Japanese risk radiation to rescue stranded dogs

[uppityperson]

Source: AP via Seattle Times

When Etsumi Ogino saw a news photo of a pack of shelties wandering through an abandoned town near Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant, she thought of her own 13-year-old canine Kein and jumped into action.
(clip)
In the wee hours of Sunday morning, seven volunteers left Tokyo and drove over broken roads and past demolished houses to meet three other volunteers in the ghost town that Minami Soma has become. Some had prepared radiation suits and others wore simple vinyl raincoats.

The first two to arrive found the pack around the Odaka train station, near the owner's home, where the AP team had last seen them.
(clip)
It took a while to entice them with snacks, and six or seven were bundled into each car. The group saved 20 dogs in all....(more@link)

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014768660_apasjapanearthquakedogrescue.html

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Photos from April 7

[P. Galore]

1. Bless 'em all. Kick. nt

[sasha031]

2. real heroes, the dogs are beautiful

[hlthe2b]

3. Oh, this makes me cry...

There is real kindness among so many immersed in this tragedy. :loveya:

[No Elephants]

14. Real kindness--and great heroism.

I would risk sudden death to help, but not radiation sickness. As to the latter, I am a coward.

[PearliePoo2]

4. This is a huge part of this disaster that haunts me.....the innocent animals

I almost didn't click on the post because I didn't know if I could take more grief.
What will the prognosis be for these animals?
Are they irradiated beyond saving?

[trud]

12. Soma

This looks like the town whose mayor posted an appeal for help on youtube. It seems to be about 8 miles north of the reactors.

Currently the radiation level there is about 1.6 microsieverts per hour. If that's constant, the average human would absorb as much radiation in two months as one mammogram. How animals are affected by that much, I dunno.

[No Elephants]

15. "Currently the radiation level there is about 1.6 microsieverts per hour."

According to the same people who have been underreporting this disaster since Day One, or do we have a reliable source?

[trud]

16. what people

This is from MIT's lab for nuclear science. You know, scientists, those elitist idiots who've told us about global warming and so on.

Birthers = Global warming deniers = people hysterical about radiation in contradiction to demonstrated evidence.

I don't argue with birthers, because it's a waste of my life. Now I'm putting anyone who runs around hysterically instead of looking at the facts in the same category. The scientifically illiterate, unfortunately, do not live in just the Republican Party.

[xchrom]

5. ...

:applause:

[catbyte]

6. Bless their hearts

What beautiful dogs...and people. :hug:

[RebelOne]

7. I would probably do it if I were in Japan.

I'd risk the radiation. I am 72 years old and only have about 10 to 15 years left to live, and it takes a while for thyroid cancer to get you.

[border_town]

8. This is so touching.

They are great people.

[jtuck004]

9. kick and rec eom

But I would like to throw a thank you into the universe for thosee rescuers...

[Taverner]

10. The Japanese know that we humans don't deserve the loyalty of our dogs

Great story

[colorado_ufo]

11. Incredible

and beautiful!

[Rhiannon12866]

13. Wow. A heartbreaking story and kudos to these brave souls...

;(