Owners extol pets' wonder

Pet Haku 2009, an exposition to showcase cats and dogs as well as pet-related goods and services, was held in Tokyo’s Odaiba district in December and featured around 80 companies. Staff writer Eriko Arita was there with her camera, asking visitors how they met their pets, what their pet’s personality was like and where they live.

Name: Pon

Age: 8

Gender: Male

Breed: Welsh Pembrokeshire corgi

Owner: Eriko Otomichi

I met Pon when I happened to go to a do-it-yourself store because I was helping one of my friends move house. At the pet shop attached to the store, I saw Pon, who was a puppy, and fell in love with him. Pon is proud and he thinks he is the head of my family. We live in a condominium in Tokyo’s Koto Ward.

Names: Aruto, Chacha, Raiya, Sara

Ages: 4, 1, 4, 5

Gender: Male, male, male, female

Breed: Miniature dachshund

Owner: Kanako Mori

My mother died six years ago and I was very depressed. Around that time I went to a pet shop where I met Sara, and I decided to keep her. Other dogs came to my home later. They are cheerful. We live in an apartment in Kashiwa, Chiba.

Name: Sachiko

Age: Three months

Gender: Female

Breed: Scottish Fold

Owners: Shoko and Masaharu Kawase

When I (Shoko) went to buy clothes, I found a pet shop and met Sachiko there. She has beautiful eyes and I love her. She is tough on her own turf but warms up to people. She feels lonely when I am not at home. We live in Tokyo’s Edogawa Ward.

Name: Rara

Age: 1

Gender: Male

Breed: Toy poodle

Owner: Mutsumi Tsuyuki

I wanted to have a cute dog and I bought Rara from a breeder. He is a member of my family and he is like my child. He is shy and is afraid of people, but he likes me. We live in a house in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward.

Name: Rin

Age: 4

Gender: Female

Breed: Pomeranian

Owner: Satomi Tsukuno

When I happened to go to a pet shop, I found her there and fell in love with her at first sight. She is my family and I cannot live without her. She is a friendly dog. We live with my husband in a house in Yokohama.

Name: Makapu’u

Age: 4

Gender: Male

Breed: Labrador retriever

Owners: Ryoko and Taishi Watanabe

My husband’s parents have a Labrador retriever, which had puppies. So we adopted one of them. Makapu’u is the name of a beach in Hawaii, and his siblings are also named after places in Hawaii. He is a cheerful dog. But because we have always been overprotective of him, he acts a little spoiled. We live in a condo in Urayasu, Chiba.