Wonder the World Vol.17: “My Furry friend: A Lesson in Responsibility and Joy”（私の毛むくじゃらの友達: 責任と喜びについてのレッスン）

キャット（ベトナム出身）2022年開催のGIC（グローバルイマージョンキャンプ）にキャンプリーダーとして参加。2019年に日本に留学した時、これまで一緒に楽しく暮らしてきた犬と別れて暮らすことも大きな衝撃だったそうです。大学を卒業し、東京で犬と暮らすようになり、その中で得られた教訓と責任や喜びについてお話いただきました。

Kat (Vietnam)
Good day everyone! My name is Kat and I originally hail from a S-shaped country – Vietnam. I was fortunate to be a part of the Kumon Global Immersion Camp 2022 as a Camp Leader. I graduated from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, and currently I am working and living with my furry puppy in Tokyo. Today, I would love to share with everyone about my experience with my adorable buddy.

Say hello to Coco-chan, our super cute toy poodle! Coco-chan is like a fluffy ray of sunshine in our home, always making us smile with her playful tricks and funny antics. But here’s the funny part – Coco-chan absolutely loves toys that look like fruits and veggies! Can you believe it? Her two favorite toys are a banana and a daikon, which is like a big white radish! It’s so silly and adorable! Having Coco-chan around is like having a little garden of fun right in our living room.

Do you know that in Japan pet also have health insurance like all of us, while in Vietnam it is not that common:

Pet can also get sick or injured, and sometimes veterinary care can be very expensive. Pet insurance will help cover part of the cost for the treatment including surgeries, medications and hospital stays.

You can also travel with your pet, but

you will need to prepare all necessary things such as food bowl, water bottle, an acceptable cage, on top of that, a lot of documents as well. Of course, the requirements vary depending on your destination, however, down here list the basic documents you must acquire before your travel.

In conclusion, having a pet, especially a dog like my furry friend, has brought immeasurable joy and companionship into my life. Beyond the happiness they bring, they also serve as invaluable teachers of responsibility and empathy. However, I get that not everyone can have a pet due to various constraints. In such cases, supporting ethical animal cafes/or services in your area can be a wonderful alternative. They are a fun way to hang out with animals and make sure they’re treated well. Whether you have a pet or not, being kind to animals is always a good idea!

These are some of the places I usually visited or look at their homepage:

• Ethnical dog cafe: DOG BURROW OINU
• Small Life Protection
• Ethnical cat cafe: BAKENEKO CAFÉ
• Neco Republic Ikebukuro

Hail…来る
Fortunate…幸運な
Furry…毛むくじゃらの
Adorable…愛らしい
Transition…移行
Companionship…友情
Ray…光線
Antics…おふざけ
Absolutely…絶対に
Responsibilities…責任
Injured…怪我をする
Expensive…高価な
Treatment…治療

Owning …飼うこと
Providing …提供すること
Regular…定期的な
Grooming …毛繕いすること
Commitment …献身
Dedication …忠誠
Valuable …貴重な
Empathy …共感
Patience …忍耐
Accountability …説明責任
For instance …例えば
Reliability…信頼性
Fosters …培う
Detail…詳細

Ensuring …確実なものにする
Paying attention…注意を払う
Choke… むせ返る
Loyalty…忠誠心
Requirements…必要条件
Depending…による
Destination…行き先
Conclusion…結論
Immeasurable…計り知れない
Beyond …超えて
Invaluable …貴重な
Alternative…代替
Unconditional love…無条件（無償）の愛