Healing pandemic loneliness with orphaned pets

New programmes launched by several universities and the Ministry of Environmental Affairs aim at helping those who suffer from loneliness as well as orphaned pets that would otherwise be culled. It's quite heartbreaking to realise how many pets are killed in Japan every year (see below).

Animal therapy is catching on in Japan as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and more people seek to heal the pains of extended social isolation. The trend is on for both the young and old, with universities in Tokyo introducing therapy dogs to students. Meanwhile, nursing homes and facilities for disabled individuals are setting up spaces where residents and animals can interact.

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A university in Tokyo has hosted a session to introduce therapy dogs to students and alleviate their loneliness attributed to the prolonged novel coronavirus crisis, while facilities for disabled people are developing environments that allow residents to live with animals. On the campus of Showa Women's University in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward, in-person classes have resumed following the lifting of the state of emergency at the end of September. "I feel at ease," Manami Ubukata, 22, said with a smile as she rubbed the back of Eito, a therapy dog visiting the university campus for a hands-on session with such animals held on Oct. 21.

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These programmes are also designed to reduce the number of rescued dogs and cats that are eventually killed by giving them chances to serve as therapy animals. There were 5,635 dogs and 27,108 cats that were rescued but eventually killed in fiscal 2019, according to the Ministry of Environmental Affairs. It has a goal of reducing the total number of killed dogs and cats to some 20,000 by calendar 2030.

Pets do help stress. I love coming home to my cat everyday

Many years ago (in my 40's) I was having a "mid-life crises"(depression) and my doctor suggested getting a pet. I got 2 kittens from my local shelter and it worked like a charm. I've had cats now for over 20 years and the depression never returned.

Uncle Frank said:

Many years ago (in my 40's) I was having a "mid-life crises"(depression) and my doctor suggested getting a pet. I got 2 kittens from my local shelter and it worked like a charm. I've had cats now for over 20 years and the depression never returned.

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Awwwww what do they look like?
(Im demanding the cat pictures )

This will be our last cat. She's 13 years old and weighs in at 14 pounds. The vet is $80 to walk through the door , so a fixed income comes into play. I think her laying on the suitcase is her way of saying , you can't go without me.

A wild cat settled down in a house beginning of year.
I continued feeding a cat every day.
In the spring, a stray cat gave birth to four kittens in our hut.
The kitten became so big.
It is awkward that a kitten goes into mischief in a field and a flower bed.
A kitten has killed the tree of the garden at last.
The tree is an exclusive tree as the nail sharpener now.