How to Foster or Adopt a Rescue Dog in Tokyo: A Guide for Non-Japanese Residents

Want to foster or adopt a rescue dog in Tokyo? You’re in the right place. Whether you’ve settled in Japan for the long haul or you’re still not sure how long you’ll stay, you can give a dog in need a safe, loving home — and you don’t have to be Japanese, speak fluent Japanese, or live in a big house to do it. This guide explains exactly how dog adoption and fostering work in Tokyo for international residents, why the need is so urgent, and how Buddies, a bilingual rescue-dog group, makes the whole process easy in English.

📣 We are looking for new foster families right now.

Japan has more rescue dogs in shelters than foster homes — and fostering could be more compatible with your lifestyle and home than you might think. Even an imperfect home beats a shelter cage every single day, and every foster directly helps a dog find its forever family. You can email Carna at buddies.adoption.foster@gmail.com or message @buddies.findyourbuddy on Instagram to learn more about how to become a foster.

Fostering a dog can be anywhere from a few weeks to many months of commitment. If you’re 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 some of the dogs currently available for fostering, or contact Carna. There are many more dogs still in shelters around Japan, not just listed here.

Dogs Available to Foster & Adopt in Japan:

Meet some of the dogs looking for a foster home and a forever home. Please consider opening your home to these babies!

There are always dogs waiting for the right person — here are just a few of them. Many more are still in shelters across Japan, not only the ones featured here. Many of the dogs who arrive at the shelters either don’t have names or the former owners did not share their dog’s name with the shelter staff when they abandoned them.

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

Why rescue dogs in Japan still need you

Japan has made progress, but it is not enough. In 1974, more than 1.2 million dogs and cats were euthanized in a single year. By 2022–2023 that number had fallen to roughly 9,000–12,000, according to Japan’s Ministry of the Environment.

But the job isn’t finished. Tens of thousands of dogs and cats still pass through Japan’s public shelters every year, and life inside a concrete kennel or crate is very stressful, dirty, lonely and frightening for an animal that just wants a person to love. On top of that, over 80% of pet dogs in Japan are still bought from pet shops rather than adopted, and shelter animals carry an unfair stigma. Puppies that don’t sell can end up in grim circumstances. Every dog that moves into a foster or forever home frees up space and a second chance for the next one, saving them from the euthanasia list.

For international residents who want to help, there are real hurdles: pet-friendly apartments are hard to find, English-speaking vets and trainers can be scarce, and — saddest of all — many rescue groups are hesitant to adopt to non-Japanese residents and non-married couples at all. Buddies exists to remove every one of those barriers. We care about dogs and people. We do not discriminate. We exist with a commitment to help families and dogs find the perfect match.

Fostering is easier than you think

Fostering means giving a rescue dog a temporary home while it waits for permanent adoption. It is the single most powerful thing most people can do to help — and the barrier to entry is far lower than people assume.

Here’s what fostering is really like:

• You don’t need a perfect life. A small apartment, a busy schedule, a child, no car, a first-time dog owner — none of that disqualifies you. A dog spending its days beside you in a modest apartment is immeasurably happier than one sitting in a stressful shelter cage.
• You don’t need to commit forever. Fostering is temporary by design. It’s ideal if you love dogs but aren’t sure how long you’ll be in Japan.
• You won’t be doing it alone. Buddies works as a team of volunteers who support each other with dog care, dog sitting, all vet costs, and stepping in whenever life happens.
• You don’t need fluent Japanese. Buddies is fully bilingual, so everything from paperwork to vet visits can happen in English.
• You can still travel home. Need to visit family overseas? The volunteer network helps cover care while you’re away.

If you’ve been telling yourself “I’d love to, but my situation isn’t ideal,” this is your sign. The dogs don’t need ideal. They need better than a shelter — and almost any loving home that is ready to responsibly commit to fostering clears that bar.

How to become a foster with Buddies

Here’s the process:

1. Reach out. Email Carna at buddies.adoption.foster@gmail.com or message @buddies.findyourbuddy on Instagram and say you’re interested in fostering.
2. Quick chat & matching. A short interview helps the team match the right dog to your home and lifestyle — this is for the dog’s benefit and yours.
3. Match and meet your foster dog. You’ll get to know the dog and join simple training and care sessions if you’d like to, so you feel confident from day one.
4. Bring them home. Buddies provides medical care and food, and the volunteer team is on call for questions and support the whole way through.
5. Help them find forever. You’ll help care for and socialize your foster dog and, when the right adopter appears, celebrate a happy ending — then, if you like, do it all again.

Ready to foster? Email buddies.adoption.foster@gmail.com today — even if you’re only “maybe.” The team is happy to answer questions with zero pressure.

Adopting a rescue dog in Tokyo

Ready for a lifelong companion? Buddies welcomes adopters that many Japanese shelters turn away — international residents, unmarried couples, single people, renters, same-sex couples, military families included. A short interview ensures the best match for both dog and adopter.

Adoption doesn’t end at pickup. Buddies offers ongoing support, including medical consultations in English or Japanese and delivery of vet-recommended food and supplements, as well as a supportive community of fellow adopters and volunteers if you ever need help with dog sitting, care plans, etc… so you can fully enjoy life with your new fur-mily in Japan.

Who can adopt or foster a dog in Japan?

Far more people than the shelters would have you believe. With Buddies, you’re welcome to apply if you are:

• An international resident of any nationality or visa status
• A single person, an unmarried couple, or a same-sex couple
• Living in a smaller apartment (as long as your lease allows pets)
• A first-time dog owner, or someone who doesn’t speak Japanese

Buddies doesn’t discriminate by nationality or status. The only real requirement is a genuine commitment to caring for a dog.

What you’ll need: requirements and budget

To be approved to adopt or foster, you’ll need:

• Landlord approval. Your lease must allow pets (more on finding pet-friendly housing below).
• Time. For walks, play, feeding and general care.
• Household consent. Everyone who shares your home should be on board.
• A realistic budget — plus patience and optimism.

What does a dog cost in Tokyo?

As a rough guide, expect an initial cost of around ¥100,000–¥200,000 (covering transport, neutering and basic supplies), then roughly ¥200,000–¥300,000 per year for food, routine vet care and day-to-day needs. When you foster with Buddies, medical treatment and food are provided, though donations toward expenses are always appreciated.

Practical tips for dog owners in Tokyo

Finding a pet-friendly apartment

Pet-friendly rentals (ペット可, petto ka) are a minority of Tokyo listings, so start early. Look specifically for “pets OK” or “pets negotiable” properties, budget for a slightly higher deposit (often one extra month), and get written permission in your contract. Bilingual agencies and foreigner-friendly rental sites can filter for pet-friendly units, which saves a lot of time. If you’re fostering, Buddies can advise on what to look for.

Finding an English-speaking vet

English-speaking veterinary clinics exist across central Tokyo but can be in high demand, so it’s worth identifying one before you bring a dog home. Buddies’ founder is a veterinarian who speaks both English and Japanese, and adopters and fosters get medical support in the language they’re comfortable with — one less thing to worry about.

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 Toby. They make sure humans can come and relax for yoga, music 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.

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.

Dog Adoption in Japan

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 done 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.

Paw-Working with Dogs in Tokyo

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. 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.

Dog Dispatch Service: Have Rescue Dogs Visit Your Office!

We “dispatch” our rescue dogs to offices, schools, dog yoga, 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 communication 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.

FAQs

Contact:

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

Website: https://www.buddies.life/

Contact form: Here

Instagram: @buddies.findyourbuddy

Facebook: Buddies

YouTube: Buddies | 保護犬の犬材派遣会社