Monday morning we brought you the tragic story of the 5,000 to 10,000 domestic animals left to perish in the exclusion zone surrounding the Fukushima nuclear reactor. Today we have great news: People are being let back in to this area starting today, and they will be allowed to rescue their dogs, cats, and other animals.

What a difference a day makes.

You can read more about this great news on the Facebook page of Japan Animal Earthquake Rescue and Support, the group that was behind making fantastic turn of events happen.

This is a ray of sunshine in a land that has been overwhelmed by one tragedy after another since March 11. If we find footage of pets and their people being reunited after weeks apart, we’ll bring it to you on the dog blog.