Interested in adopting a dog but not sure how long you’ll be staying in Japan or able to commit to a pet in the long term? Buddies works with a team of volunteers who foster dogs until they find their forever homes. If your landlord allows pets and you can dive into training sessions for caring for one of the rescue dogs, then please feel free to email Carna at buddies.adoption.foster@gmail.com or message via Instagram @buddies.temp.agency. Don’t worry if you have to travel back to your home country to visit family, or if your Japanese isn’t fluent, the Buddies team of volunteers supports each other in dog care as much as they can. See below for the dogs currently available for fostering, or contact Carna.

Latest dogs for adoption:

Toto is a 2-3 month-old male pup from Shimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture. His name comes from the Shimabara dialect “Tottotto.” Weighing about 6 kg, Toto is so curious and brave! He easily gets carried away but is a happy pup. Since he is so friendly and loves to play, we recommend him to a family who likes to have fun!

Interested in adopting? Please email Carna at buddies.adoption.foster@gmail.com or message via Instagram @buddies.temp.agency.

Zen is 2-3 month old baby girl from Shimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture. Her name comes from a large mountain called Unzen in Shimabara. Weighing only 6kg she is still timid, but very brave! She is very curious and her eyes are so adorable. I have a feeling she will become like a cute clingy baby.

Interested in adopting? Please email Carna at buddies.adoption.foster@gmail.com or message via Instagram @buddies.temp.agency.

Shima, our cute 2-3 month-old pup, gets his name from his birthplace in Shimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture. As the youngest brother, he always keeps his face close to his other siblings. He is a little shy but very calm. He has a sweet baby face and fluffy fur that you’re going to love.

Interested in adopting? Please email Carna at buddies.adoption.foster@gmail.com or message via Instagram @buddies.temp.agency.

Allie, whose name comes from the Ariake Sea that surrounds her hometown Shimabara, is a 2-3 month-old puppy. Her most attractive point is her big and round ears! She does not show off, but she can stand up for what she thinks is right. She often says “Stop it!” to Toto when he sits on her. She is still scared of people, but she always tries to accept us when we treat her gently and slowly. I think she will change when she finally finds a person and place she can rely on.

Interested in adopting? Please email Carna at buddies.adoption.foster@gmail.com or message via Instagram @buddies.temp.agency.

We are proud to introduce our new furriend!

Milo was saved when he was a 2 m/o puppy and spent his whole puppy life in a shelter. This means he is a shy, gentle and quiet boy but he’s getting socialized day by day at a foster’s house alongside a fiesty chihuahua. He is a huge dog lover (large or small, size doesn’t matter) and even friendly to cats! If you are looking for a big buddy (around 14kg) who is calm in the house and active outside the house, it’s him. His favorite thing to do outside is dig like crazy and his favorite indoor activity is lying in bed like a couch potato — he grew up in a cage in the shelter, so he’s making the most of this newly discovered comfy furniture. You’ll instantly fall in love with Milo, he has such a big personality and is derpy but distinguished at the same time.

Interested in adopting? Please email Carna at buddies.adoption.foster@gmail.com or message via Instagram @buddies.temp.agency.

Sue is part Shiba Inu, part baby Yoda and 100% good girl. She’s around 3-5 years old and in unneutered. She weighs 10kg and likes everyone she meets — she even approaches strangers to ask for cuddles. She used to be a stray mom before she was taken into the shelter. Sometimes she is independent but she’s really sweet and will happily wag her tail just by getting your eye contact. She prefers to chill out at home, but she loves to go for walks and walks like crazy! She is currently being treated for filariasis. (She has no symptoms at all, and the test is fairly mild, so treatment is expected to be completed in 1-2 years). Sue is currently living in Osaka but she told us she doesn’t mind relocating if she can find her perfect best friend who likes walking as well as chilling and snuggling in the house.

Interested in adopting? Please email Carna at buddies.adoption.foster@gmail.com or message via Instagram @buddies.temp.agency.

Guy is around 1 year old and is a neutered male. He weighs around 14kg and is, as you can see, a very handsome man. Currently, he’s living in Osaka but he told us he wouldn’t mind relocating to Tokyo if he can find his perfect forever family. He’s a very smart boy and enjoys learning and thinking by himself. He still acts like a puppy and sometimes has a tendency to chew things and accidentally swallow something (but he promised us that he’s working hard with his trainers to get better day by day on this). He gets along well with strangers and is gentle with other dogs. He will be a perfect match for a family where he can experience many things together and grow with each other, especially if you can be active and keep his sharp mind stimulated.

Interested in adopting? Please email Carna at buddies.adoption.foster@gmail.com or message via Instagram @buddies.temp.agency.

1. About Buddies

(Paw-working, dispatching, and adoption)

Buddies is a bilingual company that provides rescue dogs with safe and loving homes in Tokyo and Japan. After giving our dogs plenty of treatment and training, we create an opportunity for them to interact with dog lovers while they’re in search of their forever home. The Buddies “staff” are our resident dogs, Kuma, Bee and Tobi. They make sure humans can come and relax for yoga, music, hiking and coworking sessions, and they help our foster and adoption dogs feel welcome, socialized and loved.

Buddies was founded by a veterinarian and since then we have devoted ourselves to increasing the quality of life for our rescue dogs. We have also worked towards spreading awareness of rescue dogs in Japan, as well as assisting in the adoption of our dogs. Our goal is to make our rescue dogs’ lives paw-sible and your life colorful.

2. The problems faced when  adopting dogs in Japan 

When it comes to animal welfare, sadly, Japan is considered weak by international standards. The Buddies team estimates that there are over 100,000 dogs and cats euthanized every year. Though the pet industry in Japan is thriving, over 80 percent of dogs are purchased from pet stores rather than through adoption or through foster centers. The ethics of pet stores that sell dogs and cats are often questionable, and leftover pets are often sold to the black market to be euthanized.

Unlike other countries, most people in Japan are unaware of the situation going on inside pet stores. To make matters worse, in Japanese culture there is a negative connotation behind shelter animals, and as a result, most people tend to buy their pets in regular stores, rather than adopting or fostering them.

Many international residents living in Japan have an interest in rescuing animals. However, it is often not an easy task as it is incredibly difficult to find an animal-friendly apartment to rent. It’s also difficult to find an English-speaking vet or trainer. Lastly, the saddest reason of all, animal rescue groups are often hesitant to give out their animals to international residents.

Buddies would love to help you start a new paw-some life in Tokyo by our paw-working service, rescue dogs dispatch and adoption services.

3. Adoption

We’re encouraging international residents, non-married couples, same-sex couples, single persons etc., who are often turned down by many shelters in Japan. (Interviews are needed to ensure the best match for both dogs and adopters.)

We also offer a reliable support service after adoption that includes medical consultation in English or Japanese and the delivery of vet-recommended food and supplements, so that you can fully enjoy life with your fur-mily in Japan.

4. Fostering

Interested in adopting a dog but not sure how long you’ll be staying in Japan or able to commit to a pet in the long term? Buddies works with a team of volunteers who foster dogs until they find their forever homes. If your landlord allows pets and you can dive into training sessions and caring for one of our rescue dogs, then please feel free to email Carna at info@buddies.life or message via Instagram @buddies.temp.agency. Don’t worry if you have to travel back to your home country to visit family, or if your Japanese isn’t fluent, the Buddies team of volunteers supports each other in dog care as much as they can.

5. Paw-working

With our Paw-working service, you can work while being surrounded by adorable rescue dogs in a coworking space. You will be able to cuddle with the dogs and support the rescue dogs emotionally, helping them start to feel safe around people and supporting them while they find their forever home. Every Thursday and Friday at BLINK, Roppongi, the dogs join the coworking space for the afternoon, and you can contact Buddies if you’re interested in having us visit your office space.

6. Dispatching

We “dispatch” our rescue dogs to offices, schools, elderly homes etc. to deliver healing and special experiences. In offices where we have dispatched dogs in the past, there have been many positive effects, such as promoting communications among employees and reducing employee stress levels by half. Interestingly, we have also confirmed that the stress levels of our dogs also lower after their dispatching service.