Tsunami Cat's Big Adventure

In March 2011 the terrible tsunami devastated much of Japan. Most of the town of Ofunato, in the Iwate Prefecture was destroyed. Kazuko Yamagishi and Takeo Yamagishi were lucky in that their home escaped destruction, though they had to endure the horror of living in a town that had been laid waste and whose neighbours were now homeless. They were also separated from Suika, their cat. In the three months after the tsunami the Yamagishis searched for Suika but then came to the conclusion that they would probably never see their cat again.

However in April this year another couple spotted a cat curled up in a nearby forest - a friendly cat wearing a collar. They brought it to the Ofunato Health Centre, which placed an ad in the local paper when no one came forward to claim it. But then one of the employees in the health centre notice the Yamagishis' name and number written in faded letters on his collar, and was able to reunite him with his owners.

The Yamagishis are overjoyed to have Suika back after all these years. Suika is being more guarded with his opinions.
More (BBC)

Even more (Asahi Shimbun)

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Tsunami dog reunited with owner

Japan's earthquake and tsunami has led to many sad stories of people dying or losing their homes and all their possessions. There have however also been stories of people being rescued and reunited with loved ones they feared lost. One story that touched the heart of many was the tale of a little dog who was found floating on the roof of a house that had been washed out to sea (see here). The latest news is that her owner saw the footage of the rescue and recognised her, leading to an emotional reunion. Apparently the dog jumped up and wagged her tail as soon as the owner arrived for her (more).

It is easy to scoff at heart-warming stories about animals in the context of a disaster that has claimed thousands of human lives. However, as was previously the case with Hurricane Katrina in the USA, for people who have lost everything in a natural disaster reunification with a pet can often be a great comfort.

In other Japan animal related news, here is a brave Yorkshire Terrier being checked for exposure to radiation:
(source)

And here is a dog looking at his owner being checked for radiation. Or the other way round:
(source)

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