A Tale of Mari and Three Puppies

A Tale of Mari and Three Puppies , Mari To Koinu No Monogatari? is a 2007 Japanese film directed by Ryuichi Inomata. It was released in Japanese cinemas onDecember 2007. It is based on a true story in the 2004 Chetsu earthquake. This story has frequently been reported in the media and has also made into a book.

A year later, Mari gave birth to three puppies. That spring, animals behaved strangely, foreshadowing something major to come. On October 23, 2004, a major earthquake, which later became known as the Chetsu earthquake struck and devastated the whole village. At that time, only grandfather and Aya were at home, and they were pinned down by a wardrobe that collapsed onto them. Mari quickly moved her puppies to a safe place before trying to help the two of them in the house.Meanwhile, Ryota, who was in school, and his father were safe. They immediately went to the emergency shelter, where they heard that Yamakoshi became isolated after the earthquake, thereby making it hard for rescuers. Subsequently, rescuers from the Japan SelfDefense Forces started combing the village and evacuating people by helicopter. Mari noticed two such rescuers and eventually led them to Aya and her grandfather. Thanks to Mari, the two of them were successfully extracted from the wreckage. Her grandfather had lost a lot of blood, and therefore the pair was evacuated by air. However, just when Aya was about to be evacuated, she asked that Mari be evacuated along as well. Her rescuer reluctantly refuses this request, and seeing her pain at being separated from the dog, he felt extremely bad. He even apologizes to her when they met again at the emergency shelter. Without its owner, Mari tries all ways and means to protect her puppies and feed them properly. It also waited patiently for the return of its owner. ........

Source: Wikipedia