The Kumanichi reports on continued troubles of pets separated from owners due to the quakes, with notices covering walls at the Kumamoto Animal Shelter and various evacuee centers. In particular, the elderly are anxious to be reunited with their pets. A 76-year old woman was quoted as saying, “My cat, Fuku-chan, ran away on the night of April 15, and I haven’t seen her since. She’s probably panicked at the continuing quakes. She has a heart pattern on her stomach. I wonder how she is eating….”
The Kumamoto Animal Shelter, which has a no-kill policy, generally posts photos of newly incoming animals for four days but has extended this to two weeks due to the overwhelming number. The center notes that some 37% of animals in their care, mostly dogs, are reunited with their owners, another 18% are adopted, and the remainder end their days at the shelter. The shelter telephone number is ０９６（３８０）２１５３.
