Cafe Wamp

Yesterday we were taking a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood with Pippi when we chanced upon the Cafe Wamp tucked inside a bunker-like space beneath the overhead expressway.  Capitalizing on any usable space (defined broadly), the gaps under elevated transit lines of all sorts often house a variety of commercial endeavors like shoe repair shops, dry cleaners and sketchy bars only open after sundown. Because of its menu posted outside and friendly-seeming folk seated at street-side tables, I took a closer look.  Much to my surprise, the small shop not only carried dog paraphernalia alongside tea and cakes, it had actual dogs. And lots of them. Curious, I approached the proprietor, an amiable chap who spoke rather good English since he used to play football in Florida.  A dog lover, he rescues dogs and keeps them at his shop until he can find homes for them.  At the moment he is maxed out with motley collection of mostly pit bulls and a few mixed breeds, all big dogs.  The animals looked a little bored but well tended.  Clearly they get a lot of attention from the Wamp staff and customers.

Wondering about the name "Wamp," I probed the proprietor.  Combining English and Japanese, this made-up word is based on a slang Japanese expression, "ippuku," meaning "one puff." Though a reference to taking a puff on a cigarette (ichi + puku), the term has come to mean "taking a short break." And translating "ichi" into "one" led the cafe owner to the sound written "wa" which is also a play on the Japanese word meaning "harmony."

Anyhow, if you know of anyone looking to adopt a dog, please drop by Wamp.  The cafe is on Meiji Dori, between Tengenjibashi and Furukawabashi.  If it weren't for the cafe, these dogs probably would not have a chance since there is no such thing as a no-kill shelter in Japan.  Their plight seems particularly heartbreaking in a country where people lavish unbelievable expense and attention on their pets yet look the other way while hundreds of dogs are "euthanized" weekly.

French People and Their Dogs

During our recent trip to France, we marveled at all the dogs. By our rough, eye-ball accounting, French people seem to really love their dogs. And dogs in France can and do go everywhere. Imagine our surprise and delight when we encountered dogs at the market, dogs in our accommodations and, best of all, dogs resting comfortably at their owners' feet under the tables at swish Paris bistros. Below is a round-up of some of our favorite critters.


Fibi. This delightful fur ball belongs to the couple who own the B & B where we stayed in Sarlat. Her half-brother, Frodo, sings opera but is a bit shy.


This poodle is a classic. She waits patiently while her person pays for her produce at the market in Sarlat.


Another market denizen.


Oh my.


At the meat counter.


Dog as fashion accessory.


Whoever said that dogs look like their owners is probably right.


In Bourges.


Out touring.


Looking stylish in a classic Citroen Deux Chevaux.

Dog Watering

The Minato Ward City Azabu Regional City Office never disappoints! Look what I found this morning in Arisugawa Park while watering Pippi! Admittedly it is a bit inappropriate to allow dogs to drink from the fountains (but it sure is cute!). Fortunately Pippi prefers the spigot below or, better yet, the basin catching the run off.

Pippi's Birthday

Today Pippi turns seven. I can vividly recall the October day we got her. Having located an available yellow Lab puppy on line, David went to Kuki, Saitama Prefecture to meet her owner Big Boy Saito (yep, that's his name), a fireman and a part-time dog breeder. Actually, Saito-san's real love is training his dogs, Labs and Border Collies, to compete in fly ball competitions. Anyhow, David came home glowing about Saito-san. And about the puppy too.

The following weekend we went back to Kuki on a family Mystery Trip (a frequent activity when the girls were little). After a lengthy car ride, we drove up to Saito-san's house. Assuming something boring was ahead, Eve refused to exit the car. But having noticed the jumping paraphernalia on the lawn, Abby required little convincing.

Upon entering Saito-san's house, Abby immediately spied the little Lab puppy playing in a wire pen in the entry foyer. She asked me if the puppy had a home. Yes, yours! Needless to say, both girls were thrilled. As we sat in the tatami room filling out various documents, burly Saito-san held our little Pippi in his beefy hands and stroked her fur gently as he said good-bye to her. Very sweet.

We also had a chance to meet Pippi's parents. Her mother, who is a black Lab, is Japanese. Her father, who is yellow, was imported from a well-known British kennel. A fly ball champion, he put on quite a show for us.


In honor of her big day, I have two presents for Pippi: a new squeaky ball (her favorite) and a new telephone-shaped tag with David's cell phone number inscribed on it. But even as we celebrate, I can not help thinking about another dog we met the other night.

While out on our evening expedition, Pippi and I encountered a very adorable, mixed breed and his owner. As the pups sniffed each others' bottoms, the humans launched into "dog chat." Turns out she volunteers at the hokenjo (= public health center) in Chiba Prefecture. Her dog (plus the two others she has at home) was slated to be put to death. His crime? Being born.

Apparently 300,000 dogs are slaughtered each year at facilities like this one in Japan. "This is not euthanasia," explained my new friend. These are healthy dogs that no one wants. Some are the products of accidental pregnancies. Others were purchased as puppies but, having grown up, are not as cute. Plus they require a lot of work. After just a seven day stay, all are subject to a long and painful death by gassing or asphyxiation, if I understood correctly. I am so profoundly saddened by this situation. I can not get those dogs out of my mind.

Instead, I will remember them as I give my dog extra hugs, more ball time, and shower her with even more love and attention.

Little Dog, Big Dog

A few Sundays ago the weather was gorgeous. After an all-too-long string of cold, rainy days, the sun made a welcome appearance and the mercury rose into the high 60s at least. It was, in the words of my mother, a quintessential balmy day. It was also a great day to be a dog-owner. And like-minded folk with their furry, four-legged companions were out in record numbers. Or so it seemed.

As we often do, Pippi and I set out to meet Eve on her way home from her teaching gig at the JCC. On the way there I ordered a take-away pizza with a plan of picking it up on the rebound. Wasn't that clever of me? Of equal brilliance was Eve's suggestion that we dine al fresco on our terrace. But this post isn't really about pizza ingestion.



As we began our ascent up to TV Asahi Street, we came upon a spiffy, bespectacled guy toting the accessory du jour: a chihuahua. But instead of leading his little dog on a leash, the pampered pooch was sequestered in, but poking his head out from, an over-the-shoulder carrier. Kind of like a Baby Bjorn for dogs. Maybe it was a Baby Bjorn! Now that would be taking things just a step too far.



I was eager to capture the moment but didn't have the nerve to simply point and shoot. Eve deftly took the challenge in hand and simply asked if we could take his picture. Unsurprisingly he agreed as you can see. I love the scale change between dog and owner. But I imagine the pup would have been happier strutting his or her stuff.



When we got to the top of the hill, we turned left and crossed the street. TV Asahi Street has a bona fide sidewalk which is a bit of a relief. In the distance we spotted a short couple and a large furry critter. Was it canine? Ursine? Sasquatch? We weren't really sure. But then the man picked it up and began walking down the street. Turned out to be a very large, very hairy poodle. I quickly captured this surprising trio on film. Judging from their expression, I wasn't sure how the humans felt about having their photo snapped but we did not ask. I hope we weren't witnessing a dog-napping.

Chester

This is Chester. Chester is one my absolute favorite Tokyo dogs. A Brittany Spaniel with a luscious brown and white coat, he belongs to a good friend of mine. Chester has a great demeanor, an angelic face and is very well behaved, as you can see. He even understands Japanese! Unlike his pal Pippi, Chester has a remarkable ability to sit and wait patiently. While Pippi would have been barking her head off after a few minutes of down time, Chester assumed a position of repose and was perfectly content to watch the world unfold before him while we ate lunch nearby. The only thing that upset him was the occasional motor bike. He greeted passing dogs with a gusty bark and vigorous tail-wagging but then settled easily and resumed his relaxed, prone position. Just about everyone who came by remarked on Chester. How could anyone resist a pooch as adorable as this? Quick on the draw, I snapped this photo of a young woman taking Chester's picture.