Japanese volunteers risk radiation to rescue pack of Shelties left behind in evacuation zone

Dozens of pure bred Shelties were spotted by a news team in an abandoned town near Japan’s destroyed nuclear plant, and when Etsumi Ogino saw the photo in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, she called them at once. “My heart trembled,” Ogino told the paper. “They looked just like my dog. I started searching for them right away.”

Ogino volunteers at an animal shelter outside of Tokyo. She learned that the photo was taken in Minami Soma city, which had been evacuated because of radiation. Other volunteers with a group called Sheltie Rescue discovered the dogs belonged to a breeder who was now at an evacuation shelter. They called her to let her know they were on their way.



Seven people, including Ogino, left Tokyo to make their way across crumpled roads and meet up with more animal rescuers in Minami Soma. Some had brought radiation suits, while others just wore simple vinyl raincoats.

They found the dogs waiting around the railway station near the home of the breeder, who had left some food for them. Some of the dogs ran away and couldn’t be picked up, but 20 were soon bundled into cars and taken back to Tokyo. Some are at a veterinary hospital, others in foster homes. The group plans to return and try to rescue the rest of the dogs.

With more photos.