東日本大震災における石巻の動物救護活動
Animal Rescue Activities in Ishinomaki following the Great East Japan
Earthquake
石巻市・あべ動物病院 院長・阿部 俊範

Toshinori ABE, Director, Abe Animal Hospital, Ishinomaki City

Good morning everybody.

Although I am talking about Miyagi Prefecture, I
imagine there are some people living in this part ofThank you for inviting me to this conference. I

the country who don’t know the geography of that

appreciate it very much. In fact, after the Great East

prefecture very well. Among the various municipalities

Japan Earthquake hit, Kobe provided the Ishinomaki

in Miyagi are Ishinomaki City, Higashimatsushima City

Animal Rescue Center with an enormous amount ofand Onagawa Town, the two cities and one town that

help in the form of personnel, materials and financial

comprise the district for which Ishinomaki Veterinary

support. I’d like to take this opportunity to tell the

Medical Association is responsible. In the wake of thepeople of Kobe that we are very grateful for that.

earthquake disaster, in order to save as many animals
as possible within this district, we set up the Ishinomaki

Today, I am going to talk about the rescue activities inDistrict Animal Rescue Center.

Ishinomaki in the wake of the earthquake, and I hope
my talk will provide some hints for thinking about theInitially, however, we had no idea how things would

future of such activities.

actually turn out. When we went to the evacuation
centers and started our animal rescue activities, we

On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake

were unable to keep up with the demand for help no

struck the Tohoku Region. The epicenter of the quake

matter how much treatment we provided. And at thewas beneath the ocean just over 70km to the east of

beginning, we couldn’t understand why.

the Oshika Peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture. With amagnitude estimated at 9.0 on the Richter scale, thisWe only learned of the full extent of the disaster when

was the most powerful earthquake known to havethe Kahoku Shimbun reported the situation on April

hit Japan since record keeping began. The powerful

11. According to the data published, in Ishinomaki

tsunami generated by it, which came ashore along

City alone, 3,000 people had been killed up until

the Pacific coastline of the Tohoku Region, caused

that time point and 595 people were missing. In ourdevastation in many places, including Ishinomaki City.

district, comprising Ishinomaki, Higashimatsushima

These images show how the coastal area of Ishinomaki

and Onagawa, almost 6,000 people were dead. This

City was transformed into a field of rubble by the great

was about a third of the total number of people who

wave.

perished in the Great East Japan Earthquake.

This is Onagawa Town. Here is the town hall and this is

Because we were unaware of the scale of the situation

the front of the railway station. The station building has

initially, we were caught in the dilemma that, no mattercompletely disappeared, and here you can see a train

how much animal treatment we provided, the situation

lying on its side. The town was virtually flattened by theremained dire, and we didn’t know why. At the sametsunami.

time, when we contacted people in other disasterareas, we received some criticisms along the lines of,196

りぶ・らぶ・あにまるず 神戸アニマルケア国際会議 2012

“Why has Ishinomaki made such a fuss by opening

the place had been bombed.

its own animal rescue center?” Although these otherplaces were also disaster areas, the scale of the disaster

Since Abe Animal Hospital is located about 6km fromdiffered significantly from place to place.

the sea, I had assumed that the tsunami would neverreach the place under any possible contingency.

The reason why Ishinomaki City and the surrounding

However, the water levels had started to rise in thearea suffered such a severe disaster was that about

early evening of the day of the earthquake. This

80% of the city’s industry was located along thephotograph shows the situation on day three after thecoast. This is Ishinomaki City’s main industrial zone,

quake. Although the floodwater was receding, it wasand almost the entire area shown in this picture wasstill at this level. It took a week for the floodwaters tosubmerged during the tsunami. The only places thatdrain away completely. On the third day, as the waterescaped flooding were the mountains and the ricelevel was going down, the SDF boats began to arrive infields in the distance. The points marked by red circles

the early evening. So we were able to begin delivering

here are animal hospitals. Abe Animal Hospital is here.

supplies to the neighborhood Nakazato Elementary

Most of the animal hospitals were under water. In the

School. That marked the start of our routine delivery

deepest places, the water level rose as much as 1.8

runs to various evacuation centers.

meters above the ground. Almost all of the submergedareas were industrial or residential areas. What thisThe first thing we did was to evacuate rescued animals

meant was that many people in these places lost their

to our own animal hospital. We also evacuated animals

workplaces, jobs, homes and families. The root cause

to the second floor of our home and installed a toilet

was the huge scale of the tsunami disaster.

for the large dogs on the veranda. In this way wehospitalized and treated animals for over ten days. But

If we expand this picture, the flooded region looks likeeven when the floodwaters had finally receded, thethis. The tsunami engulfed most of the urban district.

ground everywhere was covered with more than 10cm

These are the animal hospitals. We can see how theof sludge, so we couldn’t take the dogs out for walks.

tsunami hit the city on a video. This is Sakanamati

Initially we had to operate under conditions where thewhich is at a point more than 500m from the coast. The

lifelines were disrupted. Electrical power was restored

tsunami when it first arrived hit the district like this. As

on the 10th day after the earthquake, and the water

you can see, the sea covered the area so quickly that it

supply restored on the 16th day. But although we were

was impossible for people to evacuate.

unable to clean up the hospital, we did reopen from

(Video)March 15 even with the place still surrounded by water.
We then began treating sick and injured animals.

Just one minute later, the situation was like this.
(Video)On the afternoon of March 13, I began visiting the
nearby evacuation centers. At many of these centers,

There is a grove of pine trees here, but they are all

people had evacuated accompanied by their pets. At

being pulled up from their roots and swept away.

Nakasato Elementary School, I saw people staring with(Video)vacant expressions, laying down with bent legs on matsmade from flattened out cardboard boxes. However,People evacuated to high places such as elevatedthis particular evacuation center had made two rooms

houses.

available for people evacuating together with animals.
The atmosphere in these two rooms was more cheerful.

This is another district, called Minamihama-cho. After

On seeing this, I thought that, as one might expect,

the tsunami struck, this place was transformed into aanimal-accompanied evacuation was psychologicallymountain of rubble. Many people told me it looked likebeneficial for both people and animals.

2nd Live Love Animals International Conference on Animal Care in Kobe 2012197

Also, even large dogs can accompany their evacuating

Ishinomaki Volunteer Center was opened on March 16

owners if crates are used. But in order for this to be

but even several days later, March 19, there were only

practical, owners must first educate and train theira few people there and the warehouse was still almost

dogs to function and fit within a social situation. First

empty. At the time we had this map which we started toof all, we brought in ordinary food, meal formula dog

circulate around the evacuation centers. We found that

food, pet sheets and litter. When cats could only urinate

animals evacuated together with people were resident

on pieces of torn newspaper, they became less able toat each evacuation center. On seeing this, I realized thaturinate fully. There was also a considerable demand

the status of animals has been raised to a far higher

for disposable diapers, and water was shared between

level over the 16 years since the Kobe Earthquake.

people and animals.
Then the number of animals housed at each evacuation
Fortunately, Miyagi Veterinary Medical Association

center began to decrease. One of the reasons for thishad made forward-thinking arrangements with Miyagi

was the temporary evacuation of animals to locations

Prefecture in 2007. Ishinomaki Veterinary Medical

outside Miyagi Prefecture. But this creates another

Association had also made arrangements with the city

problem. If animals are taken outside their homegovernment just half a year prior to the earthquake,prefecture, their owners remaining behind are unable

so the city government was active in helping establish

to visit them often. So more consideration must be paid

the animal rescue center. In order to make disasterto this point in future. I wished that the animal welfare

preparations, I think the important thing first of all isorganizations involved could have established shelters

to make arrangements with the local authorities andmore locally. There were cases of untrained dogs orthen to start rescue activities in the vicinity of yourdogs that barked incessantly going back to live with

own animal hospital. Also, with regard to procuring

their owners on the upper floors of homes that had

pet food, after the disaster struck, pet food was

been badly damaged or partially destroyed. There weredelivered to Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture but it

also cases of pets left in their original homes while theirwasn’t distributed from there to outlying parts of theowners commuted back and forth from evacuationprefecture. This made me think about the meaning

centers to feed them. Also, some people who couldof equality in the context of this earthquake. Goods

afford the expense moved to Sendai, where the damage

were delivered equally to every evacuation site, but

was less extensive.

the amount of earthquake damage differed from one
place to another. So regardless of how many animals

A lot of signs and posters like this were put up. This

were injured or in need, the same amount of relief was

was a more conscientious one but, in some cases, thesupplied. That is the inequality we call equality. I felt

animal welfare groups picked up animals from damage

this inequality at work when I was told, “Every placesites without giving or leaving any notice. I think it

receives the same amount. Why should only Ishinomaki

should be made mandatory that these groups must

get more?”

inform the police when they rescue animals and takethem away.

We collected food while making contact with the City

198

Office and the public health center. The volunteer

People who went home with their pets often became

centers were very useful in providing us w ith

evacuees in their own homes. In one house, I saw two

information on the damage situation, the location offamilies living together with eight animals. In such

evacuation centers, and whether animals were being

situations, even people living in their own homes

kept at specific evacuation centers or not. Also, sincecannot help but live the life of evacuees too. So wethere were initially very few volunteers and not many

visited these “evacuees” on our rounds as well. Our

supplies at the volunteer centers, these places were

hospital began conducting medical examinations

very convenient for storing large amounts of goods. The

on the fifth day following the earthquake, and one

りぶ・らぶ・あにまるず 神戸アニマルケア国際会議 2012

owner wearing wellington boots brought a Golden

generator. About 70% of the prefabricated housing

Retriever to us by wading through the water. As theyin Ishinomaki had been swept away by the tsunami,

are facilities providing an important public service, it

and various companies took over the remaining 30%,

is necessary for animal hospitals to open as soon as

so we had to begin the center using of trailer homes.

possible following major disasters and provide medical

Gathering volunteers via the Internet proved very

examinations.

effective, and private sector companies helped out a lot
as a way of making a social contribution.

Among the cases I treated there were many animals
that died due to abscesses or blood poisoning caused

Backed by this support, we started up the 2nd termby external injuries. Large numbers of pets such as

Ishinomaki Animal Rescue Center on April 2. We had

turtles, ferrets, rabbits, etc., were among the victims of

to take-in many animals from the evacuation centers

the disaster. This particular animal became a celebrity

after the 2nd stage evacuation centers began operating

at the evacuation center called Big Bang, but it suddenly

on April 20 and the schools re-opened. This made it

developed a serious medical condition. I diagnosed it

impossible to keep rescued animals on school grounds

as suffering from pyometra, a uterine condition, andany longer. We intended to keep these animals until

performed free surgery. Today it is still living healthily

the temporary housing for evacuees became ready, so

in a temporary housing unit.

we started up the 2nd term Ishinomaki Animal Rescue
Center to meet this timing.

As telephones began working again on Day 10 after
the earthquake, we opened the rescue center for a

At first we didn’t have any cages so we asked Dr.

week from March 22 based on an agreement with the

Asako Shimamura to call the Sendai-based storage

local authority. We made the rounds of the evacuation

organization manufacturer Iris Ohyama Inc., and as

centers and received a great deal of support. Somea result, they gave us 100 cages for free, which wasveterinarians came from Osaki City to help out and a

extremely helpful. Also, JAHA donated a prefab for us

continuing stream of support arrived from Sendai, andto use. I am sure that donations from organizations will

this was very helpful.

be very important when setting up evacuation centersand rescue centers in future. Nippon Veterinary and

The role of the rescue center was to conduct general

Life Science University’s Kennel Club also donated a

rescue and temporary fostering, and provide freeprefab. Using these things as the basic infrastructure,

medical examinations, free neutering and spaying

the person in charge of the volunteer infrastructure

surgery, and distribute free pet sheets and pet food. In

built up the capacity of the center so that it became

the evenings, Abe Animal Hospital became a temporary

capable of handling 140 animals on an ongoing basis.

office, and we had meetings there together to consider
future rescue activities. Although this initial rescue

Among the 140 animals that were housed at the 2nd

center closed down after just one week, since theterm Ishinomaki Animal Rescue Center, the ratio ofearthquake and tsunami damage was so serious, wedogs to cats was one to one, with 70% of the animals

agreed that we needed to establish a long-term rescue

being kept temporarily and 30% sheltered. Many

center with a solid shelter, and we held discussions.

volunteers gathered to work at the center from all over

Afterwards, we all had a meal together which I

Japan. They shared the duties of running the center,

remember as a very pleasant occasion.

which was divided into clerical work, supplying goods,
infrastructure, and providing medical care. We received

In order to start up the long-term rescue center, we firstlots of supplies from all sides including from Kobe.

had to secure a site. But it was difficult to find a suitable

We packed goods like this and distributed them to thesite. Also, none of the sites we were able to locate were

earthquake victims. The center was surrounded by aequipped with lifelines so we had to use an electricity

nice lawn making it an excellent location for volunteers

2nd Live Love Animals International Conference on Animal Care in Kobe 2012199

to take the dogs for walks. But we had occupied the site

fatal in no more than 90 days. Ride was treated aton the original understanding that we would only be

the University Hospital, where he received radiation

able to use it for three months.

therapy free of charge, and returned to his owner 50

At the end of that time

we had to move out.

days later. After treatment he became very lively, andwe nicknamed him “Lucky Ride”. I am glad to say he

At the center, we performed free neutering and spaying

remains alive and well today.

operations, and we vaccinated animals against rabies
and other infectious diseases. There were also frequent

By the middle of September, in line with the completion

outbreaks of fleas and ticks in the disaster areas so weof most of the temporary housing units, the number of

took prevention measures to protect our animals fromanimals staying at the center was decreasing steadily.

infestation. Microchipping is a very important measure

As a result, the center closed on October 6. Althoughfrom the standpoint of matching up pets with owners,

there were a few remaining individuals taken in by

so I really think all owners should implant microchips

local veterinarians while waiting to go home, we wereon their pets. At the center, we implanted microchips

happy that almost all of the animals under the center’

received from a corporate donor into all the animals we

s care were reunited with their owners or had foundhandled.

foster owners by this time.

Around 50 or 60 volunteers came to help out at theThe biggest single problem we had at the rescue

center everyday. When this many people are working

center was an epidemic of viral feline rhinotracheitis

together, it is hard to keep tabs on all their movements,

due to the large number of unvaccinated cats brought

so we hung a manual on the wall to allow people tointo the facility. Those cats in critical condition were

better manage their daily schedules.

taken to the animal hospitals in each area and put
on a drip. Fortunately we didn’t detect any cases ofFrom July, we were able to borrow the site of a Miyagi

canine parvovirus infection. Also, a lot of the animals

Prefecture civil engineering project, which was locatedsuffered from diarrhea due to the stress they werevery conveniently underneath a bridge. Here, theunder. The cats had access to a playroom, which I thinkvolunteers and dogs were well protected from the rain

helped to reduce the level of stress they were under.

and also from the hot summer sun, which was very

By contrast unfortunately the stress suffered by thenice.

dogs was intense, contributing to mounting aggression
and fear among them which in turn led to an increase

Also, Tohoku Electronic Industrial Co., Ltd. provided

in biting incidents. This made it essential to introduce

free accommodation for 30 to 40 of our volunteers, andshelter medicine, and we considered the importance of

we appreciate their assistance.

conducting discipline training.

Nine veterinarians from Nippon Veterinary and Life

Kobe and Niigata had both previously experienced theScience University came to the center in rotation. I

same sort of disaster that we experienced in Tohoku.

thank them very much for the medical services they

Probably similar sorts of things occurred in theseprovided.

places too. The veterinarians from Kobe gave us advice
about these issues.

Among the animals we handled, there was a dog named

200

Ride that developed a nose bleed just as the clinical

In April, the volunteer veterinarians who had initiallypathologist from Nippon Veterinary and Life Science

come to help said they would have to return home. At

University was visiting the center, The pathologist

the time, we didn’t understand why, because we local

performed an examination and diagnosed Ride withvets were already overworked just by taking care of ourtransitional cell cancer, which was expected to beown damaged hospitals and unable to get very much

りぶ・らぶ・あにまるず 神戸アニマルケア国際会議 2012

involved in rescue center operations. However, they

Also, in the first days after a disaster strikes, foodwere obviously buoyed by a sense of their own heroism,

supplies don’t get delivered. Even those areas whereand began running the center on their own terms.

the devastation is greatest only receive the same

Indeed they took the animals and volunteers almost

volume of food. I strongly think we have to correct

hostage, telling the local veterinarians things like, “Ifthis inequality which is a so-called equality. Regarding

you can’t come to the rescue center that’s OK but giveevacuation center operations I think it is important to

us money and leave total control of the operations

train coordinators who can organize animal welfare

to us.” I thought this was an extremely unwelcome

volunteers in times of disaster. In the neighborhood

development.

of our rescue center is Miyagi Internal Medicine
Clinic. The coordinator of Nisseishin (the Japanese

Various problems became bigger. Payments were

Association of Neuro-Psychiatric Clinics) arranged forbeing made to the NEET (people not in employment,

nine volunteer doctors to work there locally each day,education or training) volunteers brought in by theand the clinic’s Dr. Miyagi accepted their help without

outside vets, and the shelter work performance wasany difficulties. I think that if such centers could havedeclining. Some people began promoting the opening

been established for veterinary work too, the localof their own shelters. There was friction. Dr. Uchidaveterinarians would have had a much easier time.

of Rakuno Gakuen University was carrying out dog
training to rehabilitate dogs that had bitten volunteers

Regarding the need for database construction, I think it

but there were staff who, with no understanding about

is important for databases to be built up in more public

what he was doing, chastised him. He was told, “Dr.

places. There are several reasons for this.

Uchida, please don’t give the dogs such strict training.”
Ultimately, the number of incidents in which dogs bit

Regarding the inequality that is called equality, I

staff members increased. My thinking was that we

think it would be best if monetary donations wereneeded to improve the system so that the center could

sent to the Japanese Red Cross and the Animal

operate better and not have more and more people

Rescue Headquarters. The reason I suggest this issetting up their own shelters.

that, at present, aid is distributed equally. Under thismethod, the most severely devastated places receive

But one reason why things did go well for the most part

equal amounts as those places suffering considerably

at the rescue center in Ishinomaki was the guidance weless damage. This is obviously inequality. I think aid

had received from our predecessors. The same things

should be distributed in a way that guards against

have occurred following various other major natural

this disparity. For example, when Fukushima Animal

disasters. I am very thankful that the people who

Rescue Center was in trouble, instead of relying on thehandled those problems were considerate enough todispersal of general aid by Fukushima Prefecture, wegive us useful guidance. I also appreciate that we werereceived donated funds tagged directly for the Animal

able to consult with these veterans about anything.

Rescue Center. We were very grateful for this pinpoint
support. It was very useful.

At present, we are providing support for animals being
kept by owners in temporary housing facilities.

In Ishinomaki, about 12,000 dogs were officiallyregistered, and about a third of these animals died. But

Finally, I would like to make some proposals. What wecats are not registered at all and there must also have

have to do, first of all, is to protect hospitalized animals.

been many unregistered dogs too. So precisely how

Then we have to extend a helping hand to animals inmany dogs and cats died by the disaster is difficult toneed from the evacuation centers in the vicinity of ourestimate.

own animal hospitals. These things are important.
I would like to end my speech by expressing my deepest

2nd Live Love Animals International Conference on Animal Care in Kobe 2012201

condolences to all those who have lost family members
or pets in this disaster and my regret at the great lossof life. Thank you all, very much, for listening.

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