2015.03.20
“Get fit with your dog!” dog-walk rally in Chatan
Dog owners and their pets are invited to come to Araha Park in Chatan this Sunday, where Animal Hospital 22 Group and Okinawa Toyopet Toyota dealership are organizing a walk to support a drive to reduce the number of stray animals and eliminate the pet euthanasia in the prefecture.
Registration fees of the walk rally will be donated to the fund of ‘Animal Heart Link Project 2020’. According to organizers, on Okinawa, more than 5,000 stray dogs and cats are put to death at the prefecture animal shelters every year. In order to change the current situation, Animal Hospital 22 Group started a project called ‘Animal Heart Link Project 2020’. The aim is to reduce the number of stray dogs and cats, and thus the need to their euthanasia to zero in five years by 2020.
The kick-off event of the project will be held at Araha Park in Chatan on Sunday, March 22nd. Prior reservation is required, and can be done by phone (098) 983-8111 (9 a.m. ~ 7 p.m.), fax (098) 989-6630, on the website http://heartlink.animalhospital22.jp/event/ or in person at the pet hospitals of Animal Hospital 22 Group. The registration for the event at the site takes place from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and the event itself from 10 a.m. to noon in front of the open stage at Araha Park.
The cost to participate for adults is ¥500, junior high and high school students ¥200, and free for elementary school students and younger children. All registration fees go to the Animal Heart Link Project 2020 fund. An animal doctor will be on hand at the event for free consultation about your pet’s health issues. A dog run space is also prepared at the venue and costs ¥200 per dog.
Those who wish to participate should note that all dogs must have been vaccinated within a year; they are not under on-going medical treatment of illness or wounds; they are not in heat; they must not be aggressive; and they are being treated for ticks and fleas.
Future planned activities of the project include installing a ‘Heart Link Box’ for accepting unwanted puppies and kittens, setting up shelters for receiving rescued dogs and cats, holding regular adoption events and setting up a special store for pet adoptions. A final goal is to launch a large shelter for all stray, homeless and lost dogs and cats on Okinawa.