The Revised Animal Welfare Law (2000) is coming up for a fifth year review in 3 more years. The Japanese Coalition for Animal Welfare is now preparing to lobby for changes that must be made to make this a truly effective law. Some of the major points that the Coalition has identified are as follows ;

• A clearer definition of abuse. The acts of abuse must be defined more precisely to include both mental and physical suffering inflicted on animals. It must be made clear to the public that physical pain is not the only factor that can bring suffering onto an animal.
• Reassess the types of penalties. Especially with regard to collectors and abusive dealers (businesses that deal with the sale or keeping of animals) fines and imprisonment, however severe is not a sufficient deterrent. The only thing that would effectively keep such individuals from committing further abusive acts is to put in bans on the keeping of animals. Japan has not attempted to utilize this type of penalty in the past but the Coalition feels that it is high time that the country considers the possibilities of doing so.

Other issues that the Coalition will bring forth in lobbying for the second revision include stricter rules in registering animal businesses including documentation requirements for retailers concerning the origin of the animal being sold, the banning of the use of live animals as prizes or souvenirs, and placing a limit on the number of animals which may be kept legally without special certification. Concerning this last point, the Coalition hopes to put an upper limit on the number of animals that can be kept in any establishment, including individual homes as well as breeding houses, without legal certification. More specifically any establishment keeping more than 10 dogs and cats (sum total), for example, must register with the local authorities and is obliged to accept any inspection by the said authorities. These establishments if found to be below standard in their stewardship of the animals must then follow whatever orders are given to improve the conditions. This should contribute somewhat to the alleviation of the collector issue as well as to that of puppy mills and roadside menageries.The solution to this problem must be multifaceted. Developers and the authorities governing their activities need to lay out new strategies enabling a better system of coexistence to be put in place. New and more humane yet effective ways to drive dangerous wildlife away from residential areas must be developed. And last but not least, a thorough education system must be established to teach the human community the do's and don'ts of living in wildlife rich areas. This perhaps should be supplemented by severe penalties for those who are unable to follow the rules.

Though the Coalition can by no means guarantee that all of the above improvements will be accepted by the legislators, it is at least worth a try. With 3 more years to work up to the actual review we have yet some time in which to build our forces for greater lobbying power.

Summer vacation in the mountain resorts has brought on a new issue. The problem that has increasingly aroused public interest is that of bears. There are still wild bears in the mountainous regions of Japan but their habitat is becoming increasingly smaller due to the rapid expansion of housing developments and the building of roads and resort facilities. The ever-increasing human urge to grow and expand is pushing the bear farther and farther into mountains. The smaller the habitat, the less food there is and this pushes the bear to scavenge for food in the human community.

Especially in the posh mountain resort of Karuizawa in Central Japan this bear issue has become quite a headache for local authorities. The human occupants of the mountain villas become careless, or rather sloppy with their garbage and foraging bears come upon piles of edible wastes including their all time favorite, half filled cans of coke, juice, and other sweet nectars. This causes the bears to come back again and again to the human community in search of those delicious "goodies".
And needless to say there comes the inevitable encounter between beast and man, to which man, of course, reacts by sounding the alarm. The authorities then attempt to take measures to "scare" the bear back into the backwoods from hence it came. However the lure of "sweet" garbage is all too great to keep the bears away from the human community and before long they are back again on our doorstep looking for food. When repeated attempts to drive them off fail, the authorities are forced to take drastic measures to ensure the safety of the occupants of the human community.
Just last year the media ran a story about one such bear in the Karuizawa region that had made multiple appearances despite local efforts to drive it back into the mountains. In the end, because it had clearly become a serious risk to the local residents, the bear had been shot to death.
Though animal welfare groups and environmentalists have voiced their concern over this incident, there was probably very little else that the local authorities could have done. But needless to say it is frustrating to see the same scenario being repeated over and again.

The solution to this problem must be multifaceted. Developers and the authorities governing their activities need to lay out new strategies enabling a better system of coexistence to be put in place. New and more humane yet effective ways to drive dangerous wildlife away from residential areas must be developed. And last but not least, a thorough education system must be established to teach the human community the do's and don'ts of living in wildlife rich areas. This perhaps should be supplemented by severe penalties for those who are unable to follow the rules.
In any event, the bear issue is, by all means, a serious human issue. It is us who are at fault, the bears are only following their natural instincts.

Apartments and condominiums in Japan have traditionally been closed to pets in most instances. But with the declining economy, the real estate market is seeming to movein the opposite direction.
Allowing the keeping of larger pets such as dogs and cats in condominiums has become one of the ways in whish developers are able to attract new customers. This trend of "pet owners welcome" has been going on now for a number of years in Japan.

Infact, the trend has even seen the emergence of new condominiums with "pet amenities" built-in facilities with special appeal to the pet owner. This includes, for example, such things as a special faucet and wash area for cleaning the dogs' feet before entering the apartments.
In many cases such condominiums will have an "owners' club" or an association that will lay out the basic rules to be followed by all pet owners whilst living in the building. Some clubs have laid out merely the basic rules or manners to be followed by the pet keeping households, and others have gone further by, for example, offering obedience classes for dogs, setting up spay-neuter polices etc.

Going along with this trend in the private building sector, public housing authorities are now just beginning to consider this option. There are a few areas, in the country where public apartments have been opened to pets. There is a large public housing complex in the Tokyo metropolitan area that has recently made the decision to follow the trend.

Though the movement in itself is welcomed by many people in general, problems are just now beginning to surface. A number of years have now passed since the first pet-welcoming condominiums have been introduced and we are now beginning to see some of the "glitches" in this endeavor.
The main issues seem to be centered around the "owner vs. non-owner" conflict similar to what we have seen in so many communities. Noise, hair, smell etc. have annoyed non-pet keeping residents in some of these condominiums and the complaints seem steadily to be on the rise. Despite the surfacing of such issues new and larger building projects are underway advertising a "pets welcome" policy. The newest development in "pet amenities" includes grooming rooms, veterinary services, pet sitting, and dog runs.

However attractive such facilities may be for the pet owner, it seems rather more logical for the developers to begin considering ways in which basic rules on pet keeping can be put in place and enforced effectively. To build larger and more complex stages upon which newer conflicts may occur without first looking for a way to avoid or resolve such conflicts does not seem to be a very wise game plan.
We certainly hope that the greed shown by the developers and by the real estate world does not work to hinder the healthy growth of the concept of coexistence

Purebred dogs in Japan are suffering from genetic disorders. The issue of course is not unique to the country. It is a serious problem that must be tackled by all breeders and organizations throughout the world. However, the problem seems to have been aggravated in Japan due to the lack of interest in quality control on the part of the kennel club, as well as rampant puppy milling and poor consumer education.The first issue pertains to the fact that the kennel club is unwilling to assert any leadership in this field. Though the main responsibility of giving proper guidance and information to the breeding community should lie in the hands of the kennel club, it has failed to do so. Furthermore it has failed to distinguish conscientious breeders from puppy millers and has confused the public about from where and how dogs should be purchased. Accurate information on the current status of breeding stock is not available through the club. At the same time most puppy millers tell their "ware" through ordinary pet shops, still very much the major supplier of pets to the general public without proper consumer education resulting in a large number of backyard breeders, ordinary owners wanting to see a litter from their own companion dog. This perpetuates the problem of "bad genes" adding to the number of suffering dogs.
One would assume that with the Japanese preoccupation of quality control in their consumer products, the media would in one way or another take up on the lack of such in the dog industry. However, strange as it may seem the Japanese media have been unusually quiet and reserved about the issue of " defective products" in this area. Even more surprising is the fact that publications specializing in dogs and pet care have failed to emphasize the serious nature of genetic disorders and the current state of purebred dogs in Japan. Weather or not this is due to the negative influence of the breeding community is uncertain. But it can certainly be surprised that something out there is hindering the outflow of honest information.
Unfortunately the lack of quality control in dog breeding is rampant in the working dog population as well. Guide dogs, service dogs, search and rescue dogs etc. are no exception to the ignorance, or negligence, pertaining to sound breeding procedures.
The only way to "save" the Japanese purebreds from falling apart in the years to come is to place a total ban on dog breeding for a period of time during which all current breeding stock would be screened and re-evaluated, and if need be replaced by healthy imports from outside. But realistically speaking this could not be done without the total support of the kennel club and the breeding community, those least likely to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation.
So...where do we go from here?

On May 22nd, 2002 the Japanese Diet passed the " Access Law for Service Dogs" the first of its kind in the history of the country's legal system. The new law states that all public facilities and public transportation must not refuse entry to service dogs as defined by the law. The legal definition of a service dog is a guide dog, hearing dog, or mobility dog certified by a government designated body. The law does not cover dogs that work in the field of mental/psychological support, nor does it include epilepsy dogs. The law is also limited to dogs and does not include any other animals.
Service dogs certified by the appropriate organizations will wear some type of identification, without which access may not be given. At the present moment the guide dog associations are the only organizations that meet the various conditions that the law has set forth, to be met by all "juridical persons" applying for certification rights. The law does not state that training must also be done by designated organizations. As long as the final certification is given by the appropriate organization anymore, including individual trainers, are free to go ahead and train service & hearing dogs.

The only new thing being that the dogs must now be checked and certified before they are given public access. The law is designed so that the dogs when out working will not present a risk as a public health hazard both in terms of behavior and hygiene. But at the same time the certification procedure is seen as a means of verifying that the "services" provided by the dog is indeed useful, and moreover, not harmful, to the user with the disability. There have been many instances in the past where the dog has been trained to perform certain task in inappropriate ways, i.e. in ways that would ultimately be detrimental to the well being of the user. Needless to say, when dogs are trained by people who are unaware of the true nature of the user's disability, they may inadvertently be taught to move in ways that would harm the user's body. It is therefore, absolutely necessary for the dog and user's "partnership" to be carefully scrutinized before sending them on their way. The details concerning what would make a "juridical person" appropriate as a certifying body have yet to be laid out. The law comes into effect as of October 2002, thus these conditions amongst other things should be clarified before that by the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Labor.

One thing which must be pointed out as a serious flaw in this new law is the limitations placed on public access. The law obligates public facilities and public transportation to accept service dogs, but private businesses are simply "encouraged " to do so. This means that owners of private establishments may still deny access to service dogs and their users without breaking the law. Though this is a serious impediment the law is still a large step taken in the right direction in a country where still now all service dogs had to undergo individual testing with each and every railroad company before being able to travel around in the network of public transportation.

As for the actual certification, a changeover period of 2 years will be given during which all currently active service dogs, with the exception of guide dogs, must obtain an official badge of certification from the appropriate body. The details of the law as they become clarified in the form of Ministerial Ordinances shall be reported here at alter date. But in the meantime let us applaud this epoch-making move!

There is a small group in Japan, which has been very active in promoting the social acceptance of pet dogs. This group is called The Japan Association for the Promotion of Canine Good Citizens and has been in existence for a number of years.
The association sponsors the Canine Good Citizens Test, which is held in several locations throughout the country. The test itself is very similar to the Good Citizen Test of the American Kennel Club, but the Standards for judging are probably amongst the most stringent of all such programs worldwide.

The test consists of 15 exercises, which is much longer than the AKC Test. It is aimed at screening dogs and their handlers for social acceptability. Besides the usual obedience exercises such as the sit-stay and walking in heel position, reaction to distractions etc., there is a crate test, during which the dog must remain quietly in the crate while the handler removes himself/herself from the premises for a 10 minute period. There is also a "restaurant" test where the dog must remain in a down-stay under the table while the handler who is seated at the table partakes of refreshments, again for a full 10 minutes. The very first exercise is the judge asking the handler to produce a plastic bag ... an item of necessity that all dog owners must carry with them at all times. There is also an exercise where the handler is asked to show the judge that the dog will quietly allow him/her to wipe all four feet with a towel. This is also something that the owner must always be able to do especially when entering clean indoor areas during inclement weather.
As can be seen from such unique exercises the Japanese canine good citizen's test screens those dogs and owners who are best able to act appropriately in public places. Because the public image of the dog-owner team is so important to the Association, unpleasant actions and behavior by the handler can also cause the team to fail the test. If the handler's commands are given in an overly loud voice or unpleasant tones the judge may dismiss the team. Any rough handling is also unacceptable.

Those teams that pass the test are issued a good citizen "passport" which enables them to stay in the same rooms (dog and man together!) at hotels that have registered with the Association. This passport, however, is not a permanent certification. The certification must be renewed every 2 years, which of course, motivates the handler and dog to "keep up their good work!"
Though this is still a very small program it is beginning to gain the attention of many dog owners in Japan who see the testing as an opportunity to try out their skills for "real world purposes". It is a model program for motivating owners to enhance their relationships with their companion dogs.

For more information, visit their site at http://cgcjp.com .

Bite accidents are always a risk to pet-keeping societies. Although there is very little official data on the incidence of dog bites in Japan, the public is more than aware of that such accidents do and have occurred. In addition to dog bites there has been an increase in accidents caused by rowdy dogs being exercised off lead.

In February of this year a woman sued the owner of a 15pound Golden Retriever. The said Golden Retriever was being allowed to play off lead in a park. The dog collided with a woman who was out taking a walk through the park and the woman fell hard thereby breaking a leg and injuring parts of her face. She was medically diagnosed as requiring in-patient care for 5 months. This woman sued the owner of the dog for her medical expenses and other damages successfully, the Tokyo District Court ordering the defendant to pay a total of 1.9 million yen. This court case in a sense signifies the end of leniency towards irresponsible dog owners.
Despite the fact that off lead play for dogs is banned in many public parts and play areas there are still numerous owners who disregard these rules. Because Japanese society as a whole does not take so readily to law suits as compared to some cultures, up till now there have not been too many cases where dog owners were literally sued for the behavior of their canines. But just in the last month there were 2 cases brought to court highlighted in the media including the aforementioned incident.
The other case taken up by the media was that involving a male owner walking his pit bulls (dog fighting is still legal in many parts of the country). The owner was walking 3 of his fighting dogs with only one dog on lead, when one of the loose dogs attacked another dog being walked by a housewife from the same neighborhood. The man was immediately asked to report to the regional law enforcement authorities on the charge of breaking the local "leash law"
These are but two examples of serious dog bite cases that have occurred recently in Japan, and the outcome of each case. More recently a Doberman pinscher walking on lead attacked and bit off an ear of a young boy, but the circumstances under which the incident occurred has not been clarified as of yet, nor do we know the legal outcome of the accident. It is however very clear that irresponsible ownership in this regard will no longer be tolerated by the public.

Though Japan does not have a "dangerous dog law" as do some countries and localities, and although dog-fighting is still legal in parts of the country there is an increasing awareness in the public mind that dogs can become a public hazard, a risk to society as a whole, if not cared for properly. Though such an awareness is still in its infant stages, it will continue to grow. What is needed now is proper guidance to channel this growth into a constructive system of public education on animal welfare and owner responsibility.

As in any major city, pests have always been a problem in the bustling city of Tokyo. The Governor of the city has very recently decided to declare war on one such pest, the city crow. Needless to say, large cities provide crows with incredible amounts of food in the form of garbage. And the law of nature says that anywhere where there is an abundance of food, living beings will begin to reproduce rapidly. And so with the Tokyo crow.
The metropolitan government has received many complaints from local citizens about these crows. They fear open garbage bags, dig into trash bins and scatter the contents. They attack small animals, even pets. They become dangerously aggressive and territorial during nesting season... the list goes on and on.

These complaints have pressured the government into action. A task force was set up to consider effective countermeasures. There have already been several regions in the country that have been successful in resolving the "crow issue" by revising the local garbage collection system. If garbage is collected at night rather than in the early morning, the crows are deprived of the chance to partake of their normal "breakfast buffet" and hence move away from the area to seek out new homes where food is more abundant. A change in the collection schedule for the metropolitan garbage was, thus, quite naturally, one of the major options for action.
Unfortunately the task force, though aware of the garbage issue, also opted to take more aggressive action at the same time. This resulted in the building of numerous "trapping cages" throughout the city of Tokyo. These were large wire mesh cages, the size of a small hut, with food and a decoy (actually a live crow) placed inside them. The crows, if attracted by the food and decoy, are able to fly into the cage though an opening, but because of the way wires are hung down from the ceiling of the structure are unable to fly back out. Local animal welfare groups have circulated photographs of trapped crows that have "blooded themselves" in a desperate attempt to fly out of the structures. Crow collectors (euthanasia staff subcontracted by the metropolitan government) came around at regular intervals to take away the trapped birds.
Though the citizens of Tokyo, in most cases, are not deeply in love with the crow, and though they may see the crows as invincible pests, many have expressed a deep concern for the inhumane trapping methods. In one public park a trapping cage was set up adjacent to a playing field frequented by local children. Blood spattered on the floor of the cage was painfully obvious to the entire park crowd including these youngsters. A call from a local animal welfare group prompted the government to " hide" the area by a hastily set up fence, as if that would erase all the bloody details!

The metropolitan government aims to "get rid of" several thousand crows in this way by spring, but already the number of trappings are dwindling as the clever crows have begun to identify the inherent danger in these structures.
The government is moving along with plans to restructure the garbage collection system as well.
But one cannot help wondering whether the millions of tax yen spent on those cruel structures were ever worth the investment. If the structures were put there by the government just to show the complaining citizen that the public sector is indeed "taking action", and with the purpose of buying time for a more time consuming restructuring measure, one cannot help but sympathize with those unfortunate crows whose lives were sacrificed simply because human beings in responsible positions were unable, or worse yet, unwilling to take the time to convince the public about the truth of the situation.

These animals are the sources of trouble for city dwellers in Japan. The first two especially, have recently become hot topics in the media.
Raccoons began to gain popularity as pets in Japan in the late 1970's due to the appearance of a popular cartoon character named " Rascal". "Rascal" was a sweet little thing quite capable of staying on friendly terms with his human companion, but as we all know, the wild raccoon is not as docile as that cute, comical look on his face suggests. The raccoons were imported into Japan from North and Central America by the pet industry. The problem began when pet owners began to realize that the cuddly creatures they had bought were turning into 30-40 pound wild beings, quite unmanageable for the ordinary layman keeper. Hence these wild creatures were discreetly "released" from captivity by these owners to go join the indigenous population. Their Japanese cousins, the TANUKI or badger, are at most 20 pounds when full grown, so they were no matches for the raccoons on dominating the local wild neighborhood. The mountain area near Kobe city was one such " neighborhood", but the most famous by far is Kanagawa Prefecture, adjacent to and just southwest of Tokyo. This prefectural where the famous ports of Yokohama and Yokosuka are located enjoys a mild climate and lush vegetation. It was an ideal place for the raccoons to " take off on their own". The prefectural authorities estimate that there are probably nearly 2000 raccoons running wild in the local fields and forests. Citizens have reported pet birds and even pet cats being attacked and eaten by these raccoons. There have also been reports of these animals stealing carp from the ponds of local Japanese gardens. These raccoons when caught are taken to the Prefectural Center for the Conservation of the Natural Environment. Just like stray dogs and cats, they are given sometime to see whether foster homes or former owners can be found, but if not euthanasia is their final destination.
Despite the fact that the problem has been occurring in many localities, the authorities find if hard to believe that there are still shops that sell the critters, those people that buy them, and finally, those that dump them when they reach maturity. Observers have reported that the mating season for these local raccoons seems to have become 3-4 months longer than before, which is, of course, a very scary piece of news. These raccoons will continue to raid the garbage, destroy homes and gardens, attack pets, and bring internal and external parasites wherever they go. They are certainly "pests"... but in truth they are "man-made pests" or more precisely victims of human exploitation. What methods of education will get to the root of the problem, consumer ignorance. As long as there are consumers that support the exotic pet trade this issue will never go away.

Next month the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's attempts to tackle the crow issue will be discussed. The "trap and massacre" tactics selected by the current governor is beginning to upset many city dwellers. What is being done? How can if be changed or improved?Coexistence is not always a peaceful issue.

What are the facts and figures about pets in Japan? Japan has a total population slightly under 130 million people, living in a land area approximately the size of Germany. According to the survey conducted by the Prime Minister's office in 2000, pet ownership V.S. non-ownership in Japan comes out to a ratio of about 4:6. According to the same survey the most popular pet is the dog, followed by the cat. The 3rd and 4th places go to the fish and birds, respectively. It is rather interesting to note that this ranking is exactly the same as that in the United States. Which may mean that people's preferences for companion animals may be somewhat universal. As for the number of animals being kept in Japan, accurate data is hard to obtain due to the fact that only canines have to be registered under the present laws. These numbers are however, announced annually by the Pet Food Industry Association, and according to their figures, in the year 2000 there were approximately 10 million dogs being kept in Japan and 7.7 million cats.

Going back to the difficulties encountered in gathering such data, one must first mention the existence of an official nationwide dog registry system. All dogs in Japan must be registered as stipulated in the Rabies Prevention Law of the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Labor. However, as there is a limit to the extent of how such a law can be enforced, not every owner will register his/her dog. Therefore the actual number of dogs being kept in Japan for exceeds the number of dogs listed in the official government registry. The figures reported by the Pet Food Industry Association takes this fact into consideration.
As for cat ownership, again, as is the case in many other countries, the numbers are hard to determine due to the fact that many cats are not "fully" but only "partly" owned. The figures presented are therefore as accurate as can be under such circumstances.

Unfortunately there are still rather "negative" statistics about pet keeping in Japan. For example of all the dogs and cats being kept as companions less than half of them are actually kept inside the home. Despite the fact that many animal welfare groups are working hard to promote the concept of indoor pet keeping, many Japanese owners still opt to keep the animals outside. In terms of housing options most apartments are still off-limits to pets. It is said that over 80% of such collective housing still does not allow pets, again, despite the fact that many advocacy groups are lobbying for change. But change is forthcoming in this area, as there has been an increase in the number of apartments allowing pets in the past several years.

Finally, going back to the survey conducted by the Prime Minister's office, the main problem related to pet keeping as identified by the survey respondents was the fact that many owners are irresponsible and readily give up on the care of their companions. This again, is probably one of the major issues faced by animal welfare agencies throughout the world.
The more we know about each other, the more aware we become of the universality of the problem we all face.

Veterinary education in Japan is currently facing a major crisis. This is due to the fact that the educational system is not an optimal one for training quality professionals.

Under the Japanese educational system, students must select their major field of study when entering the university. This means that a high school graduate will choose a particular department (veterinary medicine, human medicine, law etc) and hence is future profession at the time of his application. Upon entrance, the student has a 6-year educational program in various aspects of veterinary medicine after which he/she will sit for the national certification exam. The licensing of veterinarians is done under a single national system placed under the jurisdiction of the ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery.

What are the problems inherent in this system? The major problem lies in the fact that 6 years is not nearly enough time to teach the bare necessities to a group of very young students with no basic knowledge of animal care or welfare. Why "very young"? Because in Japan there is still only a very small percentage of students who put in same years of work, or real life experience between high school and college. Hence most freshmen will be within the 18-20 year range.
Why " no basic knowledge of animals"? Because such things as school records (grades) and entrance exam scores are the major factors upon which decisions are made by the College Board. A student with absolutely no experience in keeping animals, including childhood pets, will most likely be admitted if he or she ranks well academically.
In a worst case scenario, a young student at 18 who has never keep a single pet in his/her life, and may even be scared of handling animals, will be admitted to vet school and work his/her way up through the curriculum, avoiding whenever possible extensive contact with animals and, doing well on written examinations. This student would most likely pass the national certification exam upon graduation which mans that from hence onward he/she is qualified to practice veterinary medicine in the community. At this point in time the student would be 24 years of age, and perhaps still "scared of animals"

Needless to say, is takes much more to educate a quality professional whom the pet owner can trust, but the above "worst case scenario " is encountered more often than one would like to think. Obviously Japan must move on to a 2 tier system where students must reapply for veterinary education after completing a basic curriculum in order to upgrade the quality of the graduates and in the long run the quality of the entire profession. The authorities are currently contemplating a change but concrete measures will probably not be taken in the near future.

As for animal health technicians, or vet-techs there is no national or prefectural (local) certification system. Currently there are several certification systems run by veterinary organizations, but certification is strictly voluntary. There are no college level programs in animal nursing, all the current education being done in vocational schools. Unfortunately it is still the predominant view among most professionals in the veterinary field that " college-educated animal nurses " are not necessary. This is another factor contributing to the critical condition of modern veterinary medicine in Japan.

Time is certainly ripe for the professionals themselves to reflect upon their past and bring about changes for a brighter future.

The issue of feral cats is a worldwide problem. Japan is no exception in this regard. There is a very large population of feral cats, or simply "strays". Especially in the some of the smaller islands of Okinawa Prefecture, the issue of feral cats is being debated rather seriously, due to the numerous "endangered species" in their wildlife population. The cats, either feral or simply housecats that are let out freely, are said to be one of the predators of several rare species of birds and insects. The actual situation must first be accurately assessed before any false charges are made, but at this point in time it is very difficult to state that the cats are totally blameless.

What can be done about the growing population of these free roaming cats? Putting the Okinawa issue aside, in the Japanese cities, there is a growing interest in "community cats". This is the Japanese term for spay-neuter and release programs. The Japanese word is "chiiki-neko", literally translated as community cat. The concept is to tame feral populations till they can be caught for spaying/neutering, and then to release these cats into the same community. After they are released back into the community, local volunteers feed these cats and provide further care such as the placing of boxes near the feeding points to provide simple shelters for inclement weather. These community cats are marked with ribbons, collars etc. so that the general public can be made aware of the fact that they are being taken care of. Upon seeing the collar or whatever marker the cat is wearing, the people in the community realize very quickly that these cats are spayed/neutered, vaccinated etc., making them less of a public nuisance. The volunteers that feed the cats also take care of any veterinary care that the cats may need from time to time. There are several important points that must be mentioned concerning the care of these community cats.

The first point is that this system gives the "cat ladies" a legitimate position in society if they are willing to "play by the rules" set down for them. If there are people that are going to be feeding stray cats whatever the situation, then it would be more constructive to allow these people to do so under a given set of rules. The system of caring for community cats does just that. It gives the cat people a legitimate way to express their eagerness to care for the cats that they are unable to take in, but does so in a way that does not antagonize the surrounding community by establishing a firm set of rules about feeding procedures and other matters pertaining to the daily care of the cats.

There are numerous Japanese breeds of dogs. Many people around the world know of the two most famous breeds, the Shiba and the Akita. Another well known name would be the Tosa, the breed name that gained fame through the Dangerous Dogs Act of the U.K. a number of years ago.
The Shiba Dog is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. as a small city dog. There are, for example, many people in New York City that are fanciers of this breed. The Shiba was originally an indigenous hunting dog kept by local hunters for the hunting of animals, such as the wild boar. These little dogs are therefore fiercely independent and somewhat aloof. This is actually something that can be said about Japanese breeds in general. Many Japanese fanciers will probably disapprove of the way the indigenous breed are "changing" outside of Japan, though the change is occurring domestically as well. What is the "change"? It is the change in the basic temperament of the breed, or breeds.
The Japanese have always prized the virtue of allegiance... the allegiance to one, and only one leader. This is what one may call the samurai spirit. As a result the dogs that the Japanese people kept were expected to be the same, in spirit, as their masters. The Japanese breeders have continued to maintain the aloofness in their dogs for this reason. A dog should not "wag its tail" for everybody, only for the master. A dog should not be over gregarious as this would seem extremely "undignified" and would also portray the fact that he is not "truly loyal" to his one and only leader. There have been breeders in the past that have left the bitches to raise her puppies with minimal human contact in order to make the pups even more aloof and independent and hence, "more dignified" in their manner and appearance.
Needless to say, as companion animals, dogs raised in such an environment can become somewhat of a problem, and as the demand for Shiba and other Japanese breed have increased within the general pet owning public, different characteristics are being chosen as being preferable in the breeding stock. This is what has led to the change in these dogs that the original fanciers would most likely lament about.
In terms of dog behavior and temperament, one can say that the Japanese breeds are shy in general, and that many tend to be one man dogs. This, of course, is the direct result of a long history of having had "aloofness", "loyalty", and "independence" stressed as desirable traits to be maintained in the breeding stock. Though, in general these dogs are shy, there is an increasing tendency to meet more

gregarious samples of the breed in recent years, and this tendency is certainly higher outside of Japan.
Though the traditional fancier may not like these recent trends, it is definitely better for the dogs themselves. To be loved in the family and to be loved in the neighborhood.... not to have to become nervous at the sight of each and every stranger.... to be a little goofy at times, just for the fun of it... isn't that what being a dog is all about?

The situation surrounding animal welfare in Japan is a little different from that in other countries in that there is very little tax incentive for volunteer organizations to grow in Japan.
It is extremely difficult to obtain tax-exempt status under the present Japanese system. As a result private animal welfare organizations in Japan have a hard time accumulating the necessary funding to do anything meaningful.For example, almost all large animal shelters in Japan are public, with strict rules on the length of time animals may be kept within the facilities before euthanasia.
As a result, through no choice of theirs, public animal control officials are forced to euthanise the animals under their care after a very short period of time. This is stressful for all those concerned and should be changed as soon as is possible. Unfortunately for the animal control officers as well as for the animals themselves, the government does not allow for adequate funding in the area of temperament testing, foster parenting etc., which would save more lives.
The main dilemma here is that Japan has been blamed for many years as a country indifferent to the well being of animals. This is not true, in that there are many volunteers and animal control officials, as well, who would be more than willing to do whatever is necessary to help in alleviating the suffering of animals.......BUT there is a limit to the resources that are available. No private charities in Japan can ever hope to accumulate enough funds to build even a mediocre shelter under the present system of taxation. The will is there, the system is not. This is a simple fact that cannot be changed. Where do we go from here?
If there is anyone out there that can answer the question for us the entire country would be indebted to you for life!

In Japan there has been no access laws till date for all service animals including guide dogs and hearing dogs.A group of Japanese parliamentarians have gotten together to form the Parliamentarians Union for the Promotion of Service dogs and they will present to the next session of the Diet a draft bill to secure the access of those people with disabilities using these dogs.Unfortunately there have been some objections to the submission of this draft bill to the Japanese Diet from various sectors simply due to the fact that"all parties concerned were not consulted".
One example would be the objections posed by some guide dog groups who are "worried about meddling third parties". Up till this time they have been fairly free of any criticism as these groups were the only ones who dealt with the issue. Now with the reference to new issues concerning quality control in the relatively new area of service dogs and hearing dogs,the guide dog groups will now have to face the age old issue of interfacing with the medical community. Other groups who have voiced their concerns are animal welfare organiations and veterinary associations.
Their main concern also seems to be that "they were not consulted".
We do not even want to mention the numerous training organizations started by breeders and dog trainers who have voiced their objections.
The keywords here are "quality control", "access", and "human and animal welfare"...none of which seem to concern the groups that have spoken up against this new access bill. All in all, it seems to be a worldwide phenomenon, that true disability issues and animal welfare issues are put aside to push forth more personal, or private, motives.
This is indeed a very sad situation. But it is up to the general public to become aware of the true situation. Donations and support in general will truly help those on the "real" receiving end only if the donor is aware of the reality surrounding the situation.
Japan is not an exception as far as this issue is concerned, and weask all those around the world to be more discriminatory in their support for seemingly helpful organizations.

Pocket pets are becoming increasingly popular in Japan. With many people living in apartments and condominiums, lack of space is a major barrier to pet keeping. That is one of the reasons many people find hamsters, rabbits, and other pocket pets quite attractive. Netherland Dwarfs and Lop Ears are two of the very popular breeds of rabbit. There are now many establishments specializing in the breeding of rabbits. Unfortunately there are fewer specialists, especially veterinarians that can deal with these smaller animals, as compared to the "dog and cat world". But there is no doubt about there being a growing market in this area, and care must be taken to protect the welfare of these vulnerable creatures. Did you know that many Japanese public schools keep rabbits as school pets? The educational authorities in Japan have been encouraging grade schools to keep animals in school to enhance their education in the area of responsibility, ethics, and the humane treatment of life. The concept is not wrong. However, in many cases educational specialists have not turned out to be the best caretakers of these creatures, and the rabbit hutches in some schools have turned into deplorable little zoos. Veterinary organizations have begun to take the initiative in righting the situation. Mihoko Nakagawa, DVM, has taken the initiative during the past decade to educate educational authorities in this area. Manuals and videotapes have been made specifically for enhancing the welfare of school pets. We are looking towards better days for all those school rabbits. Initially, the authorities had budgeted for therabbits and their housing, there was no money to cover up-keeping, maintenance, veterinary bills etc........unbelievable! Even the Educators need education as far as animals are concerned!