The Okinawan American Animal Rescue Society  OAARS is a fantastic program whose main goal is to find homes for stray and unwanted animals on Okinawa which would otherwise be euthanized ( a polite way of saying killed).  I am writing about them here (in a blog that is meant to be predominantly about photography in Japan) because my friends Theresa and Michael saw that there were some labs that needed homes and hoped I’d be interested.  As much as I would love another lab, or two or three, Pudding and Bear are quite enough right now. Hopefully, however, there is a reader out there who would love one of these beautiful creatures, and make the dogs, the people at OAARS, Theresa, Michael and myself extremely happy.  As an added bonus adopt one of these dogs and you can then come and hang out with Pudding and Bear at the beach!

Sam a gorgeous one year old yellow labrador retriever

Samantha (Sam's sister) another gorgeous yellow labrador retriever

Lola a gorgeous 9 month old cream labrador retriever - present owner has allergies and can no longer keep her 😦

Labrador retrievers are quite possibly the best dogs in the world. They are loving, smart, sensitive, beautiful, playful and have great temperaments (although Bear has some issues). But…..

 until they reach Pudding’s age (13), and especially when they are young,  there is more potential energy inside a labrador’s body than in a nuclear power station. You must be willing to vent that energy with regular walks, a home they can explore (destroy) and plenty of attention. Labrador’s love to swim so Okinawa is a great place for them to live.

 I also read that labradors make great family pets, however if you have small children a young pup will  treat them like bowling pins. Bear is 30 kilograms of solid muscle with a low center of gravity, and the ability to accelerate, decelerate and turn in a fraction of a second.  

Also consider your budget. Labradors are big eaters. Pudding has cans of regular senior dog food, while Bear (because she has skin allergies) has Super Gold Fish and Potato dried food. Also budget for the costs of vaccinations, check ups and all the various ailments that dogs can get. There are many other things to consider which I am sure OAARS will explain to you, so please please adopt a dog, but don’t make it an impulse action.

Before I forget, there are of course many other dogs and cats available for adoption through OAARS. Please check them out, it might be the best thing you do today, and possibly the best thing that will ever happen in an adopted dog or cat’s life.