Areas in Japan affected by the earthquake and tsunami are a heartbreaking disaster for everyone, but pets and other animals tend to have it worst, either because their caretakers didn't survive or abandoned them (voluntarily or not), rescue efforts do not target them, and there's no way to track who to look for.
There have been some incredible survival stories: a dolphin rescued from a rice paddy one mile inland, for example.
But many have not been so lucky. "It seems that most animals in the hardest hit areas did not survive the tragedies," said Susan Mercer of Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support.
That group is a coalition of three local animal welfare organizations, including HEART-Tokushima, Animal Friends Niigata and Japan Cat Network, the NY Daily News reports.
There are countless animals still in limbo—but on the happy side, animals like this rescue dog have also been playing a part in the rescue efforts.
Image: Thomas Frey/Corbis
The Daily News continues: many survivors who lost everything have been forced to also give up their pets, and foreigners who have been advised to leave the country because of a nuclear threat often cannot take their animals with them.
That leaves most of the animal shelters in Japan filled to the brim.
Animal Rescue Corps estimates that 92,000 companion animals alone may have been affected: that's not including strays, wildlife or livestock.
Image: Koichi Kamoshida/Jana Press/Corbis
More from the Daily News: "The rescue efforts are made all the more difficult as gas is scarce and supplies and resources are increasingly thin the farther west rescuers travel. Unfortunately, the most devastated towns and the areas within the radiation evacuation zone are feared to have the most animals needing rescue."
Visit Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support or their Facebook page to learn how you can help.
More on the earthquake and post-tsunami Japan:
Against All Odds: Incredible Survival Stories From Japan
The Impact of the Nuclear Crisis on Japan's Food Supply
Japan's Nuclear Crisis Sparks Panic Food Shopping
Japan's Wind Turbines Survive 1,000 Year Earthquake Unscathed