Ichigaya] Animal Protection Project "Protective Dogs and Cats - What can we do to help? (4/21)

Ichigaya] Animal Protection Project: Protective Dogs and Cats - What Can We Do?

Date and Time: April 21, 2022 (Thursday) 16:50-18:50
Place: Sotobori Campus, 5th floor, Room 523-526
3. outline
The Ichigaya Volunteer Center Student Staff VSP held a project for animal welfare to let people know about the current situation of shelter dogs and cats, which is usually difficult to know about, and to think about what we can actually do to help them. In the first half of the two-part event, we discussed in groups what we could do with the knowledge we have and then invited an NPO, Minagoi Rescue Team Dog and Cat Rescue Center, to give a lecture on the current situation of shelter dogs and cats and what we can do now, 10 years from now, and in the future. In the second half of the lecture, the participants learned about the current situation of shelter dogs and cats and what we can do to help. In the latter half of the lecture, the participants had a chance to meet and touch a shelter dog that came to the university, and to observe a shelter cat via Zoom with the Tokyo and Hiroshima branches' relay centers. Afterwards, the group shared their impressions, discussed how their awareness had changed from before the lecture and what they needed to think about before and after adopting a cat, and shared their thoughts with the entire group. Many of the participants' impressions of this project, many of whom were participating in such a project for the first time, were positive, saying that they had learned a lot and that they would like to put it into action. VSP hopes to continue to hold animal projects on a regular basis in the future. (Miyu Hagiwara, 3rd year student in Department of Political Science Science, VSP, Volunteer Center Student Staff)
Number of student participants: 26
5. Impressions of the students who participated in the project
I am very glad that we were able to learn about the current situation of shelter dogs and cats through this project, actually see them with our own eyes, and think about what we, as university students, can do to help them in the future. I felt that it is necessary for each and every one of us to change our awareness of the current situation in Japan, from treating animals as objects to treating them as lives, and to recognize that dogs and cats are family members. I believe that the first thing we can do is to have correct knowledge and to communicate this knowledge to the people around us. I believe that we can make a big change for the better in the future by taking action, even if it is only a little. We hope that this project has been an opportunity for as many people as possible to do so. Since we had been preparing for this project for about 5 months, I felt a sense of accomplishment after finishing the project, and I myself learned a lot from this project. I would like to express my gratitude to the members and staff who were involved in the planning of this project. I would like to make use of what I learned through this project in the future. (Miyu Hagiwara, Volunteer Center Student Staff VSP, 3rd year student in Department of Political ScienceFaculty of Law )

I am glad that we were able to implement the project to let people know about shelter dogs and cats, as many people said that they were able to learn about things they did not know through the project. It was a meaningful time for us to think about what we can do for protected dogs and cats from various perspectives by sharing our opinions in the discussions after learning about the current situation through the lectures. The opportunity to actually touch and see the cats and dogs was also a valuable experience, and the time spent interacting with them was also a time for learning. I would be happy if this project could trigger as many people as possible to take action for animal protection, such as spreading the word to those close to them. I gained a lot from being involved in this project, and it was a good experience. Thank you very much. (Volunteer Center Student Staff VSP: Kaori Fukuda, 3rd year student in Department of Political Science Science Faculty of Law )

6. Impressions of participating students
It was the first time for me to participate in a volunteer activity at a university, but I found it very valuable and persuasive to hear from people who are actually involved in such activities. I have a dog now, so it is difficult for me to take in a shelter dog or cat, but there are things I can do, such as telling my family and friends about what I learned today and using SNS, so I would like to have the courage to take action. Also, I personally am a dog person, and I felt that I had no knowledge about cats at all. Through today's project, I was able to realize the appeal of shelter cats, so from now on I would like to pay attention not only to dogs, but also to cat issues. (Moe Hirata, junior, Department of Global and Interdisciplinary Studies Studies Faculty of Global and Interdisciplinary Studies )

I have a pet, but I usually do not have much opportunity to think about abandoned dogs and cats, so this was a very good opportunity for me to think about it. I thought I had a certain amount of knowledge about it from watching TV and other media, but there was so much I didn't know, so I decided to look into it on my own. In addition, I would like to become a public servant in the future, so I would like to work for the environment from the standpoint of government administration. (Chisato Sekiguchi, 1st year student, Department of Sustainability StudiesFaculty of Sustainability Studies )