Welcome Puppy Dogs!

Hello! I’m Yuuki, a staff member of “Nijiiro-Crayons”

Today I visited the provisional housing in Takasago Ichome Park. Looking inside the hall, there is a cheerful atmosphere.

“Cold, isn’t it? Come on in!” Someone called me. As I entered, I saw something among people. “What? Three dogs!?”

They said that dog trainers visited with their dogs all the way from Kobe City（*Hyogo Prefecture.) It was a gift of “Interaction with animals” for people living in the provisional housing. The event seemed like animal therapy.

That sounds like an early Christmas present. Of course the children enjoyed touching, hugging, and playing a catch with the dogs. The adults around them smiled despite themselves, looking at the children and the dogs entertaining with their dexterity performances.

One brother and sister came late to the assembly room and kept the distance from the crowd in the beginning. They might have been scared of the big dog. But playing with or stroking the dogs, they come to be relaxed little by little and finally even fought  over their little chihuahua. 🙂 I must say that animals have the power of melting our hearts.

At the end, we took a photo with the dogs dressing up in Christmas costumes.

So, unlike the usual, we didn’t play a catch or drawing.  But the children were happy interacting with puppy dogs.

Today’s staff members were Narumin and Yuuki, myself.  Thanks a lot!

*reference: On January 17, 1995, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake（M7.2）occurred in the southern part of Hyogo Prefecture.

Written by Nijiiro Crayons on December 8 2013.

Translated by Takako Kawamukai and Natsu Hirukawa.