Keely's Story

As I promised yesterday, I shall now give you Keely's story and how we came into her life and how she changed ours. Mr. Top Gun and I have always talked about adopting a shelter/rescue dog when we were settled and in our home in Japan, so us getting a dog didn't seem like a big deal- until we started researching animal care and it's aspects in Japan. All I can say is this: I mean no offense to the Japanese culture nor it's people, but animals are regarded as being 'disposable' here. A dog or cat on the streets with a collar or micro chip doesn't mean anything to the dog catchers who go out everyday in their cramped, hot, windowless metal trucks and lure the dogs and cats out of the bushes, homes, nooks, crannies- wherever they are they seem to know how to capture the animals. Then, the dogs and cats are stuffed into the truck and transported to OZATO. Ozato is the main facility where they hold all strays on the island, but it's not like a pound in the States where you can go and adopt a dog or cat, it's a death pound.

The dogs are held in a separate area and the cats are stuffed into boxes tinier than shoe boxes. The workers never touch the animals, they drive them into the cells and then drive them into the gas chambers. Most of the dogs and cats have owners. They have id tags, they are micro chipped, and someone is looking for them. The dogs are often injured or ill and they are marked with a RED line of SPRAY PAINT to indicate that they are to be gassed immediately. They don't get the 3 day rule applied to them. Gassing animals is the most inhumane and horrific way to end their lives, but the Japanese don't see it like that. We humanely euthanize animals in the U.S. all the time (which is still wrong, but better than gassing them!) here, the dogs and cats often don't die after the gas is stopped and the chamber opened and they have to suffer through another gassing- which sometimes is quite many, depending upon how 'high' the pile of animals is. SICK.

This is where Keely's story is told. She was a rescue from Ozato, and she was pregnant. The people who rescued her are with a local animal rescue society here, and they are fabulous people who devote all their time and money to rescuing the local dogs and cats in Okinawa from certain death. Keely gave birth to 6 puppies about 2 years ago, and all her puppies were adopted- but nobody wanted her. She will turn three in November, and I will be celebrating her birthday with her since Mr. Top Gun is going to play in the sand! Mr. Top Gun and I found her through a rescue society about a week ago, and fell in love with her immediately *online* that is :) The base was holding an event yesterday with the OAARS society and we had been in contact with the foster family as to whether or not she would be at the event, so we could see her and interact with her in person. As soon as we walked up to her, she rolled over on her back and put her paw out to touch my hand. That was it! She was coming home with us!!! Her original name, Foxy didn't work for her so KEELY it is! We are now the proud parents of a gorgeous oki-mix who loves nothing more than cuddling, being loved, walks outside and sleeping on her huge cloud bed! God sent her to us and he sent us to her, and I think that makes her story incredible. She has many moves to make with us, and we look forward to having her grow with our family!