The Japan Pet Disaster Preparedness Association (Location: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Hideki Nonaka) was established with the aim of realizing a society where people and pets can live together safely and evacuate appropriately during disasters, against the backdrop of intensifying and frequent natural disasters. In recent years, large-scale disasters such as earthquakes and heavy rains have frequently occurred in Japan, and each time, the challenge of "being unable to evacuate with pets" has become apparent. In actual shelter operations, the following structural issues have been pointed out: ・Lack of pet acceptance space ・Difficulty in hygiene management and infectious disease control ・Consideration for animal allergies ・Shortage of shelter management personnel Due to these factors, pet-owning households are forced to give up using shelters and resort to sleeping in cars or staying at home, leading to the social problem of so-called "pet refugees." Addressing this issue has limitations at the individual level, making a systemic approach involving collaboration among administration, local communities, businesses, and specialized organizations indispensable. The Association will promote the construction of a sustainable pet disaster preparedness system by comprehensively developing systems, human resources, infrastructure, and digital platforms to address these challenges.

Main Activities The Association will promote the following projects to realize a society where people and pets can evacuate and live together safely.

1. Development and Promotion of Pet Secondary Evacuation Centers "Paw Station" We will develop and promote "Paw Station," a secondary evacuation center that enables safe and continuous evacuation life with pets during disasters. Paw Station is a new evacuation infrastructure aimed at providing a dedicated environment, with consideration for hygiene management, traffic flow design, and individual identification, for pet-owning households that are difficult to accommodate in primary shelters. We will proceed with development through collaboration with public facilities (community centers, former school buildings, etc.), idle land, and private facilities. In peacetime, we aim to utilize them as bases for disaster prevention education and local training, and in times of emergency, to establish a system that can quickly switch functions.

2. Operation of Pet ID Platform "Animoba" We will operate "Animoba," a pet ID platform, for the purpose of quick acceptance confirmation during disasters and supporting the reunion of owners and pets. This platform contributes to the efficiency of shelter operations and the reduction of administrative burden by centrally managing individual identification information, vaccination history, health information, etc. Furthermore, in peacetime, we will develop it as an infrastructure that can be utilized as an authentication base when using facilities.

3. Development of Pet Disaster Preparedness Personnel With the aim of developing personnel with expertise in pet response during disasters, we will establish a qualification system such as "Pet Disaster Preparedness Consultant." By systematically acquiring knowledge in shelter operation, infectious disease control, individual identification, and regional cooperation, we will promote the development of personnel who can collaborate with local governments and companies and play an active role on site.

4. Association Certified/Recommended Projects For products and services that contribute to disaster response and pet safety, we will conduct examinations and certifications based on our unique standards to promote the widespread adoption of highly reliable products. This will contribute to creating an environment where owners can choose with peace of mind and improving the overall quality of the industry.

5. Awareness and Social Implementation Activities Through lectures, seminars, and information dissemination, we will aim to raise social awareness regarding pet disaster preparedness. We will also work to form a sustainable and inclusive disaster prevention culture, aiming for the social penetration of the value that "pets are also family members."

Promotion of Public-Private Partnerships The Association will promote the construction of a pet disaster preparedness system supported by society as a whole, with collaboration among local governments, businesses, and local organizations as its core. Going forward, we will promote the social implementation of effective disaster preparedness models through collaboration with local governments nationwide and cooperation with private companies.

About Member Recruitment The Association is currently recruiting members who agree with the Association's philosophy and activities, targeting the following individuals and entities: ・Local governments ・Companies ・Organizations ・Professionals ・Pet-related businesses ・Individuals Through collaboration with diverse stakeholders, we will promote the development and social implementation of disaster preparedness systems, aiming to realize a "society where pets are also protected as family members."

Association Overview Name: Japan Pet Disaster Preparedness Association Location: Odakyu Nishi-Shinjuku O-PLACE 6F, 7-30 Nishi-Shinjuku 7-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (within ReArx Find Inc.) Representative Director: Hideki Nonaka Official Website: https://animo-japan.org

Inquiries Japan Pet Disaster Preparedness Association TEL: 03-6908-9096 MAIL: info@animo-japan.org Inquiry Form: https://animo-japan.org/contact/

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  • Source: PR TIMES
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