SUZU, Ishikawa Prefecture--Even being New Year's Day did not stop Takehito Takaeda from taking his Shiba Inu dog, Kenshiro, for a stroll around the neighborhood, which is their daily routine.

So, Takaeda, who is blind in his left eye due to glaucoma and whose right eye can only see his feet, and his 4-year-old canine went out on the national holiday.

After touring around the Ukai area of Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, the two returned to Takaeda's home, situated about 130 meters from the beach.

Then, the magnitude-7.6 earthquake rocked the region. After the shaking stopped, he checked the house.

Just as he was about to tie Kenshiro up by the back door, Takaeda heard a buzzing sound.

“What is it?”

Before he had time to react, the tsunami engulfed him from the lower half of his body. He felt his body being swallowed by the black water mixed with dirt.

Through the limited vision of his right eye, he saw Kenshiro, who was standing beside him, about to be swept away.

He grabbed desperately at his dog's tail. He pulled in Kenshiro toward him, held him firmly under his right arm and clung to the interior wall of his house.

It took about five minutes for the waves to recede. The water had reached to Takaeda's waist, who is 185 centimeters tall.

Takaeda’s 78-year-old mother and 92-year-old grandmother were on the first floor and got drenched.

They tried to head for a shelter, but the roads were impassable due to debris. It was getting dark, so he gave up.

They decided to spend the night on the second floor of the home, but the kerosene heater did not work.

Kenshiro was shivering and shaking in the cold, in a manner that Takaeda had never seen before.

A fire broke out in a house in front of Takaeda’s and was gradually spreading. The fire continued to burn past midnight. Takaeda said he could not sleep at all due to the cold and fear.

The following day, led by a volunteer who was near his home, they headed for a nursing home, used as a primary evacuation center for quake and tsunami victims.

But on the way, he was concerned about Kenshiro, who would not be allowed in the shelter.

If he had a car, he would have stayed in the vehicle with Kenshiro. But his car was washed away by the tsunami.

He pleaded with the shelter staff to allow Kenshiro to stay in a small entrance way in front of the evacuation center's entrance. The shelter did him a favor.

“I can only be thankful that they let Kenshiro stay in a covered place,” Takaeda said. In his heart, he wished, “If only there was one room where they could isolate us.”

Still, he said to himself, “Not everyone likes dogs, and there are problems with infections and such. Of course Kenshiro can’t go in there.”

After spending more than 10 days there, he finally had to make a decision. He knew that they would have to leave the evacuation shelter soon.

Takaeda needs to take heart medication for a chronic illness, but it seemed difficult to get it in Suzu. He decided to stay at his sister’s home in Uchinada, a town next to Kanazawa.

However, he couldn't keep a pet there.

“What should I do with Kenshiro?”

Takaeda asked a pet shop and was told that it would cost 140,000 yen ($950) per month to keep the dog there.

His home, where he runs a restaurant, was damaged by the disaster and he has no income. He did not know when he would be able to pick up Kenshiro, so he could not leave the canine with the pet shop.

He asked an animal shelter to take care of Kenshiro for about three months in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture.

Jan. 15 was the day for the pick-up and there was light snow falling. But the two went for their morning walk, just as they had done before the disaster and during the evacuation.

Mild-mannered and friendly, Kenshiro was always liked by people. Children in the neighborhood loved the dog because he was quick to run up to them.

Kenshiro became popular with the evacuees at the evacuation center.

Kenshiro immediately gave a happy greeting and wagged his tail at the animal shelter staff who came to pick him up.

Takaeda said, “Ken will do well in Hamamatsu.”

He handed his leash to the staff and watched Kenshiro get into the vehicle.

Then, Takaeda bit his lip and said with a trembling voice, “This is a temporary goodbye. It’s not a big deal.”