As evacuees with pets in quake-hit Kumamoto Prefecture shy away or are even banned from moving into evacuation shelters following last week's deadly earthquakes, Ryunosuke Animal Hospital in the city of Kumamoto has opened its doors to pets and their owners.
The facility has enough space to accommodate over 200 people at one time, and as of Wednesday morning it was giving shelter to roughly 100 people and their pets.
"Many pet owners were rejected by evacuation centers, and decided to stay in their cars. Because of that, many pets have suffered heatstroke and people have started to come in," said Takako Horikawa, a public relations official at the hospital. "There are also many pets who are unwell due to stress."