Pups of real-life Paw Patrol keeping Tokyo safe
Print Edition
It’s a neighborhood watch with a difference. A clean-nosed crew, sniffing out trouble and keeping the streets safe for school kids: meet the pups of Tokyo’s real-life Paw Patrol.
They might not have the gadgets and gear of their beloved cartoon counterparts, but the dogs of the Wan-Wan (Bow-Wow) Patrol are firm favorites in Tokyo’s Karasuyama neighborhood.
Twelve-year-old Yurika Igarashi counts on seeing Sakura, a fluffy toy poodle, when she’s on her way home from school.
“Sometimes I’m scared when I’m coming home alone, but I feel okay when I’m walking with the Wan-Wan Patrol,” she said, gently cradling Sakura on her lap.
Sakura is one of 150 pups who form the Wan-Wan Patrol, a program that gets dogs and their owners to turn their daily walks into a neighborhood watch, monitoring children, looking out for residents, and helping deter crime.
The Karasuyama program is one of the oldest such community initiatives and was founded by a local police officer.
“Individual owners walk whenever they can and have their dog wear the same scarf,” said Keiko Shimizu, the patrol’s current leader.
Clearly marked canines patrolling the streets means “we can help make the neighborhood less prone to crime.”
Many of the dog owners are parents of current and former students of the local school, but others just participate in the community watch as residents.
On one recent morning, five pooches in Wan-Wan Patrol’s lime-green neckerchiefs wagged their tails as they accompanied children going to elementary school.
Pu, a 17-year-old shih tzu, is one of the oldest members of the patrol and can no longer walk by herself. But she proudly participates from the comfort of a doggy stroller pushed by her owner.
“The program helps us get to know each other and become good neighbors, and I feel this place stays safe that way,” said Michiko Takeuchi, owner of poodle and Maltese mix Kojiro, and mother to a local schoolboy.
And the patrol isn’t just for show. “We had a member who found an elderly person who had passed away alone,” said patrol leader Shimizu.
“They realized by noticing a room light still on in the morning. We walk at around the same hours on the same route everyday, so it’s easier for us to notice if there is something unusual.”
Jun Ameie, principal at the local Kyuden Elementary School, said the Bow-Wow Patrol reassures parents and children alike.
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