Transcriber: Miyu Hayashi Reviewer: Hiroko Kawano
Do you love cats and dogs?
Better yet, do you own a dog or cat?
Well, today I am here to talk about animal welfare
and the pet industry of Japan.
My name is Mari Quintana,
and I'm here because of my love for dogs and cats.
I'm here because of my cat, Kuro.
Kuro was a kitten I found near the river
when I was in middle school.
He was sick and thin and had insects crawling all over him.
Unable to move, he lay still in his own waste.
It's so strange because if you were in that situation,
you'd almost always have to take it home with you.
I took him to the vet, and they told me the sad news
that he would probably only live for a week.
Obviously, now I was trying harder to keep this small, small life alive,
and the hard work paid off.
Today, Kuro is eight years old and as healthy as he can be.
This happy story has a different aspect
as one of my relatives told me to take it to the shelter.
Over 3,000 cats were put down in Kyoto that year.
"Put down" means to be gassed to death.
3,304 cats were stuck in crates,
and this kitten could've been one of them.
One of the 3,304.
To me, this was unfair and unbelievable.
This was the start of all my rescues.
The statistics may seem unreal, but there is a clear reason for this.
First, Japan has a very large pet industry.
And these animals are bought and thrown away very easily.
Over 43,000 cats and dogs are put down a year.
About 21% of those animals are dogs,
and the rest are cats.
Although these numbers are gradually decreasing,
it's still way more than it should be.
Other First World countries have smaller numbers being put down.
In Germany,
the number is almost equal to zero.
Dogs and cats in Japan, even puppies and kittens,
are killed by the hands of humans because of problematic behavior.
They are killed because owners were old and passed away
or because they weren't sold at pet shops
or accidentally reproduced.
They were all unwanted.
Why do so many animals have to be killed without knowing the mercy of humans?
On a personal level, people who do not train their dogs and cats
are at fault for problematic behaviors
such as biting, barking, meowing, and destroying things.
The lack of planning when buying a pet is another problem.
Once around the age of 65,
buying a puppy or kitten should not be an option,
as they could outlive the owner.
Some owners may not neuter their dogs and cats,
but this results in puppies and kittens unnecessarily being born.
On an industrial level,
unsold puppies and kittens are disposed of
just because they may be older than the other puppies and kittens
or because they have or may have physical problems.
For pet shops and breeders,
puppies and kittens are only thought of as profit,
and any unsold puppies and kittens are a waste of space, time and money.
On another level,
we have dogs and cats that are strays
who are often former pets.
Some were abandoned pets or pets that have become lost.
Either way, these become the stray dogs and stray cats.
Out of the animals, I work on stray dogs.
I foster and rehabilitate them so they can live with humans.
And finding them new homes is my goal.
I will show you a part of what I do.
This is Rui.
He was a stray dog that had lived his life without human interaction.
Caught and kept in a kennel to count his days,
he wasn't allowed to find a new home, because he was labeled aggressive.
I volunteered to take him home,
and he has changed so much since leaving the shelter.
He is good with other dogs,
and his fear of humans has significantly decreased.
Even a dog labeled aggressive can be a good family member.
I learned the true him.
He is calm and has never bit me.
This is the reason why I foster.
Japan is a country that mass produces and mass consumes pets.
There's excessive supply, and the demand hasn't caught up.
So why is the pet industry in Germany different compared to Japan?
In Germany,
the main way of obtaining a dog or a pet is by adopting.
Although there are pet shops in Germany,
there are strict laws regarding the health and the age
of the animals that are sold.
One of the reasons animals are put down in Japan
is because of behavioral problems.
This also comes from the lack of social skills
and loss of important lessons learned through play
they should've experienced.
Instead, at a young age,
they are isolated in different boxes and showcases.
This means they do not know
how to socialize with humans and other dogs.
They may bark excessively or bite
without knowing they are doing something wrong.
So why don't many people in different countries
buy cats and dogs at pet shops?
We could say this is so
because other countries are more aware of what is going on.
In Japan, many bad breeders and puppy mills exploit dogs and cats,
making them breed until death or they are thrown away.
These places only think of cats and dogs as products.
They then sell the young offspring to pet shops.
How bad can a bad breeder or puppy mill be?
Let's imagine a situation.
Imagine you are in a room, barely able to move.
There's no cushioning,
and a plate of food from who knows when.
The water has started to grow algae, and your hair and nails have grown out.
You need to go to the restroom, but there isn't one in your room,
so you have to do it on the floor,
a mesh floor.
And your mess falls on your neighbors living below you.
What kind of quality of life do you think that would be?
These breeding animals are stuck in crates,
living these lives
until they are either dead or thrown away,
or rescued by an animal organization as this dog was.
That is why buying at a pet shop promotes the breeding animals
to live a miserable life.
How can we stop this mass production of ownerless dogs and cats?
There are three levels of action you can take
to make Japan a better place for animals.
The first action you could take
is if you own a dog or cat, tag and neuter them.
This is an easy way to save your dog and cat.
When they get lost,
police can identify the owner with a tag and get them home.
I would like you to do this
not only to help reunite with your furry family member
but also to save one.
One lost dog or cat in a kennel
takes up space that another dog or cat could've been in.
One lost pet means one less space for a dog to survive.
The other important thing is to neuter your dog and cat.
There are many benefits in neutering.
It reduces risks of tumor and cancer.
It also stops them from reproducing.
By doing this, you give a chance for ownerless pets to find a home.
Lost pets and unplanned puppies and kittens
take up space that other ownerless pets could've been in.
Second, on a voluntary level, there are things you can do.
One of the most obvious things you could do
is donate to your local animal organization.
It enables us to give dogs and cats medical attention that they need
and funds to shelter one.
Donating money is very thankful, and some organizations have priorities
such as dog food, pet sheets, towels and blankets.
Donating is not the only way you can help volunteer.
There are many things you can do for an organization.
Volunteer shampoo is a low-cost way for a dog or cat to look better
and interact with humans.
Some dogs just need good experiences with humans.
A good shampoo session could help them feel safe.
Walking a shelter dog gives them the exercise and attention they need.
You could teach the dog how to walk on leash
by taking them on short walks.
By helping dogs experience walking,
it makes it easier for them to find an owner.
Fostering a dog or cat is another way to help.
By fostering, you can help them escape being put down,
help them feel safe
and help them find a new home.
Christmas is coming, and the New Year follows.
If you're considering buying a dog or cat,
help a dog or cat find a home by adopting them.
Around 2,000 puppies and kittens are sold a day at pet shops.
350 dogs and cats are put down a day.
One adopted dog or cat means another one could escape the shelter.
Lastly, the easiest way to contribute is telling your family and friends.
I want you to spread awareness of the pet industry
and the numbers of dogs and cats put down yearly.
Please use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
I need your help.
On October 10th of 2019,
the animal shelter in Nagoya had removed gas machines
thanks to many people's actions.
A small chance for these animals could lead to a big change.
Fostering has been a blessing.
Getting to know each puppy and kitten at my house
has always been surprising.
It's unbelievable that some of these animals were destined to be put down.
This is Ren.
I fostered him for a year, and he has changed throughout time.
He was scared of humans at first, but learned that humans are not that bad.
Now, he lives in his forever home.
"Nihon ni umarenakereba yokatta."
"I shouldn't have been born in Japan."
This is a phrase often used among animal organizations
to express the short and unhappy lives of the dogs and cats that are put down.
Let's make Japan a better place for these animals
so they don't have to suffer any more than they already do.
Thank you for listening.
(Applause)