A picture from Fukushima
I am withholding the authors name for privacy purposes but am reprinting this with his permission so the world can understand what is really going on in Fukushima. I think it is important to read for two reasons.
1. That people have to understand that not all animals in the Exclusion Zone have been left behind that their owners stayed behind to care for them. 2. The people offering the help have to have a plan in place and be willing to do what is necessary to help and not beg the people they are supposed to be helping for a place to stay and relax while so many are in Shelters without these comforts. Yes I think it is great for people to go over and want to help but please have a plan in place before hopping on a plane to Japan. You cannot get by with English there you need to be with someone who can translate for you. You need to know where you are going to be staying and what organization you will be working with. There is a lot of red tape to get through. In order to help you NEED to hook up with an organization already on the ground or you will be sitting around doing nothing.
One of the lads called Little John came down and stopped by my house today. The following is his report of what he saw in Fukushima. " I went through the Sohma-City where that Nuke Plant is and found some dog and cats there. I was riding and so I could not do anything but then I saw an old lady waving at me and so I went to her. She said her house is in the border line of the 10km radius from the Nuclear Plant and she was asked independently or voluntarily leave home. But she's 79, lost her husband about a year ago and had the dogs and cats and kois (carps) and gold fish that she didn't want to leave behind. So she decided to stay. She had propane, clean well water and power is still supplied.
She said all those dogs I've seen their are hers and she is just letting them having the whole town as the dog run and they all come back to her for meals and sleep in the house. Then a dog came to me wagging the tail happily and on the collar, it had a tag saying "The dog isn't lost, left nor wasted. Leave him alone, he will come back to me (xxxx: phone number and address.)
I was very hungry and my belly made noise and so the lady laughed and made me some noodles. When I was eating she said as she's been there at the Nuke Plant from behind and saw what was going on, Can you believe that? I said to her as she must be kidding but she brought out the g-counter and those stuff (the must items for the people there, she said) and she had the wind direction meter as well. So she went there and she saw all the hard working men betting their life to save the failing Plant having only a few blankets to spend the night outside !!
Man, I thought as I want to kill those Power Supply company guys. And she saw some people sleeping in the bed through the window and they are changing clothes from the Tokyo Power Supply (TPS) uniforms to PJ's! She said she has never got that furious when she saw that. She said there is a nice looking condo like building for the (TPS) employees and that seems as not being used. Which means as not opened for those hard working people who are risking their life at the Nuclear Plant!
There's something completely wrong. On the way, there was a beer manufacturing plant and people were stealing beer from there. I asked one of those guys stealing as what he's doing and what he said to me was "volunteer, volunteer." Man, if consuming beer could be called as volunteering, I wish I would be there but it isn't so I kicked the people out and told them not to come back.
Anyway, I thanked the lady and the lady had a drum full of gas in the barn and so I could fill up the tank and the jelly can. I had a big bag of dry pet food for just in case, and so I left some here and there on the sides of the highway and the local roads. I saw some bunch of wild boars running and they scared the hell outa me. One of them came to me and man, I thought as they are able to kill. That fang and the speed ! It seems as I went too near to them.
There are stupid things going on up there as well. There were animal rescuers from the different groups and arguing with which group has rescued the more. Man, they are stupid. And there are tons of such no brainers. But the ones we hate the most are the people with good will but no logic. Those people come but consumes the more water and food, weep for all the time, ask for where the bathroom, where's the shower, and last but not least, where they can sleep! Those people up there are having the hardest time just for taking care of themselves. And these no brainers asks too much and driving the local people crazy.
And you know what ? Those people with good will but have no logic get mad when they are asked what and why they came there for. The answer is always the same; Good Will !! Man, the good will is making the mess the more and making people sad and helpless. Here are some organizations you can donate to that are on the ground allowed to help.
Organizations helping animals that I can confirm are doing work in Japan
JEARS - 3 Japanese Based Animals Rescue Organizations
WorldVets - US based teams of Veterinarians that travel the globe to help animals in need
Kinship Circle - US based group that sends volunteers over to Japan that works with JEARS
Organizations helping people that I can confirm are doing work in Japan and helping people
Japan Jewish Relief - helping to feed the people of Japan. The head volunteer is from Sendai and the organization is working closely with J Help.