Stop The Killing of Dogs & Cats in Japan

'Tash” is a Shiba Inu breed who is estimated to be about 10-year-old, a grandpa doggy by any standards. He came to us at the Peace Wanco project on 10 January 2023 after being rescued from a public animal welfare facility, one of many dogs there who have likely been abandoned by their owners and could face the gas chambers if left unclaimed.

We do not know why Tash was abandoned, but we do know he has had a variety of illnesses, including kidney and heart disease, cataracts, keratitis, arthritis, and a collapsed trachea.

To ensure that he lives happily at Peace Wanco, we feed him a therapeutic diet to support his kidney disease, as well as giving him daily eye drops, and regular injections for arthritis pain relief.

So although he has many illnesses, we take care good care of him, and for a dog of his age he is full of energy. He loves people and toys and is always wagging his tail happily. When he is in his kennel, he spends his time relaxing and sleeping peacefully, but when he goes for a walk, he tends to get too happy and excited. 

Sadly excitement can cause severe shortness of breath due to his collapsed trachea and enlarged heart, so staff stop during walks to give Tash time to calm down and make sure his breathing causes him as little pain as possible.

Tash, who has many different illnesses, cannot do without veterinary treatment. He has joined our "Wandahuru” family (a word that combines “full of dogs” in Japanese,  and “wonderful” in English)  and lives with a smile on his face while receiving support from people all over the country. Please watch the video to see how Tash is doing and please continue to support his and other dogs in the "Wandahuru” family.

Like Risley, Julia is a “mascot” dog at the store run by their foster “parents.”But unlike her patron-pulling partner, Julia was once on the brink of death as she awaited the government gas chambers that take the lives of dozens of stray dogs each year in Japan. 

Julia was one of the hundreds of lucky ones that are rescued from that fate each year by Peace Winds Japan’s “Peace Wanco Project,” which aims to bring an end to the annual culls of stray dogs and cats by re-training them and finding them new homes.   

When Julia arrived at her new home on May 31, 2022, she was very timid and spent much of her time curled up in her crate.She eventually found comfort from an unexpected quarter: Thanks to the cats that also lived with her at her foster home she began to relax. So much so that now she can't remember the time when she was scared.She is now employed as a mascot dog at the store of her foster family, living an open and active life.

Risley arrived just over three months after Julia and the more senior dog has a big sister kind of presence that makes her mascot partner Risley feel at ease.  

Although she is gradually showing signs of wanting to be spoiled by her foster family, Risley seems unsure about how best to attract their pampering attention, probably because she is a relative newcomer to the family.One tactic she has tested out is to follow right behind them, tailing them in the hope she will catch their eye.But when she eventually does, she shoots off almost bashfully and hides, and the opportunity to be pampered is lost.Nevertheless, she is slowly being trained to join her older “sister,” Julia, as a mascot dog

This is one example of how dogs that were once faced with a sad end to their lives are now living peacefully in the safe and secure environment of their loving foster families’ homes after first being cared for and trained at the Peace Wanco shelter.We will continue our activities to rescue all dogs faced with such a predicament so that they can enjoy a similarly peaceful and happy life.Your continued support of this project is greatly appreciated.