This cutie didn't always greet visitors as eagerly as he does now. Born a stray, the now 1-year-old Pele gave his rescuers the runaround when they came to capture him and his siblings. Pele was the most fearful, but given the nature of his captors, victory for all was guaranteed. At the shelter, Pele was rather miserable at first. Whenever a visitor came by he would bark and run away in fright. Training experts from England had the idea to hide a tub of treats outside his pen with a note attached instructing anyone passing by to throw Pele a treat. Soon, Pele was jumping with joy and wagging his tail at the sight of people. Still a bit timid, Pele is happy now and ready for a home of his own. He's untested around cats but loves other dogs. With time, we think he's likely to be quite the crowd-pleaser.

If you are interested in adopting Pele, please 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. It is dedicated to rescuing and re-homing abandoned animals. All animals are vaccinated, neutered and microchipped. Prospective owners are requested to undergo a screening process.