Tokyo’s real-life Paw Patrol keeps streets safe

Tokyo – It’s a neighbourhood 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 favourites in Tokyo’s Karasuyama neighbourhood.

Yurika Igarashi, 12, 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 Wan-Wan Patrol,” she said, gently cradling Sakura on her lap.

Sakura is one of 150 pups who form the Wan-Wan Patrol, a programme that enlists dogs and their owners to turn their daily walks into a neighbourhood watch, monitoring children, looking out for residents, and helping deter crime.

The Karasuyama programme is one of the oldest such community initiatives in Japan 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 neighbourhood less prone to crime”, she added.

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 programme helps us get to know each other and become good neighbours, 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 realised by noticing a room light still on in the morning. We walk at the same hours on the same route every day, so it’s easier for us to notice if there is something unusual.” –