News
160, The Sentient World of Animals
The
Inspiring Story
of
Mari and Her Puppies
|
|
By
the Japan News Group
(originally in Japanese) |
Three
puppies born on the day of an earthquake
On
the fateful morning of October 23, 2004, a dog named
Mari gave birth to three puppies in Yamakoshi Village,
Niigata Prefecture, Japan. That evening, a severe
earthquake struck Niigata and devastated the Village,
causing almost all of its homes to collapse, including
the one where Mari lived. During the quake the newborn
puppies were jolted away from their mother, and
since their eyes were still closed, they could not
find their way back to her side. Also, because she
was bound by a leash, Mari could not reach her babies.
She tried repeatedly to pull free from the leash,
but to no avail. Then, several tremors occurred
and Mari tried even harder to break free until her
neck began to bleed. Suddenly, another strong aftershock
struck, Mari struggled with all her might, and the
collar suddenly came loose. Next she quickly picked
up her puppies, moved them to a safe place, and
without taking a rest ran toward the ruins that
were once her house. |
Courageous
rescue of grandfather
The
grandfather of Mari’s family was home alone that
day. He lived on the second floor, but suffered from a
neurological disorder that made it impossible for him
to stand on his feet or climb the stairs unassisted. After
the earthquake, the old man was immobilized as he had
been trapped beneath a wardrobe. Aftershocks and the total
darkness resulting from a power outage pushed him into
desperately thinking that death might be around the corner.
Just then, Mari appeared in his room on the second floor
and looked at him with encouraging eyes. The grandfather
had been slipping into unconsciousness, but when he saw
Mari he regained awareness although he was still immobilized.
Mari then licked him to give him encouragement and went
downstairs several times to check on her pups before quickly
returning to the man’s room. She ran back and forth
many times even though her paws had been injured by the
sharp-edged glass and pieces of porcelain that lay all
over the floor. Each trip gave her new wounds, but Mari
managed to kindle new hope in the grandfather’s
heart, and looking at Mari he thought, “I must live
on. I cannot give up,” Finally, he pushed at the
wardrobe with all his strength, it gave way and he managed
to free himself. Then with Mari's encouragement, the grandfather
spent two hours climbing down the stairs—a feat
he had previously been unable to accomplish without help.
Upon reaching the ground floor, he was happy to find that
the three puppies were safe and sound.
A
sad parting and further ordeals
After
the October 23, 2004 earthquake Yamakoshi Village was
in a state of total destruction and isolation as all local
roads had been cut off. And with a continuous series of
aftershocks increasing the danger of landslides, on October
25 all the villagers were evacuated by helicopter to a
nearby accommodation center. Under these circumstances,
the grandfather was forced to leave Mari behind for in
times of disaster saving human lives is the main concern.
He left all of his pet food for his beloved dog, prayed
that she and her pups would be safe and took off her collar.
Then, with no other options, as he boarded the helicopter
to leave behind the one who had saved his life, he said
with guilt and sadness, "I’m very sorry, Mari,"
and felt heart-broken as Mari howled in deep sorrow.
As
time passed and her supply of rations ran out, Mari had
to search for food in her abandoned village, suffering
many ordeals as she tried to protect her little puppies.
All the while the grandfather thought of her constantly,
and with anxiety over the continuing tremors fell ill
and had to be hospitalized. Then two weeks after the evacuation,
the villagers were allowed to return to Yamakoshi to see
their homes. Among the returnees was the man’s son,
who immediately began to search for Mari. Upon finding
her, he noticed that she was much thinner, and she hesitated
for an instant after hearing her name but then dashed
toward him. He held her close in his arms for a long time.
Mari had not had enough food for herself, but she fed
her babies milk and took care of them as well as she could.
In contrast to their skinny mother, the three puppies
looked chubby and healthy as they slept sweetly on the
porch. The son was delighted to see the little pups growing
up in good health.
Before
Yamakoshi Village was reconstructed, the villagers remained
in temporary housing in a neighboring city. Being in charge
of advertising affairs for the village committee, the
son was a busy man so he placed Mari and her puppies in
the care of another family. When the grandfather was still
in the hospital, Mari's caretaker took her to visit him.
Thus, after undergoing countless trials, Mari and the
old man were finally reunited. Mari was very happy to
see the man, who was recuperating and said with quivering
lips and tears filling his eyes, "Thank you for saving
my life."
Then
in April 2005 the grandfather was discharged from the
hospital and began living with his son and Mari in an
apartment. By that time Mari's three puppies had been
adopted by other families and were growing up healthily
in their new homes. Today, the grandfather and his family
are still living in the apartment but look forward to
returning soon to Yamakoshi Village.
Fireworks
for Mari
Mari’s
touching story, which illustrates the mutual trust and
love between humans and animals that helps them through
ordeals, has frequently been reported in the news media
and has also been adapted as an illustrated storybook
— Mari of Yamakoshi Village and Her Three Pups.
The book has received a huge response in Japan and serves
as a great inspiration for disaster victims. The company
that published the volume is contributing part of its
sales revenues to the reconstruction and relief funds
for areas affected by the October 2004 earthquake, and
distributes the book free of charge to children in Yamakoshi
Village and its thirteen neighboring cities.
On
August 2, 2005, the villagers held a fireworks celebration
in their city of refuge just as they do in their home
town each year, and this year event was entitled “Fireworks
for Mari.” While participating in the festivity
they wished that Yamakoshi Village could be recovered
as quickly as possible. Amid the dazzling light and smoke
of the fireworks, Mari's radiant smile seemed to fill
the night sky, bringing hope and encouragement to the
spectators.