It is only a little over one year since our first “Live Love Animals International Conference on Animal Care” and now we are confronting several major related issues all at the same time.

In 2010, foot and mouth disease became a serious problem for industrial animals in Japan. This made us all acutely aware of how animal health management closely links with our lives as consumers and impacts society. Zoonosis incidents (diseases that can be transmitted between animals and human beings), as exemplified by SARS and influenza, also fore-grounded the importance of effective crisis management within both animals and human communities. Preparedness and prevention measures against outbreaks are needed and there is now greater awareness (and concern) regarding health care management on a daily life basis for boosting immunity levels and thereby combating infectious diseases.

In 2011, a great deal of renewed attention was focused on food safety following the deaths of several people who had consumed raw beef. Next came the after-effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake which hit the Tohoku Area. Suddenly, we have all been forced to share the responsibility of helping a great many damaged lives and across many different animal varieties.

In our first conference we looked back on such issues in the context of the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake (Kobe). But compared to Kobe, the extent of the earthquake damage in Tohoku is vast, a tragedy in itself compounded further by the terror of the tsunami and radiation leakage from nuclear power plants. More than ever before we need to gather and consolidate our knowledge resources and capabilities to help the recovery. Such support needs to come from all over the world, not only Japan.

Therefore in our second conference (Feb 2012), we intend to adjust the focus of the working subtitle to include “For the Future of People and other Animals”, (as well as “ Medical Treatment and Health Care”). As such, the conference will have ‘animal care’ at its foundation and, as far as possible, will address the various post-earthquake disaster issues. Yet, we will also clearly identify what we can do to bring real health improvements and greater happiness to people and other animals in the future to contribute to the wellbeing of us all.

(message dated July 2011)