jaPan animal welFare soCiety uK l

jawsjaPan animal welFare soCiety uK

No.80Winter 2012

Newsletter – please pass on to others

moon Bear misery

Falling numbers

The Japan bear & Forest societyis a national conservation organisation set up to save Japan’s forests – and therefore Japan’s indigenous bears. There are tsukinowa-guma (black bears) on mainland Japan and shikoku, and higuma (brown bears) in Hokkaido, and both species need rich and vast stretches of forest to survive. The number of these bears is unknown. it is assumed between just 10,000 and 20,000 now live in Japan.

deforestation in parts of japan has threatened the existence of thejapanese black bear, also known as the moon bear or asiatic bear.in the 1990s, a group of school children decided to take action, and in 1997 the japan Bear and Forest society (jBFs) was born.thanks to our supporters, jaws uK has been able to give a grant of £5,000 to the jBFs so that it can continue its vital work. mariko moriyama, chairperson of the jBFs, describes the history of the society at www.kumamori.org but the following is, i hope, an informative introduction…

dissipate and search of food further down the mountain. not surprisingly, the bears eventually made their way closer to the towns and villages – and into real danger. in 2010, their search for foodresulted in more than 3,000 bears being killed. in Kyushu island, the bears are already all gone, and in shikoku island, less than 20 remain. With encouragement from mariko moriyama, who was a science teacher at their school, the students of muko-Higashi

Junior High school decided to make a stand and lobby for environmental protection for the forests. ms moriyama said: “Listen everyone, if you believe that something is true, voice that belief even if you are all alone. This country will never get better unless those with courage and a strong sense of justice increase and take action.” it was ms moriyama’s will, through her teachings, that all her students grew up to be those people. They learnt that bears are hunted on a massive scale and traded for about a million yen (£7,772) per head, particularly for their gall bladders which are used in traditional Chinese medicines.

both bear species have lived in Japan for years, but after the second World War, many forests of broadleaf trees such as beech, oak and evergreens were replaced with Japanese cedar and Hinoki cypress. The once-lush forests were home to all sort of animals, and the bears relied on the broadleaf trees for food and shelter. Cedar and cypress were too bitter for the bears. Their rich food supply was dramatically reduced, forcingthese timid creatures to

insiDe no.80:l moon bear misery

l iwC update

l ashlea Haselgrove

l arK updates

l Grant giving

l jaws uK

Protesting to local authoritypersonnel in order to rescue a bear caught in cage, mistakenfor a wild boar.

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name:

address: Postcode:

email:

signature: Date:

i would liKe to join/renew my annual memBersHiP and enClose:

UK membership £10 retired/under 18 £5 Lifetime membership £50

l WINTER 2012 NEWSLETTER

2 l jaws moon bear misery

she says: “on a humanitarian level, as well as for our nation’s environmental protection, someone had to raise a voice against the situation. Thus, I finally made up my mind. as a science teacher who was teaching about nature, i had no choice but to raise a voice to protect bears.” Word spread about ms moriyama’s passion for protectingthe bears and before long therewere 16 separate groups in muko-Higashi Junior High school,all protecting Japan’s bears! students and teachers joined forces and petitioned the office of Hyogo Prefecture, asking the authorities to stop planting cypress and cedar trees and start protecting the bears, but this fell on deaf ears. Undeterred, the group met with mr Kaibara, the then Governor of Hyogo Prefecture, and after a 15 minute audience persuaded him to take action to protect the bears.

▲ Forest conversion: Undergrowth is finally beginning to show, two years after they cut the trees to allow daylight.

Artificial forest. After ww2, 40 percent of japan’s forests had been destroyed to turn to barren lands.

▲ we are breeding from two small black bears whose mother waskilled. we want people to know that these bears are wonderful animals.

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The Japan Bear and Forest Society Office:1–4 Bundo-cho, nishinomiya-City, Hyogo Prefecture 662-0042, japantel: 0798-22-4190 Fax: 0798-22-4196 email: contact@Kumamori.org website: http://en.Kumamori.org

From there on in, things changed. annual tree-planting events, which were attended by the emperor and empress, replaced cypress and cedar saplings with broadleafed trees.soon after, the environment minister announced a ban on the hunting of black bears in the Hyogo Prefecture and the word soon spread.

right treesbut in order to protect the bears,ms moriyama and her ever-increasing band of supporters, had to re-plant the forests – this time with lush, broad-leafed trees to persuade the beautiful bears back up the mountainside and restore Japan’sforest to the green havens they once were. Today the JbFs is making greatstrides to restore the forests and with our help, many of Japan’s indigenous creatures – including bears – will live in harmony with humans.

The JbFs was awarded a special prize from the minister of education, Culture, sports, science and Technology in march, 2008.

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staff there try to create a coexistence of wild animals and humans and secure a diversity of living creatures. The centre’s driving force is Dr Toshio mizoguchi. He started his career as full time vet at the centre in 1985 and became head of the centre in 1998. Dr mizoguchi works very closely with JaWs, and Dr yamaguchi (JaWs’ chief inspector) is acting as one of the key members of the board at the centre.

little bearThe centre accepted a tiny asiatic black bear caught at okawa of aizu, in the Fukushima Prefecture two years ago. When she arrived, this tiny bear weighed just 1.8kg. now she has grown to a healthy 50kg. as no zoo offered to take her, the centre constructed the young bear a shelter in the forest close by. Fukushima Prefecture helped pay for the build, which was completed last may. This little bear seems to be enjoying life in her new home.

GoinG wild in FuKusHima!Fukushima Prefecture built a wildlife centre in 1982 for the primary purpose of treating injured and sick wild animals and returning them to the wild.

The revised [act on Welfare and management of animals act] came into force on 29 august, 2012, much to the delight of animal-lovers throughout Japan. The following is a list of the key points on the revised pet shop legislation:

l Pet shop owners must provide a definite plan in order to maintain the health and safety of baby animals, and cats and dogs that are difficult to sell.

l Pet shop owners must maintain close contact with a vet.

l They must look after aged dogs and cats that are difficult to sell.

l There is a ban on the selling, showing and trading of animals under 56 days old.

l They must keep a record of all the pets they handle and report them correctly to the local authority.

l They must provide a complete record of each animal and show it to potential new owners.

it is hoped that this new legislation will improve conditions for animals sold through Japan’s pet shops.

Pet sHoP leGislationjapan welcomed a new piece of long-awaitedlegislation this summer, regarding the sale of animals through pet shops.

 

This unique centre organizes many educational programmes for the region’s students, successfully encouraging volunteers to support its activities. Centre staff have a very good relationship with local government as well as local residents. in addition, they are deeply involved in the environmental design of local communities in Fukushima Prefecture. They are very popular among all wildlife related organizations all over Japan for their wide vision and smart actions.

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4 l jaws WHaLinG – sTiLL on THe aGenDa

myself and Clare Perry, both eia campaigners, supportedby a grant from JaWs UK, attended the annual meeting of the iWC at the end of June 2012. The meeting was hosted by the Government of Panama, who proved to be perfect hosts and it was a privilege to be in this fascinating country. For two decades eia has

played a leading role in moving the focus of the iWC’s work away from the exploitation of whales to addressing the ever-increasing and distressing threats to whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans), including pollution, climate change, entanglement and marine debris. it is exciting to see just how much work is

now being carried out through the iWC to address these problems, often in partnership with other multi-lateral international agreements. eia scientist sarah baulch presented a paper on marine debris to the iWC’s prestigiousscientifi c committee. The IWC consequently agreed that its scientifi c and conservation committees would jointly host a workshop to study thethreats to cetaceans from marinedebris. substantial funding will be provided from the iWC’s

core research budget and the eia will also contribute. This is particularly pleasing as eia has also been pushing for more iWC funds to be spent on conservation instead of whaling related research. after constant spurious and time wasting disruption to the 2011 iWC meeting by pro-whaling members, it was encouraging to participate in the progressive, democratic and cooperative 2012 meeting. The outcome was good for cetaceans and marked a maturing of the iWC’s work to address all threats to cetaceans. It was agreed for the fi rst time that the iWC should consider the welfare implications of threats to cetaceans including vessel strikes, entanglement and marine debris. in addition a resolution was unanimously passed on the importance of research into the impact of the degradation of the marine environment, including on the health of cetaceans and humans that consume them. meanwhile there was strong condemnation of continued whaling by iceland, norway and Japan and the exports by iceland to Japan. Proposals by Japan to continue discussions on a resumption of commercial whaling were rejected.

Continuing coastal hunts in japanit is disappointing that hunting of cetaceans in Japan’s coastal waters continues relentlesslydespite falling demand by consumers for the meat and blubber from these hunts. Lack of demand is partly due to a sustained campaign in Japan, led by eia that has persuaded thousands of supermarkets to stop selling cetacean products.

wHalinG – still ontHe aGenda

the 2012 annual meeting of the international whaling Commission(iwC) took place in Panama. the following is a special report for jaws uK from jennifer lonsdale, director of the environmental investigation agency (eia).

…it was encouraging to participate in the progressive, democratic and cooperative 2012 meeting.

net result: a sperm whalecaught in netting. the iwC’s scientifi c and conservation committees will look into the threats of marine debris.

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eia is very concerned that the world’s largest and clearly unsustainable cetacean hunt will likely resume again in Japan on 1st november. The Dall’s porpoise hunt looked like it mightend as a result of the tsunami disaster in Japan but if it appears that a reduced hunt will continue, albeit limited by low demand by consumers and lack of infrastructure.

japan’s antarctic plansJapan’s factory ship nisshin maruis being refitted and apparentlywill be ready for the 2012 Antarctic so-called scientific whaling programme. Howeverthe industry is under financialpressure due to large stockpilesof whale products and low consumer demand. it remains to be seen if the whaling actually goes ahead. in these times of austerity and a burgeoning demand on Japan’s

budget for vital reconstruction as a result of the tsunami and earthquake, there are greater priorities for funds than subsidising an out-of-date, dwindling whaling industry.

Iceland’s fin whalingit is pleasing to report that forthe second year, the fin whale hunt did not take place in iceland, although minke whalingcontinued. This may or may not be the permanent end to fin whaling, but whaling boss Kristjan Loftsson has continuedto export his stockpiles of fin whale products to Japan, with more than 780 tonnes exported just in 2012. This is unpopular amongst those struggling to sell stockpiles of whale products from Japan’s own whaling operations. in addition, negotiations continue on iceland’s accession to the

european Union. Under eU law, iceland would not be able to continue its commercial whaling operations.

online sales of whale products achieving a success always requires constant monitoring to ensure continuing success. recently it was discovered that whale products had again appeared for sale on the website of amazon Japan. eia and the Humane societyinternational immediately wrote to the Chief executiveand President of amazon and these items were quickly removed from sale.

▼ whale waste: this marine debris was found in the stomach of a sperm whale found in the Canaries.

meanwhile eia continues its work to persuade other online traders to end the sale of cetacean products in Japan.

time to re-focusTo most people killing and consuming cetaceans belongs in the history books. The industry is inherently cruel and the threats facing these species in the marine environment are so great and unquantifiable. eia continues its work to bring about international cooperationto find solutions to mitigate these threats and ensure that the deliberate killing of whales, dolphins and porpoises is brought to an end.

▼ marine debris: Fishing nets, plastic, wood, rubber – some poisonous, but all killers. we need to put a stop to this.

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6 l jaws neWs From asHLea HaseLGrove

As honorary offi cer of JAWS UK (Australia), Ashlea Haselgrove continues to raise the profi le of the plight of animals in Japan. This is her latest report from Victoria, Australia.

akita returns home Pomeranian pamper!

Mrs Inui spends much of her day arranging animal collections, neuterings, and vet attention to sick and wounded animals.

neWs from ashlea Haselgrove

profi le of the plight of animals in Japan. This is her latest report from Victoria, Australia.

Kobe kitten

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it was back in november that a Pomeranian dog,in a fi lthy, matted state was found in the middle ofdowntown Kobe. With the help of the nakafujikaiLadies, Pommi-chan was cut and cleaned up. Constable sotani looked for a new owner on the internet. However, three weeks passed and the police box where he’d been kept, called the destruction centre. once again an extension of time was pleaded for and a new owner was found, where he is now well kept and much loved.lucky Pommi-chan: Given a second chance of happiness.

a small, and very weak kitten was abandoned in downtown Kobe in June. Constable sotani took it to a sympathetic vet, where the kitten made a remarkable recovery and a new home was found through the internet on Port island, off Kobe City. He was named Chunta-kun after the police offi cer’s email address. He’s now greatly loved by the owner and her daughter.▼ Feline fi ne: This abandoned kitten landed on its paws.its paws.its paws.its paws.

The fact that Hanshin Branch is no longer offi ciallyrecognised has made not the slightest difference to the constancy and the pace of fi eld work being done by the core of devoted members. at 86, mrs inui must be one of our most active liaison members. Just now she is confi ned to bed, but the telephone is right beside and she spends much of each day arranging for animal collections, neutering and vet attention to sick or wounded animals. at last it seems that the success stories outweigh the hopeless or tragic cases. among them is Constable sotani’s diligence on behalf of the akita-mix dog with one blue and one amber eye. He’d been found near an elementary school on awaji island, off the coast of Kobe, where Constable sotani is often sent to work. Locals planned to send him to the animal Control Centre for destruction, but because of his gentle and friendly nature and the fact that he’d been trailing his chain, Constable sotani asked for extra time, in which he called about 60 homes. Luckily on 9 may he was reunited with his owner, who had awaited his dog’s return, but done nothing to fi nd him.▼ Home again: Constable sotani found this dog’s owner.

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sotani saves mimi

second chance shiba

tiger, jim and rio

Just recently, an aging black Labrador appeared neara high school on the west coast of awaji island. Taken to Constable sotani’s friend’s police box, the dog waited patiently and quietly, but no one cameto collect him. Constable sotani made 50 postersabout the dog and took them to neighbourhood post boards and convenience stores. after two weeks Kuro-chan was taken to the destruction centre. once again mrs Kitagawa was approached for help. Constable sotani drove Kuro-chan 50km to her home. a month later, a mr Takijama of awaji island saw one of the posters and recognised his missing pet. He had no way of getting him back, so Constable sotani delivered Kuro-chan in the police patrol car. He felt satisfi ed that Kuro-chan was well cared for and much loved.

Taken to Constable Sotani’s friend’s police box, the dog waited patientlyand quietly, but no one came to collect him.

Police escort!

▲ living wild: mimi survived onfood scavenged from a car park.

▲ Kitagawa’s sheba: with patience and training this dog is improving.

At 86, Mrs Inui must be one of the most active

liaison members. At present she is confi ned to bed, but her phone

is right beside her.

collect him.

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in early June, Constable sotani heard of an abandoned dog in a public parking place at the topof a hill on awaji island, while he was working there. apparently the dog had been living with 12wild cats, eating insects and other scavenged food. Constable sotani took a trap to the site on his day off. He offered the dog food and talked soothingly to him and after an hour, the dog came close enough to be grabbed, without biting.Granny inui’s friend, mrs matsuo was looking for a gentle young dog and at once agreed to take this dog. mrs inui commented that it was of the quickest and happiest cases of rehoming in her 40+ years of animal rescue. mrs matsuo called the dog mimi (which means ears) because his ears grew very big!

During may, a shiba dog was delivered to the awaji island Police station where it immediately bit one of the offi cers on the hand, leaving a woundrequiring stitches. The dog was sent straight to the animal control centre for destruction. Constable sotani felt the dog must have suffered quite considerably to have attacked so easily so went to rescue it. However the destruction centre refused to give him the dog, stating that a biting dog could only be released to its original owner. mrs Kitagawa, who lives farout in the country and is ardent animal activist andanimal lover, was ‘tutored’ by Constable sotani in how best to pretend she was the original owner. With training, perseverance and much love, the dog is becoming gentle and affectionate after just a few months with mrs Kitagawa.

mrs inui’s doctor, Doctor Hamanaka has three children and she has brought them up to be kind and considerate to all creatures. encouraged byGranny inui’s devoted animal rescue work, in thepast 12 months each has rescued a poor cat, taken it to the vet for health checks, vaccinationsand neutering. on the left, the eldest daughter holdsTiger. Her son, still at junior high school, holds Jim.The youngest daughter, also in junior high school holds her cat rio, rescued earlier this year.Cat carers: these three children are doing a great job!

▼ lab’s luck: lost, taken to the destruction chamber, then reunited with his owner.

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8 l jaws arK UPDaTes

tHanK youelizaBetH!animal refuge Kansai (arK) continues its sterling work in japan, under the guidance of elizabeth oliver, its founder member. the following is an update of arK’s activities...arK is proud to announce that elizabeth oliver has been awardedan mbe in the 2012 Queen’s birthday Honours List, by Her majesty Queen elizabeth ii, in recognition of her services to animal welfare and civil society in Japan. elizabeth said: “i am indeed honoured by this award from the Queen. but it is an award to be shared by all of you who have supported arK over the past 20 years; our members, donors, sponsors, volunteers and our hard-working staff who take care of the animals on a daily basis. Thank you all. and last but not least a tribute to the animals, who have enriched our lives, with their love and trust in us. i hope that animal welfare in Japan will continue to expand for the benefit of animals for many more years to come.”

Celebratory dinnerin celebration of this, arK held a special dinner at the british embassy on 19 september 2012. in all, 189 guests, including Her majesty’s british ambassador in Tokyo, sir David Warren KCmG, and Lady Pamela Warren, and visitors from as far away as australiaand Hong Kong, enjoyed an evening of celebration that will be remembered for a long time.

everyone enjoyed the magnificent setting of the embassy residence, its grounds and garden, which is classed aspossibly the finest embassy inTokyo. The location also reflectedthe strong ties arK has with animal welfare in the UK and the date coincided with Japan’s national ‘be Kind to animals Week’which began on 20 september. Politicians, celebrities, arK members and supporters, and people from the media thoroughly enjoyed celebrating arK’s success. Thanks went to the embassy staff who worked so hard to make the party a success, to theembassy chefs who provided a feast of british food, to the pianist

mio maeda whose music lent aspecial atmosphere, to Kyoko Harada for her photos of arKanimals, to arK staff from osaka and Tokyo who helped welcome guests, to moto arimaand her team who brought along six hearing dogs (two originally from arK) belongingto the Japan Hearing Dogs association to add a canine touch, and last but not least to mary Corbett who worked so hard for months to make the event such a success. The party raised 331,505 yen (£2,576) in donations.

▲ royal recognition: elizabeth oliver, mBe was joined by friends and colleaguesto celebrate her mBe.

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And finally a big thank you went to Joanna Lumley who sent such a warm message from London. it read: “Dear elizabeth, this award couldn’t come to a more deserving person. When we met at Hikone, i was immediately impressed by yourdedication to the welfare of rescued animals great and small.What you have done in foundingarK is truly remarkable. Compassion shines out of all you do, “…like a good deed in a naughty world”, to quote shakespeare’s Portia. you are an inspiration to me, and to allwho have the great good fortuneto know you. Please accept a thousand congratulations; and as Patsy, a character i play in Absolutely Fabulous, would say “Cheers, sweetie!”. “i am raising a glass to youfrom half-way across the world,and send my loving thoughts to you on the sweet winds that circle the earth.”

sasayama shelter Work at the state-of-the-artsasayama animal shelter forgesahead. in may electricity arrivedat the site, much to everyone’s delight, and in July a special shinto ceremony took place

on site to purify the ground and ensure the safety of construction workers. This was followed by a muneage ceremony, literallyraising the roof for a new construction and to ensure the health and safety of all who build it. Work began in earnest and by october the warehouse wascomplete – their first building. It contains an office for maintenance staff with a secondfloor above that for storage of light items, such as blankets. The main area will have banksof shelves reaching from floor to ceiling. The biggest concern for staff is the protection of

“This is a dramatic and revolutionary project aimed at raising the standard of animal welfare in Japan to new heights.

“Please join us on this journey into the future.”

stored food for the animals. To prevent mice, and possibly snakes, from getting in, there is a set of electrically-powered double shutter doors so that a truck, for example, can enter through the outer door and once inside, that door closes and the inside one opens. To make sure everything is doubly secure, they are considering keeping a couple of resident warehouse cats, for extra protection.

shelter appealarK still needs more funds to complete this vision and elizabeth oliver appeals for your support: “arK started with the help of a small group of friends and volunteers 20 years ago and has grown into a well-known and respected organisation in Japan. over

the years we have rescued and cared for thousands of homeless, stray and abused animals with the aim of finding them security and love in forever homes. “our main shelter in osaka cares for 300-400 mainly cats and dogs. our office in Tokyo rescues animals in the Kanto area which are kept in foster homes until new families can be found for them. now we are moving onto a third phase, the building of a state-of-the-art animal welfare centre in sasayama. “This is a dramatic and revolutionary project aimed at raising the standard of animal welfare in Japan to new heights. “Please join us on this journey into the future.”

▲ Hearing dogs: there was anice canine touch at the dinnerin the form of six hearing dogs.

if you would like to get involved and donate money to the sasayama animalshelter, please visit: www.arkbark.net for more information.

▼ shiny and new: this will soon be filled with vital suppliesfor the shelter’s animals.

▲ japanese ceremonies: shintoand muneage ceremonies are very important.

▼ wonderful warehouse: this fabulous building will keep materialsand pet food dry. There’s also an office for maintenance staff.

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sippo net sippo net was established in 2010. it is anew support system for first-time fosterersand owners of dogs.

recently, there have been several people living in urban areas who have shown an interest inbecoming owners of abandoned and stray dogs left homeless particularly in the aftermath of the Great east Japan earthquake in march 2011. sippo net thought that if they could marry these people with the dogs, fewer animals would be killed in the ‘animal holding centre’ (Hokenjo). so they came up with the idea of a network to reach potential new owners across Japan. Howeverthe problem was that some new owners might not realise the implications of looking after a dog,and perhaps be tempted to abandon them again. in an effort to safeguard this, anyone who wishes to rehome a dog from sippo net must fi rst attend a seminar. After which, they will be presented with a certifi cate and assigned a ‘dog life counsellor’, who would help resolve any issues with their new canine pal. The advisor would keep in contact with the new owner and visit them after one week, one month, three months, six months and 12 months, then once a year after that. The advisors talk through any issues that the new owner might have and report their fi ndings to the organisations/individuals from where the dog came. all sippo net’s advice and counselling is free of charge.

jaws uK gave sippo net £2,500 to continue their vital work.

thanks to your donations, jaws uK has been able to provide grants for some worthy causes in japan this year. Here are just two such organisations…

tHe imPortanCe of GRANT GIVING

Feral Cats of FukuiCharles jannuzi, an associate professor at the university of Fukui in the north-central part of Fukui City, wanted to do something for all the cats that had been dumped, born or just wandered onto the Bunkyo Campus of the university of Fukui.

Over the past fi ve years, Charles has rescued, rehomed, and looked after dozens of cats on the university campus and the surrounding neighbourhoods, and this year he is faced with wanting to help more cats than ever in and around Fukui City. sadly, his university salary – which he spends on helping the cats – has been cut, so he turned to JaWs UK for help.

His activities include:

l Trapping, neutering and releasing – plus the maintenance and care of dozens of feral, semi-feral, abandoned and neglected cats. The goal is to get all the cats neutered and vaccinated (against FeLv and Fiv) and suitable cats and kittens rehomed.

l Cats that live on campus and the surrounding areas (e.g bunkyo, Tawara-machi, omiya) need feeding and housing. This includes providing a cat sanctuary in an empty house in Tawara-machi, and offering outdoor cat shelters.

l recently Charles has expanded his activities to the suburban campus of the University of Fukui, in matsuoka (about 8km east of the bunkyo Campus). Signifi cantly, the Matsuoka Campus is also a location where there are a lot of feral, semi-feral, abandoned and neglected cats. and it is close the campus of the Fukui Prefectural University and Green Park, which are both areas where there are many cats needing care.

l Also over the past fi ve years Charles has rescued abandoned and lost dogs in the northern Fukui City area, preventing them from being impounded by the city.

l He also rescues and shelters cats with Fiv and FeLv because they can no longer live outdoors for fear of spreading the illness.

l more than anything else, Charles would like to make trapping, neutering and the release of feral cats – plus the maintenance and care of the cats – known and supported in Fukui, then produce a record that would show how it can be accomplished all over Japan for a more humane way for human and cat communi-ties to exist together.

From april 2011 to march 2012, Charles paid over 280,000 yen (£2,176) from his own money to neuter, vaccinate, health check and de-worm these campus cats.

jaws uK gave Feral Cats of Fukui a grant of £2,500.

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provide temporary home and food; posting advertisement on the web to seek foster families.

l Getting dogs out of the animal welfare centre on request from individuals and dog rescue groups and transporting them to temporaryor permanent homes, often by air, after providing the necessary healthcare.

l Training and providing medical care to dogs (mostly puppies) and rehoming them to foster families in cooperation with our partner group onespace in Tokyo.

l Periodically holding adopt-a-dog/cat shows.

l Providing consultation for dog/cat owners to advise on the correct pet care.

in addition to all of this, one’s Partners’ animal protection activities have increased since its inception in 2007. and whilethe number of supporters

some dog owners in okinawa let their dogs roam on the streets, rather than take the time to walk them. as a result, these dogs are considered stray so are captured and taken to the ghastly animal welfare centre where, after six days, they are put to sleep. one’s Partners receives dozens of requests from the public to save these poor dogs as well as take in other stray and abandoned dogs and provide daily pet advice. all these services are done with no animal centre and no funding. This organisation relies entirely on kind-hearted volunteers and donations.

increased activitiesthe main activities of one’s Partners are:

l Taking in stray, neglected or inappropriately-kept dogs; providing them with the necessarymedical care; entrusting them to volunteer members who

one’s Partners is an animal welfare organisation based in okinawaPrefecture, an area of southern japan, that takes in stray and abandoned cats and dogs and tries to fi nd them loving new homes. jaws uK felt this was an extremely deserving cause, so gave them a grant of £4,000. this is where the money will go…

has grown, as its activities are recognized by the public, requests to take in stray or unwanted animals and medical fees also continue to rise. since the number of dogs and cats destroyed in okinawa will not decrease with its activities alone, staff have decided to include educationalactivities to infl uence the awareness of pet owners.

Financial help sheltered dogs and cats often have health problems, especially right after they are taken in. some animals require urgent medical treatment because they are taken in after getting hit by a car or injured for other reasons. The JaWs UK grant will be used primarily for the medical care of sheltered animals, as well as for the educational activities, in an effort to reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats.

Pet Partners

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luCKy maKimaki, a crossbreed puppy, had been neglected by herseverely alcoholic owner and left to roam the neighbourhood. she was captured and sent to the animal welfare Centre. three women living in the neighbourhood had seenmaki wandering the streets and became worried about her. when they knew maki had been taken to the animal welfare Centre, they asked one’s Partners to “rescue her.” maki was rescued and given to one of the one’s Partners’ volunteers where she has been cared for ever since with their other 11 dogs!

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adopt-a-pet shows help increase awareness of the number of animals looking for a loving home.

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Pic 1: shy nasubi

This once shy, black cat came to JaWs after his previous owner asked staff to fi nd him a new home as her busy working life meant she couldn’t take care of him any longer. His new owner accepted him with a good understanding of his shy character and named him nasubi (which means eggplant!). it took just two days for the pair to bond and nasubi is now enjoying lots of affection.

Pic 2: mischievous maco

This tomcat was rescued with his homeless mother by a volunteer. JaWs staff found new family for him when he was just two months old. He is very mischievous and loved exploring around his new home. His new owners have called him maco and he is living a very happy and active life.

Pic 3: lucky Gaku

Gaku is a one-year-old toy poodle who has found a loving new home thanks to JaWs staff. His previous owner’s mother became ill so this poor dog was neglected and left in a small area in the home. His new owner walks him often and is taking him to training classes. His new life is full of freedom and joy.

LUCKY PETS GIVEN a seCond CHanCeJAWS Tokyo continues it’s brilliant work fi nding new homes for abandoned, neglected and abused animals. this report from the society’s Ken sakurai…

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milk is a beautiful two-year-old buck rabbit has fallen on his feet! His new owners are keen to offer abandoned and abused animals a new loving home and have already rehomed a dog from JaWs Tokyo. now milk and his new canine friend get on swimmingly!

more successful rehomings, this time from CC-Kuro, the joint venture between jaws tokyo and government staff working in Kobe City (an article on CC Kuro is in your previous jaws newsletter).

a dog named sue!

This loveable crossbreed joined his new family from CCKuro when he was just six months old.sue’s new owner walks him a lot every day,

then he falls fast asleep, snoring, legs akimbo! They have decided to train him without haste, because he has such a strength and an excitable temper!

Ball boy maple

maple is a nine-month-old crossbreed tomcat who loves to play ball! His new owners says: “He’s always at the centre of our lives. He is so lovely when he watches us closely – face to face. We throw a paper ball for him and brings it back to us and pesters us to play again. after about an hour of this he runs around the house in triumph!

not so BlueFour-month-old tomcat blue has found a new loving home. His new owner says “He was a bit nervous when he fi rst came to us, but it didn’t

take long before he settled in. He is so friendly with all the family and can always been seen following someone! When he’s tired of playing, he falls asleep on his back.

look out for more rescued and rehomed pets next time.

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Charity preview

jaws held a charity preview of the Hollywood film Big Miracle on 20 june at yomiuri Hall near the Ginza area, in an effort to promote the philosophy of protecting whales. The film is about the international rescue effort to save three families of whales, trapped in thick alaskan ice. The preview was a great success, entertaining an audience of about 1,000 people.

animal welfare festivaljaws tokyo held a joint exhibition of animal welfare activities with the ministryof the environment and other animal welfare groups on 15 september at the riverside Gallery of sumida Park. it displayed photographs and details of 20 dogs and cats all looking for a new home. about 2,000 visitors were welcomed and many showed an interest in becoming a new owner.

▼ jaws staff talking to those interested in becoming a new family for a homeless cat or dog.

successful symposiumon 29 sept, JaWs Tokyo held a symposium looking at two topics: the present status of the disaster stricken Fukushima area, and how animals can be really happy with humans. over 300 people attended the symposium, which was held at the Heiseikan Hall in the national museum.

annual General assembly for 2012JAWS Tokyo held its annual general assembly for the 2012 fiscal year on Saturday, 16 June 2012 at U-port (Gotanda). board members discussed the previous year’s activities, the 2011 financial report and the appointment of Board members. mr yutaka aso retired from the board and mr nobuyasu ogata (a lawyer) and mr osamu iizuka (a veterinarian) joined the board. all motions were approved and passed.

animal shelter seminaron 30 june, jaws held an animal shelter seminar for shelter managersand volunteers. dr aki tanaka from uC davis and dr mina mizukoshifrom the Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University held the lectures. Jaws held the seminar to support those stakeholders who take care of animals from Fukushima’s disaster zone. The seminar was a great success.

book of memoriesillustrated memories of cats and dogs rescued by misa itsui, who worked with the animal Club ishinomaki, have been preserved forever in a book, aimed at raising awareness and funds for the Club. ishinomaki was one of the worst affected areas when the tsunami hit Japan on 11 march 2011, and JaWs UK sent the animal Club £5,000. ms itsui started to draw some of the animals in her care, and included short stories about them. she had had some publicity through exhibitions in small galleries in ishinomaki on the day of earthquake, ms itsui and colleagues from the animal Club ishinomaki were preparing for an exhibition due to start the next day.

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news from JaWs UKCatch up with the latest news from jaws uK and see how the charity continues to help japan’s animals.

Honoured guestsachiko yasuda has been actingas the key member of the board of directors of JaWs since 1982 and is the longest serving director. mrs yasuda’s dedication to JaWs Tokyo is enormous. she has been especially helpful on fundraising and been instrumental in soliciting new members and sponsors, using her various contacts. she recently visited Londonto witness the olympics and while here, contacted the JAWS UK offices in the city and attended a meeting. Her visit was a delight for the London staff, trustees and Chairman, Tony Crittenden, who was honoured to have such an esteemed guest attend one of his meetings.

2013 doG walKattention all dog owners! why not come and join us in Battersea Park for a sponsored doggie stroll in aid of jaws?

imagine strolling through battersea Park on a warm daynext summer with lots of like-minded people and well-behaved dogs. Perhaps we could take a picnic. i can think of nothing nicer! if anyone is interested in joining me, please contact the JAWS office and register an interest, giving details of four-legged friends that may be joiningus. it’s not imperative that you have a dog; you could always just come along by yourself!

southampton bazaarsmrs sheila Clayton and herband of stalwart supporters that make up the southamptonFriends of JaWs, will be holding their next southampton charity bazaars at the Highfield Church Centre on 4 may and 26 october 2013.

one more timesince the loss of bailey, the rescued poodle, andrew Laird former organising secretary of the society thought that his dog days were over, but found his retirement empty without a dog. Fortunately a toy poodle named Jonty was looking for a new home and andrew was more than delighted to take him on.

ContributorsDesigned by:rachel Hemsworth, lisa nutt

JaWs UK office:akiko yanagisawaoFFiCe manaGer

JaWs UK office address:lyell House, 51 Greencoat Placelondon sw1P 1ds

JaWs Tokyo office:Ken sakuraiseCretary-General

CHariTy reGisTraTion no. 1063952ComPany reGisTraTionno. 03371038 (enGLanD anD WaLes)

barbaric Taiji cetacean huntsthe barbaric hunting of dolphins and pilot whales in taiji,a town in the wakayama area of japan, has resulted in several emails to the jaws offices via its website.

Chairman Tony Crittenden contacted Jennifer Lonsdale, scientific officer with the Environmental Investigation Agency regarding thesituation, and she said: “We have been monitoring developments in Taiji through our contacts and various blogs. The captive cetaceanindustry is providing a significant incentive to the fishermen to continue these drive hunts at a time when there are stockpiles of cetacean products in Japan and falling demand. “animals are driven into the bay where a chosen few can be removed, destined for marine parks. The others are slaughtered. sometimes some are released back to the wild. “With respect to the pilot whales that were driven into the bay in early september, we understand that three were taken into captivity and the remaining 24 or so were killed. apparently the animal welfare laws are not applicable to whales, dolphins and porpoises so these hunts are not in violation of these laws.”

letter oF Protestmr Crittenden, jaws uK chairman, intends to contact maFF (the ministry for agriculture, Fisheries and Food) to protest against these hunts on welfare grounds, reminding the Government of the 2000 pledge to institute a voluntary code of conduct to reduce suffering by improving killing methods. jaws will update you on this situation in its next newsletter.

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news from the chairman…

in our summer 2012 newsletter, i brought to your attention a rather different aspect of our animal welfare concerns in Japan– namely the plight of the indigenous moon bear. in april, £5,000of your funding was directed to the Japan bear and Forest society,who were most appreciative. in turn we have received further information on how your generous donation is being used to alleviate some of the moon bear’s manmade environmental problems.i hope you enjoy our cover feature. i know it’s important to you to know that your generously donated funds are being used to good effect and therefore this newsletter also contains follow-up information about the activities of one’s Partners sippo net and the Feral Cats of Fukui. Please let us know if other worthy animal welfare projects in Japan come to your attention and we can invite further information from them with a view to possible grant funding. Meanwhile, back home it has been a very busy time in our officewith the reorganisation of the office systems which have served usso well for many years. Computerisation now beckons and also affords us the chance to ensure that our membership and funding records are current and efficient. as our title informs us, JaWs is a charitable company and as such we have many safeguards, but also some obligations. in particular we must ensure that our membership records are up to date. Unless you are a lifetime member (£50), please remember to ensure your participation and voting rights by submitting your £10 membership when due. renewal is also an ideal opportunity to update any changes to personal details. For instance, you may now have an email address and wish to receive your newsletter and other important JaWs related information. if in addition you wish to send a donation, please remember that (if you are a current taxpayer) you have the opportunity to sign up for the inland revenue’s Gift aid scheme which will result in a further benefit to JAWS of a 25p in the pound increase in your donation at no extra cost to yourself. every little helps! although many animal welfare concerns still need to be addressed, i hope that the pictures and stories contained in this landmark 80th issue of our newsletter reflect a growing awarenessin Japan of the need for a modern respect for animal life in the home and in the wild. Thank you again for your support, and don’t forget to refer to the back page for further details on how to become a member of JaWs UK.

merry Christmas to everyone. i hope you have a peaceful festive season.

tony Crittenden

a word from the editor…

Christmas will be here before we know it, and while we should celebrate the festive season, we must also spare a thought for the thousands of animals spending Christmas in animal shelters in the UK and in Japan. one of the ways of helping animals in Japan would be to renew your membership with JaWs UK or send a donation. I hope you find the cover story interesting; the plight of the moon bear is a serious one, but with organisations like the Japan bear and Forest society helping to improve their environment, let’s hope the plight is short-lived. The grant of £5,000 from JaWs UK will be very welcome. The news about the revised pet shop legislation on page 3 is extremely welcome. Pet shop owners must now adhere to strict rules when housing and selling animals. This legislation hasn’t come a moment too soon; i’m sure the majority of us would be horrified at the conditions in which these poor animals are kept. Jennifer Lonsdale’s report on the annual meeting of the international Whaling Commission on page 4 gives you an overviewof the meeting and the topics discussed. it’s encouraging to hear that certain issues – for example the problems with marine debris – are finally being addressed. Loyal supporter and regular contributor ashlea Haselgrove reports on news from her contacts in Japan on page 6. Updates on Constable sotani, the nakafujikai Ladies and mrs inui continue to provide interest. Thank you ashlea. Turn over to page 8 to read all about arK’s elizabeth oliver receiving an mbe for her services to animal welfare and civil society in Japan. Congratulations elizabeth! it is lovely recognition for such a hard-working lady. read about how arK’s sasayama shelter is coming along on page 9. Read about three grant beneficiaries on pages 10 and 11 and see how some of your donations are being spent. i hope you will agree that sippo net, Feral Cats of Fukui and one’s Partners are worthy causes. With news of happy pet rehomings from JaWs Tokyo and a possible sponsored dog walk, southampton bazaars and andrew’s new rescued poodle from JaWs UK rounding up this issue, I really hope you find your 2012 issue an interesting read. Don’t forget to spread the word of JaWs UK by passing on this newsletter.

merry Christmas everyone and a happy and peaceful 2013.

sarah evans

winter

PrinTeD on reCyCLeD PaPer

memBersHiP Form

Please HelP us to resCue animals in jaPan!With so many demands on your pockets today, it is hard to respond to every appeal. but we make a special plea for animals that cannot ask for themselves… those in Japan, where there is still desperate need to change conditions in laboratories, local pounds, pet shops and zoos, and to relieve the harsh daily life of thousands of other unhappy animals.

jawsjaPan animal welFare soCiety uK

name:

address: Postcode:

email:

signature: Date:

i would liKe to join/renew my annual memBersHiP and enClose:

UK membership £10 retired/under 18 £5 Lifetime membership £50

donation FormTitle: First name: surname:

address: Postcode:

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signature: Date:

i enclose a donation of: £5 £10 £25 £50 other £(Please make cheques payable to Japan animal Welfare society Limited)

i would like to donate to JaWs on a regular basis and have completed the standing order form: Please send me an acknowledgement yes no our work in Japan.

REGULAR GIVING: banKer’s sTanDinG orDer

name of your bank:

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Please pay Japan animal Welfare society Limitedsort code: 60-22-15, account no: 71168648 my donation of £annually/monthly (delete as applicable) on the D/D day of M/M and until further notice.

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i want all donations i’ve made in this tax year and the sixyears prior to this declaration (but no earlier than 6/4/2001)and all future donations to be treated as Gift aid donations,until i notify you otherwise.

To qualify for Gift aid, what you pay in UK income tax or capital gains tax must be at least equal the amount we will claim in the tax year.

Using Gift aid increases the value of your donation to Japan animal Welfare society Limited. so if you want your donation to go further, Gift aid it. Just complete this form and send it to us.