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As many of you will know, this year Mt Fuji was officially declared a World Heritage site. However, since the mountain was officially open to visitors this climbing season, rumors of a pet lost on the mountain have become widespread, with posters on Facebook and Twitter claiming to have caught sight of a dog wandering the mountain alone. Many concerned users have been appealing for animal welfare groups to collect the poor creature.
What is unclear is how the dog ended up at the top of the mountain in the first place. Surely it’s out of the question to assume he climbed all the way to the top by himself?! The most likely scenario is that he was brought along by his owner and somehow got loose or was abandoned.
One Twitter user seemed generally concerned about the dog’s welfare.
“There’s a dog roaming around on Mt. Fuji. It doesn’t have any water or food and due to the altitude, the air is really thin. Please won’t someone claim the poor fella?!”
Gondenba Health Care Center in Shizuoka received a request from a private organization for the dog to be collected. As part of the Rabies Prevention Act, the same center then installed a baited cage at the top of the mountain to capture the dog. According to the health center, the canine is a medium-sized mongrel with light brown fur. It was also reported to be extremely emaciated, with the outline of its rib cage clearly visible, and has been surviving on scraps left by climbers.
Apparently, it is perfectly legal to take a pet with you up Mt Fuji, and climbers who bring their dogs along with them are a common sight. There are reports that some kind-hearted climbers have tried to take the dog home with them. However due to its extreme weariness of people, getting hold of the dog is close to impossible. In order for the health care center’s animal recovery operations to go smoothly, the public has been advised not to go near the cage, nor to give the dog any food scraps.
Source: At S, Naver Matome
Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Sunrise Over a Sea of Clouds at Nearly 10,000 Feet -- Google Street View captures view from top of Mt. Fuji -- Is It Possible to Take a Photo of Mount Fuji from Kyoto?
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30 Comments
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Mirai Hayashi
Get the poor dog out of there for pete sakes and either nourish back to health euthanize it if it diseased Don't just leave it there!
Thunderbird2
This is something that sickens me at times - remember the aftermath of the 2011 quake and tsunami and the two dogs filmed by a TV news team? Did they rescue them? No. Same on Facebook, people keep posting photos of emaciated stray dogs... instead of photographing them get the authorities to take them into care... restore them to health and put them up for rehoming. Why just leave them? I don't understand that.
slumdog
This would not be of much help to the animals because after keeping them in a cold cage for a few days, the authorities euthanize them.
TSRnow
Just this morning news came out that this dog was caught safely. What a relief. I hope they put him in a good home.
Thunderbird2
Slumdog... are you telling me that there are no Japanese versions of the RSPCA?
darknuts
Dogs are smart and have good instinct. He find his way down on his own.
taj
"extreme weariness of people, ..." I'm gonna guess that someone meant to type "wariness".
LeszekHikr
I'm tempted to climb Mt Fuji and find the pooch.
gaijintraveller
What happens next? Perhaps the dog will become the start of some chat show. The chat show will then hold a competition to find a new owner. They will give the dog to someone who knows nothing about dogs, but a lot about chat shows. The new owners will be unable to look after the dog properly because they never train it. They will say it is the fault of the dog and it is a bad dog. The dog will be taken to the hokenjo and gassed.
This may be conjecture, but it is quite within the realms of possibility.
FightingViking
@Thunderbird2
"Nihon Dobutsu Kyokai" or "JAWS" ("Japan Animal Welfare Association" has branches all over Japan. My "ex-police" dog was given to me from the Tokyo Branch.
I do hope the poor animal finds a good home.
FizzBit
HACHI !!!
kwatt
The poor dog was caught safely today by an animal welfare group and the dog is now waiting for the its owner.
Cortes Elijah
Even tho the dog is safe now...all the people saying "save the poor dog" if you care so much rescue it!
Thunderbird2
You pay my air fare to and from the UK to Japan and I will.
kwatt
Another poor dog (called "Gakeppuchi ken") was sitting alone at the dangerous cliff for days went to new home 2 years ago and it has happy days now. Many people applied ahead for its owner at that time. I think someone will save this poor dog soon if the owner does not show up.
Lowly
thunderbird, (top),
that is Japanese culture, don't get at all involved in something that does not directly pertain to you. better still if you can ignore it entirely, so the ppl taking pictures were kind of in a half-way place. there are a lot of situations where this works very well and is a handy custom. but not always... sometimes it can be very frustrating and even seem cruel.
taj,
no, surely it is "weariness": ppl can't run after the dog because they are climbing a big mountain.
Roxana A.
I read the 2 poor dogs of the tsunami were rescued... Weren't they???
kwatt
@Roxana A
The brown dog was found and returned to the owner but white female dog was never found. She was very weak and 8 years old at that time. She seems to be dead.
AkashiAussie
Laughing at all of the posters who think they're going to go to any effort to rescue this dog, let alone nurse it back to health and regime it. Do you realize how many unwanted dogs get put down each year in Japan?
Roxana A.
@kwatt: thanks!!
slumdog
As has been mentioned by others, there are various NPO's that attempt to due rescue work. However, on average, at least 100,000 animals are euthanized at government animal facilities all over Japan. When you wrote 'authorities', I assumed you meant government authorities.
Serrano
Woof!
Roxana A.
And how is japanese culture regarding animal welfare? I still cannot get an idea by my own.
kwatt
This is true. I think there are more than 200,000 every year. One day is about 800. People throw away pets so easily. Maybe one of big reasons is most apartments do not allow residents keeping pets inside. They try keeping baby pets secretly but pets are growing up then dumped when pets get bigger. As for cats, they dump pets when they move to another place.
Disillusioned
Did you click on the RocketNews24 and see the photo of the skinny mangy mutt? It has been living on garbage and its ribs are bursting out. I am glad it was captured. Hopefully it will get a decent meal. Oh, and by the way, if you have a look at the RocketNews24 photo please notice the PET bottle on the ground and all the other litter surrounding the climbers. This place should not have got world heritage listing until it was cleaned up. It was disgusting seven years ago when I went to the top and it obviously has only gotten worse. Now, there are feral animals up there? World heritage? World disgrace is more like it!
BurakuminDes
I wasn't aware rabies still existed in Japan until I read this story. I guess this mountaineering mongrel wasn't rabid. Hope she is now enjoying a massive feed and finds a good home!
Get Real
Thanks for this thread!
I had nearly forgotten about the homelessness and poverty in our midst.
kurisupisu
Just keep the climbing tax coming and all will be fine....
The mountains of Japan are a dumping grounded for all sorts of things.....people included!
Kobuta Chan
Do they have Micro Chipped on their pet dogs and cats? I couldn't believe they are leaving behind their dogs at Mt. Fuji instead of finding them and taken back home. They must be purposefully leaving their pet dog at cold and windy place without foods and water. They should be living like their dog for one night at Fuji san. What kind of peoples are they? If one of my dogs were missing and then I won't be going home without my dog. My dogs are part of my family. One of my dogs has suffering diabetes and partial blindness in one eye. I have to inject her twice a day and she needs daily medication for allergy. I have to bring her to see Vet every month and pickup Canine Insulin and tablets every fortnight. She costs me $ 500 a month to keep alive. We never tire of looking after her. She has been sick for two years and she can live another 3 years as Vet advice. We are doing for her whatever Doc advice us. Sometime she needs to stay overnight at Clinic and it cost $ 320 for one night. Dog will love you forever and never leave you alone like what your ex did to you. In Australia, we have RSPCA and other Animal rescues non profit organizations they can help find good home for unwanted pet animals. I hope Japanese peoples will do more for unwanted pet animals. We must believe in Karma.