About Us
Our History
Susan and David
JCN was founded by Susan Roberts and David Wybenga, who have been living in Japan, teaching English, and helping cats since 1993.They started the group after having had success helping the cats in their own community through TNR, a method of population control in which stray cats are trapped for neutering and returned to the location. When they first arrived in town there were very sad cases of sick and dying cats, all over the community, and they found this completely intolerable. After researching, and deciding on TNR as the best plan, they got started. TNR has worked wonders in their community. The remaining cats are healthier, look better, are less annoying to neighbors, and are no longer reproducing. They realized that this could work all over Japan, and also thought how much easier it would have been to get started, if there had been a group to turn to for support. JCN is that group, and we’d like to help others who want to start TNR programs in their communities.
On March 11, 2011 Japan was devastated by one of the worst disasters in history. A magnitude 9 earthquake off of the east coast of Japan triggered a tsunami which damaged the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant causing the worst nuclear disaster in the history of nuclear energy. Hundreds of thousands of residents were displaced or evacuated from the Tohoku region being forced to leave behind companion animals and farmed animals. Susan Roberts began working in Fukushima on March 22nd to rescue animals left behind and to take in animals from evacuating owners with nowhere to turn. The JCN Inawashiro Shelter was established in mid-May 2011 as the focal point of the Japan Cat Network’s Fukushima work. It continues to serve the people and animals of Fukushima whose lives remain overturned even a year after the initial disaster.
Our Work
Japan Cat Network's Shiga Shelter
Japan Cat Network maintains two separate, but codependent shelters in Japan.
The “original JCN” is located in the city of Hikone in Shiga prefecture in the Kansai region. It is alternatively called the “Kansai Shelter” the “Shiga Shelter” and the “Hikone Shelter,” but don’t be confused, it is all the same! This shelter has been taking in cats since 2007 and is currently home to about 55 felines.
The JCN Inawashiro is located in the city of Inawashiro in Fukushima prefecture in the Tohoku region. The JCN Inawashiro shelter was created in May 2011 in response to the Tohoku disaster. JCN felt that a base of operations in Fukushima was necessary for rescue efforts in the radiation-evacuated areas near the 20km exclusion zone. Updates from both the Shiga shelter and the Fukushima shelter can be found at our Blog.
Japan Cat Network's Fukushima Shelter
Additionally, JCN tries to answer question about cat and kitten care, behavior management, and population control. We go out regularly to help people start TNR programs. Contact us if you need information or assistance helping cats in your community. We also run a small shelter to house, rehabilitate, and rehome cats or kittens in support of those working on active TNR projects.
For even more information about what we do:
- Meet animals currently being cared for by JCN who are available for Foster and Adoption.
- Check out our Blog to read about our recent work.
- JCN is in the news! Check out our Press page to see the coverage.
- Our past work can be found in the Archives.
Our Mission
1) We help people help pets.
We believe that people helping pets should not have to give up everything to do so. If you have a good local project, or an idea for one, we want to assist you. We also want to try to help you solve any cat or dog related problems.
Trap, neuter, return is the only effective way to reduce the number of stray cats living on the streets. Spay and neuter the cats around where you live and prevent the births of dozens and dozens of kittens destined for suffering. Returning spayed and neutered cats keeps new cats from moving into the area, while remaining cats will be healthier and less annoying to the community. The active birth control of outside cats won’t solve everything but it will make an enormous difference.
3) Education and Awareness
We attend and host festivals and events to promote animal welfare, bringing along kitties and doggies for children to interact with positively. We schedule spay/neuter flier pass-out days to spread the word about how beneficial spay/neuter is for pets and for the animals that people are caring for.
4) Networking
We accept phone calls and emails on a regular basis, answering questions, providing support, loaning materials, and/or connecting people to local animal welfare services available in their communities.
5) Fukushima Rescue and Recovery
We are on-the-ground in Fukushima 24/7 to help with the rescue and recovery efforts for animals left behind in radiation-evacuated areas. We have established close ties with the communities of Kawamata and Namie and continue to travel there multiple times a week to provide life-sustaining food to cats and dogs left behind, to pick up sick, injured, or young animals, and to control the populations of the stray and feral cats through spaying and neutering.
NPO Certification
Here is our valid NPO (non-profit organization) registration certificate. If you have questions about our non-profit status, please contact us,?call the Shiga Prefecture NPO office, or visit the Shiga Prefecture website.
Questions?
Contact us with questions about Japan Cat network at Info@japancatnet.com
