The Japan Cat Network, a grassroots animal welfare group in Shiga Prefecture organized and run by David Wybenga and his wife, Susan Roberts, has put out a plea for help with its Hirakata City Project.
Initially featured in The Japan Times on Jan. 26, the network was asked in March to check out a park near the city of Hirakata, located between Osaka and Kyoto.
The situation at Yamada-Ike Koen was dire, utterly shocking. Close to 100 cats, in various stages of health and disease, were found roaming the park. There were no signs of a TNR (trap, neuter, release) program such as the Japan Cat Network promotes, and none of the males appeared to be neutered. Two of the park cats were so ill that they had to be taken to a vet immediately.