When the Tamura family of Shizuoka adopted not only Hara (left, now named Ribbon) but Shiitake (right) as well, ARK workers cried tears of joy. And from the sound of it, the two dogs have indeed found joy in their new home. In search of "another pet to love" after the death of their dog, the Tamuras discovered these two at an ARK adoption event. "One granddaughter bonded with Shiitake, and the other with Hara," mother Kitty, a U.S. native, explains. "Staff suggested we adopt both, as the two dogs were shy with people and might take time to adjust." After seeing how well-behaved the dogs were, the Tamuras decided to go with the suggestion. "We are so happy we made that decision," Kitty says. The dogs did, however, need time to adjust. "When they first came, they were very skittish. They also would not eat easily — especially if someone was in the same room. Now they are following us from room to room, always sitting near us," Kitty explains. "It was very good that we adopted them together because they were already used to each other and always romp and play together. It is a lot of fun to watch them. We have only had the dogs for four months, but I cannot imagine life without them now. We are looking forward to many more years of fun and adventures with them." Posing with the dogs are (from left) Shunji Tamura, his wife, Kitty, granddaughters Sena and Leina, daughter-in-law Kelly, and son Shin.

Many other cats and dogs are available for adoption. Please email ARK at [email protected] or call 050-1557-2763 Monday to Saturday (bilingual) for more information. Tokyo ARK is a nonprofit group founded by Briton Elizabeth Oliver. It is dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abandoned animals. All animals are vaccinated, neutered and microchipped. All prospective owners are requested to undergo a screening process.