Here’s what happened in August! Fluffy and Buffy the emus have a new pen! This enclosure features a bamboo blind so they and the dogs don’t excite each other too much. It’s spacious enough for now, but still temporary. A larger, permanent area is planned but still needs to be cleared and fenced. Good news on the volunteer front, Rakan was able to extend his visa to stay for an additional 3 months! He has been invaluable to AnimO while Mina is undergoing cancer treatment. Ther

Here's what happened in July! Raaveen, Mina, and Rakan Mina update – cancer treatment has been brutal with lots of painful side effects and she has to take everything one day at a time. She is not able to do a lot of the animal care, so she is focused on herself, the animals she can interact with, and the plants. Rakan is an absolute rock star of a volunteer and team leader, and he is doing a lot of the heavy lifting on a daily basis. Big shoutout to the greater AnimO communi

Here’s what happened in June! Mina update Mina, volunteers, and Mina's dad Mina is still in treatment and unfortunately has entered the phase where hair falls out. It’s a difficult time, but she continues to have an upbeat and positive attitude and is supported by her family, staff, and community. Her dad even came to visit! Animal updates Right: Ash the fox; Middle: a baby woodpecker; Right: José the crow Ash the fox has been rehabilitated and released into the wild, and a s

May was a big month! Mina Mina came home from the hospital! She finished radiation and had a break for two weeks before starting another course of chemo at the end of the month. There are a lot of routine adjustments and precautions in place to keep her healthy, but she is happy to be home with the animals, with the team, and with the growing community around the sanctuary. AnimO AnimO, Mina, and Harry the volunteer were featured on an episode of Why Did You Come to Japan? Un

From Mina on April 24: Today was a big moment. We took out the needle from my last round of of the first course of chemo. I’ll start another course at the end of May, and I’ll continue radiation for another 3 weeks… but I get to go home next Friday. I get to cuddle my dogs in bed, and I honestly can’t wait. Something really amazing happened today too. My doctor called me in for an examination. He said he normally waits until after a treatment ends because that’s when the canc

Mina in her new home for the next couple months The biggest update for March is that Mina, founder and animal whisperer, is undergoing radiation chemo and immunotherapy in the hospital. She is away from the sanctuary for about two months while she gets treatment, but she is in daily contact with the amazing on-site team. Things are going pretty well on both sides. If you are interested contributing, there is a GoFundMe to help with treatment costs and an Amazon wish list of i

February was an eventful month, and there are both good and bad updates. Bad news first. We had an incident where during our lunch break, someone outside the sanctuary took that opportunity to throw the remains of two animals onto the property (not pictured). When we returned outside we immediately secured the area, did a full sweep of the grounds, and called the police and hokenjo (animal control). The police visited and a formal report has been filed. We do not know the mot

Here’s what happened in January! Wasabi (left) and Mugi (right) on Mina's head We have a couple of new bird faces, Mugi (conure) and Wasabi (Quaker parrot). They are a bonded pair of birds, and their owners had to make the difficult decision to give them up because of a change in life circumstances. They were loved and properly cared for, but sometimes life just takes a turn that can’t be anticipated. Top left: Twiggy; top right: Jellybean; lower left: Lupin; lower right: Sko

Here’s what happened in December. Hitman the goose in her wheelchair Hitman the goose now has a wheelchair! Left: screenshot from linked video; Right: the surviving puppies A pregnant rescue dog went into labor and needed an emergency C-section. The first puppy didn’t make it, but the vet surgical team saved the other three, and the mother also made it through. Shoutout to the two AnimO donors that helped Mina call dozens of veterinarians to find one that would accept mama d

Here’s what happened in November! Top: Skoshy the puppy; Middle: Twiggy the kitten; Bottom: Kokoro the pigeon We got a few new animals with challenging issues. Skoshy the black lab has cerebellar hypoplasia, which means she’s a little wobbly. It’s a challenge for her to walk and eat, but she does those things on her own and she can still live a full and healthy life! https://www.facebook.com/reel/725228297199218 Twiggy the calico kitten has some stubborn infections and is c

Here’s what happened in October! Bilbo the Sulcata tortoise A new face is Bilbo the Sulcata tortoise. Bilbo’s family cared for him for 23 years, but then faced a heartbreaking situation — the wife will soon undergo a kidney transplant, and for at least a year afterward, she can’t be around reptiles due to infection risks that could cause her body to reject the new kidney. Even beyond that first year, her immune system will remain fragile, meaning it wouldn’t be safe for her t

September was a fairly quiet month for updates, but we still have some news to share. Available merch AnimO now offers merch! We currently have a mug and a hoodie, and more items are planned. https://animo-sanctuary-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur Hitman the goose Hitman, the goose with the wonky leg, has developed well, but her leg was splayed too long and could not be reset. The way she sleeps is affecting her wing, as well, so we are looking into making a wheelchair for her. Lu

Here’s what happened in August! Hitman the gosling A new face is Hitman the gosling, she is less than two months old and has a splayed...

Kamela Houdini One new face was Kamela Houdini, a Chinese soft-shell turtle who was found wandering the outskirts of Tokyo. She may have...

Here's what happened in June! Dexter with Daisy and Duke The newest meerkat has officially been introduced to the AnimO colony and it...

Here’s what happened in May! Left: Dax the meerkat; right: Phil the goat A couple new faces to share are Dax the meerkat and Phil the...

This is a hard post to write, but it’s something I need to share so I can stop reliving it every time someone asks. I’ve carried the...

Here’s what happened in April! Top: volunteers and dogs and tortoises and crows coexisting; Lower left: new sugar glider enclosure in...

Here’s what happened in March! New faces at AnimO We had a few new faces, including a pigeon, two geckos, a tortoise, and a rabbit. Pogi...

"Helping Hands" for Our Growing Sanctuary Are you passionate about animals, nature, and community? Do you want to make a difference in...