Pets from an animal shelter

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Makichan
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Pets from an animal shelter

Post by Makichan »

We've probably all seen the really high prices that home centres and pet shops charge for pets, can easily be over 100,000円 and often twice that for even a small cat or dog. So if anyone is thinking of getting a pet why not consider adopting one from a pet shelter instead of paying such silly prices ? One such place I know of is

Pet Home

They have a searchable database of animals waiting for adoption, everything ranging from cats & dogs through small animals, birds, fish and reptiles even. You can search by animal type or location. Many of the animals have been vaccinated and treated for fleas and ticks and given a health check as well so you will not be getting a sick animal.

I am sure that many of the animal breeders supplying home centres are responsible breeders but I do know of two dog breeders that keep their breeding animals and puppies in locked up in small cages in terrible conditions, never letting them out for walks or to play with other animals. You never know when buying from a pet shop whether you are supporting one of these non ethical breeders or not.

If anyone else knows of other pet shelters maybe you could post links as well.

Thank you,
Makichan.

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gonbechan
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Re: Pets from an animal shelter

Post by gonbechan »

There are several sources for animals needing rehoming.
Of course the original ARK http://www.arkbark.net/?q=en/
Then there is http://www.satoya-boshu.net/ which puts potential pet owner in contact with people wanting to rehome their animals as well as animal foster groups. This is pretty much all Japan.

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Zasso Nouka
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Re: Pets from an animal shelter

Post by Zasso Nouka »

Our Shiyakusho has a notice board in the foyer for anyone looking to house kittens, puppies or other pets, absolutely free of charge. The prices they charge in pet shops are absolutely eye watering.

Recently we took in a kitten that had been sitting in the same place beside a local forest road for three days far from any houses. We saw her several times a day as we drove past and when we stopped the car she'd come running over crying out. Finally it was hammering down with rain one evening and Mrs N said 'What about that kitten in this storm, will she survive ?' so went went to look and sure enough there she was and as soon as we opened the door she came running over. So now we have a new kitten around the house, allow me to introduce 'Kat(herine), she's a lady of poise and elegance
kat.jpg
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gonbechan
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Re: Pets from an animal shelter

Post by gonbechan »

Kat certainly knows which side her sofa is buttered.
What a cutie though. When I saw her on the webcam the other night she was all cozy and ensconced as if she had been to the manor born.

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Zasso Nouka
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Re: Pets from an animal shelter

Post by Zasso Nouka »

Like many young Japanese ladies she posses an almost instinctive awareness when a camera is pointed at her and strikes her best kawaii poses, we fully expect her to be making peace sings soon enough :lol:

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Re: Pets from an animal shelter

Post by CYEK »

Long long long time ago my GF and I rescued a dog from an animal shelter that was just a few hours from being put down. A 10 month German Shepherd the size of a great dane with a very aggressive nature towards other animals and people. No one at the shelter felt confident about going anywhere near it was kept away from the other animals. Went to the shelter with the GF to get a puppy and when she saw the shepherd all alone just sitting there watching intensely she went down to it and just started talking to it. The staff told her not to get too close because of its aggressive nature and that they were about to put it down that afternoon. The whole time she was talking it just sat there looking at her. When she went to walk away it went into the kennel they have and came out with a lead. The staff were surprised as previously it just growled at anyone that went near it. GF wanted to walk it around the holding area and staff were saying its to risky. Eventually staff relented and my GF and I then talked about who was going to put the lead on as I still wasnt too sure about this idea. Her exact words to me were, your not scared of a little puppy are you that wants to play? We both walked down and she open the gate whilst I stood there with the lead. It walked straight over to me and went around my right side to behind me and then sat down on my left side with its snout resting against my leg. I put the lead on and my GF and I spent the next hour or so just walking it around giving it basic commands which it followed instinctively. Decision was made and it was taken home the next day and lived for another 9 years.

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Re: Pets from an animal shelter

Post by DRogers »

Maybe this is the wrong thread but I will ask anyway. Is it easy to bring animals from abroad into Japan ?

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Re: Pets from an animal shelter

Post by akikana »

Can be if you are coming from a rabies safe country and can do the quarantine 'stuff' there. Done it once and we had no problems bringing two dogs back in from Singapore. Information here: MAFF - Quarantine

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Re: Pets from an animal shelter

Post by Zasso Nouka »

As Akikana says it can be relatively easy if you are coming from a country without rabies. First up check with your vet what the procedures are for Japan, they will be able to look up what vaccinations you need and any other regulations. Coming from the UK we needed to start the vaccinations quite a while before we were due to leave, check with your vet as soon as possible.

You'll also need the animals micro chipped and you'll need a carrier approved for use on an airline, not all are. You also need a range of stickers to go on those carriers , there's a guide to pet carriers here

Airline Pet Cargo Carrier Requirements

You also need to check what your airline requires, each one is different. Don't just take the word of the call centre staff call up and speak to the staff at the airport you are flying out from because we found out the call centre staff give out very different advice and we got delayed because of that. KLM require that you have a vet come out to the airport and inspect the animals and paperwork and then seal up the carrier there rather than letting your vet seal the carrier just before you leave. Probably also a good idea to double check everything with the Japanese embassy in your country.

Something we found out the hard way is that Frontline for cats (must treat animals just before you leave) sets off the explosives detector at Heathrow airport. We can laugh about it now but having a couple of heavily armed policemen escort you to a small room for a 'little chat' with Special Branch wasn't particularly funny at the time. They were cool about it when they discovered what had triggered the alarms but for about half an hour we were almost treated like terrorists. So explain before your animals go through the scanner that you have recently treated them for fleas and ticks, then if the alarms do go off they can quickly run a hand scanner over the animals to verify what you have said.

Once you arrive you pick the animals up where you reclaim your baggage and head over to the quarantine desks and hand in all your paper work and you should be good to go.

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Eric in Japan
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Re: Pets from an animal shelter

Post by Eric in Japan »

Hmm... good and bad.
Excess puppies or cats that were brought to the shelter recently- better.
Feral, neglected, or abused pets... Well, for some people.

My sister adopted a "rescue" pit bull. He's a nice dog, but frankly, more trouble than he is worth (I hope my sister doesn't subscribe to this board LOL). She can't leave him alone for more than a few hours, he freaks out if he sees other dogs, and totally rules her life. It isn't "I think I'll go to the store for some milk and eggs..." but rather "If I go to the store for some milk and eggs, will he be OK?"
Your adopted pet may be normal, but then again....

I have never paid a dime for a pet, and I'll be damned if I start now.
  • Goats- (twin male wethers) Yahoo Japan auction 0 yen
    Dog- idiot neighbor who doesn't think spaying his female is an option. (he has over 20 dogs now from the one he started with...)
    Cats- feral kittens who waited at the bus stop for 5 hours for my pregnant, nesting wife to find and adopt while I was at work...
If you want a brand of pet, that is what a pet store is for. Bred stock. Nothing wrong with that. Safe, no surprises, usually have all their shots. But pets don't have to be brands.
Adopted pets are a crapshoot. They may be wonderful, or may be high to very high maintenance, depending on their background.
My favorite is offspring from someone else's beloved family pet.
"... so, the cucumbers said to the cabbage, `Lettuce Go.`"

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