Our Mission
Kawakuji Animal Rescue was founded in 2019 in Ibaraki, Japan by a small group of like-minded individuals to be a safe haven for the most vulnerable populations of animals. We are a network of fosters and volunteers whose goal is to care for neonatal kittens, sick and injured animals, or seniors until they are ready to be placed into forever homes. In addition, we give back to our community by stopping the cycle of newborn kittens being born on the street by maintaining a TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) program. By teaching our community the significance of TNR and continuing to grow our network, we hope to improve the lives of all pets and animals in Ibaraki.
Ways You Can Help
Foster. Donate. Adopt.
Help Animals in Need
As Kawakuji Animal Rescue currently operates without a permanent shelter, we are always recruiting to our fostering team. All fosters receive training to our high standards of care, so rest assured we will assist you at every step of your foster's development.
If you would like to learn more, please check the fostering page for details.
Support the Work We Do
Taking care of multiple animals across many homes can really add up. The best way to support the animals directly is by either donating money to Kawakuji Animal Rescue, or through Amazon gift cards where we can better manage what supplies goes to which house. While we do accept physical donations of food, the majority of what we receive is not suited for specialty diets, such as very young or very old cats, so those donations usually go towards feeding local feral colonies managed by volunteers.
(Due to storage limitations, we are not currently accepting items such as carriers and litter boxes, thank you).
Bring Home a New Family Member
The goal is for every animal in foster care to go to a loving, forever home. We carefully screen potential adopters as well as take into consideration which animals in our care could be a good fit for your home. If you would like to learn more about the adoption process, or learn more about who is available for adoption, please check out our adoption FAQ.
TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return)
Can You See the "Sakura-mimi?"
TNR is a crucial part of animal rescue, as it is a way to end the cycle of orphaned kittens, while also saving community cats from euthanasia. TNR means "trap, neuter, return." This means the animal is humanely trapped, neutered or spayed, and then returned to their community to live out their lives peacefully without reproducing.
All cats returned to their homes in their respective communities go back with a cool fashion statement: an ear tip! In order to know which stray cats have and have not been spayed and neutered, TNR vets will mark their ears. In Japan, this means a triangular cut that looks much like the petal of a cherry blossom!
If you want to learn more about TNR and how you can find resources in your area, check out our TNR page for more info!
Contact Kawakuji Animal Rescue
Get in touch with us if you have any further inquiries.If you have an emergency,
please contact your nearest veterinarian. Thank you for your support!