The Tale of Pino-chan and Popolo-chan: Rescued from death in a government animal 'protection' center

The Tale of Pino-chan and Popolo-chan: Rescued from death in a government Aigo “protection” center

by Nippon SPCA on Friday, 25 March 2011 at 20:05

Pino-chan (left) and Popolo-chan, two dogs saved from a government Aigo center before the earthquake

Pino-chan and Popolo-chan are two lucky dogs. These two pups survived an earthquake, a tsunami, a nuclear accident – but all that was just the latest of their worries. Pino and Popolo had faced a more pressing danger: the gas chamber.

Dropped off at a government-run animal “protection” center, the dogs were due to be condemned to a painful death by asphyxiation with carbon dioxide gas. Called an “Aigo” center in Japanese – the word “Ai” meaning literally “love” – the center is where cats or dogs are abandoned by their owners or people who find them outside of homes. Run by the prefectural governments, these “protection” centers typically hold cats for one day and dogs for three to five, after which, if they have not been adopted, the animals are put to death.

Popolo-chan in Yokohama

  Before the earthquake, Pino and Popolo were saved and brought to the Shippo no Nakama Shelter (“Friend of the Tail” Shelter), where they were taken care of and given a second chance at life.
When the Great Tohoku Earthquake hit northern Japan, the Nippon SPCA quickly went to visit the shelter in Ibaraki, which was without electricity, water or sufficient supplies (http://on.fb.me/eD6qTf) and brought Pino-chan and Popolo-chan and two lovely young Shiba dogs back to Tokyo where there were foster parents waiting.

If it weren’t for a small group of people in Japan dedicated to saving abandoned animals from the inevitable death that awaits them in the government run “protection” centers, these dogs wouldn’t be with us today.

If this earthquake does one good thing, it should be bringing to light the Animal Welfare situation in Japan: This is a country where the government will accept animals that owners no longer want and conveniently put them to death so that the owners can be free of their responsibility.

In other words, pet owners feel free to rid themselves of animals that they tire of, sometimes just because their breed has gone "out of fashion".

If that weren't bad enough, the centers have little motivation to promote the adoption of these animals and their charters expressly state that their purpose is to dispose of abandoned animals. (Staff at the centers – many of whom are trained veterinarians and animal lovers themselves – don’t necessarily agree with what they are paid to do, and many end up leaving if they can find other work.)  

Worse still, hardly anyone one in Japan knows about these realities, and few seem to care. Pet shops are everywhere, with US$2,000 less than 4-week-old American short hairs, Scottish fold and Persian kittens, with US$3,000 3-week-old poodles, Shibas and dachshunds; and customers buy them on a whim because they are cute – until they become troublesome and disposable. Then, the government is there to helpfully provide a solution – in fact, 400,000 solutions a year. Almost 300,000 cats and 100,000 dogs are put to death in these “Love” centers – that’s over 1,000 per day, at a cost of US$570,000,000* per year, all tax-payer money (*according to a Japanese Ministry of the Environment official who spoke on TV).

Feb. 26, 2011 -- Yoyogi Park, Tokyo: Nippon SPCA March and Demonstration to Change the Animal Welfare Law in Japan; Actress Miyoko Asada, lawmaker Makiko Fujino, Madame Dewi Sukarno and NSPCA member Elisa Narikawa

 If this outrages you like it outrages us, spread the word about what is going on here. We are already campaigning to change the Animal Welfare laws this year – when they come up for their once-every-five-year review – and have already held a March and Demonstration in February to get the message out to the public (http://bit.ly/frkqtv). A petition that we have been circulating for six months has more than 40,000 signatures (contact us if you would like a copy of the petition to circulate).
We will keep you updated on how our work proceeds and what we accomplish. Donations are always welcome so that we can continue our activities (Read here how to donate: http://on.fb.me/gX8brK). The Nippon SPCA is an “Association Corporation”, the NPO status in Japan for a small organization (http://on.fb.me/i7rHFQ), and we depend on memberships and contributions to make it possible to do our work.

If you have any experience in your country with situations like this and campaigns to change the law, we would be more than happy to hear from you about how the laws were amended to truly protect animals and whatever recommendations you may have about how to bring this change about (Here are the general Japanese laws on Animal Welfare: http://on.fb.me/fuVXjU). We are grateful for all advice and expertise that you can convey.

Pino-chan clean and happy in Yokohama

 Because in the end, this is for every Pino-chan and Popolo-chan, every Short Hair and Tabby. Pino and Popolo are just two animals, but they are the two that escaped. Let’s make sure that more animals in the future have the same second chance that they did!
Read our plan for our second rescue mission here: http://on.fb.me/fmGbxA

Donate here: http://on.fb.me/gX8brK

Read the Japanese Animal Welfare Law here: http://on.fb.me/fuVXjU