I need help finding a local rescue but don't know Japanese!
It can be difficult to know what to do when you suddenly find an animal in need of help and need support. In situations like this, it's best to find a local animal rescue group that can help you out. This can be hard, especially if you have limited Japanese skills, but with the power of the internet, it can be less difficult than you think!
This guide can provide you with some tips and resources to get you the aid you need.
First of all, here are three indispensable sites for doing searches in Japanese:
Jisho: a great dictionary resource to look up words both in English and Japanese
DeepL: great for translating phrases and is generally more accurate than Google Translate
Google Translate: not the best translator app available, but useful in a pinch with its photo mode
You can use these three tolls in conjunction to search for local rescues in your area.
Do a Google search
One of the easiest ways to find a rescue local to you is by running a quick Google search. A few set phrases followed by the city you're in can yield helpful results.
The term we've found most useful in finding groups dedicated to animal rescue is "保護" (hogo, "protection"). You can pair this with the specific animal that you're trying to help, such as "動物" (doubutsu, "animal"), "猫" (neko, "cat"), 犬 (inu, "dog"), カラス (karasu, "crow"), etc.
The next thing to do is to put the name of the city you're in. If you don't know how to type in your city's name in Japanese on your phone or computer, you can copy and paste it from the Wikipedia page for your city.
For example, let’s say you’ve found a cat in Shinjuku that you want to help. You'll want to put in the terms to find a cat rescue group located in Shinjuku (新宿), so you should enter into the search bar "保護 猫 新宿" for results. After that, it's a matter of using Google's built-in translator feature to see what you've got. If you’re not getting hits for your local area, you can try expanding your search into the nearest large city or to your prefecture instead.
You can browse different groups' pages using the same translation feature until you can find where to contact them.
Contact several groups
To increase the likelihood of finding someone that can help you, you should contact several rescues to increase the chances of receiving a response.
Also, remember that many rescue groups are composed of volunteers who use their personal time, energy, and resources to help people in need. There are going to be times when they are busy or overloaded, so you may need to reach out to them multiple times before they respond.
Be patient and persistent, but also be understanding, especially during kitten season, when cat rescue groups may be completely overwhelmed with many cases.
Most rescue groups will have a social media account (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) that you can message them directly from, but some may have “Contact Us” sections you can fill out on their homepage. Whichever it may be, shoot them a message and see if they can help you.
To compose a message/email, simply head over to DeepL, type your message in English, and copy/paste the translated Japanese passage it gives you. DeepL tends to be more accurate than Google Translate, so we recommend using DeepL when possible. Keep your message short and simple so the translator app is less likely to mangle what you're trying to say.
The resulting Japanese message will not be 100% accurate, but it should be enough to convey your message to the group. It’s helpful to reverse translate your message back into English to see if anything got lost in translation.
Note! The term “fix” as in “Is this cat fixed?” does not translate well into Japanese. Instead, you should use the phrase “spay and neuter” in translation apps.
When you get a response, you can translate their message using DeepL again and continue corresponding and working out logistics with them. Always try to include an image of the animal(s) you’re trying to help so they have a better idea of what’s going on!
Sample messages in English that you can translate and send to Japanese rescue groups can look like the following:
"Hello. I found a cat in [CITY]. It is hurt, and I want to help it. I can catch it. Can you please advise me on what to do? Thank you."
or
"Hello. I found a cat with kittens. I want to spay and neuter them, and I can pay for their surgeries. What else can I do to help? Thank you."
Help them help you
It takes a village to save an animal, and that village includes you! Volunteer animal groups exist to aid others in rescue efforts, and you have to be willing to collaborate with them in order to carry out a successful rescue.
The more willing to cooperate you are, the more likely a group will be willing to help you as well. This isn't out of malice but pure practicality. If the contact isn't invested in helping out, then all of the work is pushed on to the rescue group. To avoid this, tell the rescue groups what you're willing to do in order to help the animal and them.
Can you help secure the animal? Can you help transport the animal to them? If not, are you able to contribute financial support? Transportation, vet care, and food all require money, and you can help ease the burden on rescues by sponsoring the animal(s) you saved together! Can't pay for everything? Maybe you can use your network to crowdfund money and help pitch in with different fees.
Thank the group!
Whether or not the group was able to help you out, make sure to thank them for their time. And if they did collaborate with you to save an animal, it can be really encouraging for them if you write about the rescue and share the story on your own social media accounts. Be sure to mention and tag the group in your post as well so they can find and read it.
Receiving thanks and being acknowledged for their help can really boost a rescue group’s morale and motivation to keep going, so take a moment to give thanks where thanks are due!
Being a good Samaritan can be nerve-wracking and tough, so we commend you for being brave and proactive enough to try to help! We hope that these tips are useful, and we wish you the best in your rescue effort.