wonderful Elizabeth Oliver, an English woman who runs an animal shelter called ARK Animal Refuge Kansai, in the western part of Japan's main island. The shelter is, of course, completely non-profit and relies on the help of volunteers, donors and sponsors.

If you happen to be in Japan, why not help them out? In fact, you don't even have to be in the area. If you speak Japanese or English, you could help with their website or blog wherever you are in the world thanks to the wonders of the Internet. The website has really fascinating information about the history of animals in Japan.

The person who writes the blog is amazingly inventive, and volunteers translate it all into English. What a dream team. Enjoy!