Dachshund Cabanas was first featured here in September and has happily found a new home with Misako (holding Cabanas) and Yuichiro Arita of Tokyo's Meguro Ward. The Aritas had just lost a beloved dog and, still grieving, weren't looking for a new one. But . . .

"My husband was reading The Japan Times and came across Cabanas in the photo box," says Misako. "He says their eyes just met. The air in our home was still heavy, but when we saw the dachs in the photo box, we really felt that the dog we had just lost had led us to Cabanas."

The sweet Cabanas "fits in as though we had always been together — burrowing into the other dogs' beds, racing around the house like a mad thing before walks, sleeping like a log in front of the heater."

Nonetheless, Cabanas reportedly loves laps and can stay still for quite a long time, so "we can get our work done," Misako notes. "We feel very blessed. Cabanas has breathed energy back into our home."

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