While many recent graduates are entering the job market or going on summer vacations, Alex Lane is entering the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake.
But Lane is focusing on a group that is often overlooked in disaster relief efforts — pets.
“It’s really sad to see an animal suffer because it’s been left without any care,” she said.
On Wednesday, Lane flew to Japan to volunteer her veterinary care skills and help rescue pets that were stranded after the March earthquake and subsequent nuclear emergency.
During her time at UNC, Lane was co-chairwoman of Helping Paws, a campus organization that aims to improve animal welfare and raise awareness for animal rights.
In Japan, Lane is working with Kinship Circle, an organization that promotes animal advocacy around the world.
Lane said she will be providing animals with basic veterinary care throughout the region.
“I’m also going to be doing the exciting field work of bringing the animals to the shelters,” she said, adding that the work is much like that of animal control.
Lane plans to live in Sendai, Japan but will visit spots throughout the country, including Fukushima, which was declared an exclusion zone after the nuclear crisis.