It's a typical evening in the Mercer-Tojo household. Susan Mercer, 37, has just settled down their 2-year-old for the night, tucking him in as he cuddles with five or six cats. Several dogs prowl restlessly, eager for a pat or a kind word. Scooping a kitten off the floor, Mercer settles down to wait for her husband, Hitoshi Tojo, who has gone to pick up two aging cats whose owner just passed away.

Mercer and her husband run Heart Tokushima, a nonprofit animal rescue and shelter serving Shikoku. But they do more than take care of stray animals. As Mercer explains: "We are helping people, the people who love these animals. Recently, we took in the two senior cats because the (deceased) owner's elderly sisters had nowhere to keep them. Their only other option would be animal control, where the cats would be gassed. The family was so grateful for our help during their time of grief."

Since its official founding in 2006, Heart Tokushima now houses more than 260 animals, bringing in local volunteers and volunteers from abroad. They helped find homes for or returned more than 100 animals in the aftermath of the March 11, 2011, disasters in Tohoku, and currently run services to foster, sponsor or adopt a pet across Japan.