Keeping pets without house | ZENOAQ [Nippon Zenyaku Kogyo Co., Ltd.]

The issue of social unrest and economic woes has hit many countries throughout the world. Though Japan is considered to be one of the luckier nations, problems are certainly not "non-existant". Pet-keeping by the homeless population has increased dramatically in many countries over the last decade and Japan is no exception to this trend. The keeping of pets by homeless people without the proper care and sanitation can become a serious public health issue not to mention the huge implications it has in terms of animal welfare and the humane care of animals.

One of the main problems seen in the homeless population that live with animals is that of spay and neutering, or the lack thereof. In Japan there have been many cases in which a homeless owner will take in stray cats as pets and then allow them to breed unlimitedly. This increases the street cat population that remain essentially unvaccinated and thus a risk to infection control in the entire cat population.

Recently the problem took on a new dimension when a homeless man living in a riverside area of Tokyo was found to be the owner of over 30 rabbits. The rabbits came to the attention of the authorities when maintenance discovered the large group to be running around free along the bank digging large nest holes in the embankment. The authorities realized that a further increase in the rabbit population in this limited area could seriously jeopardize the structure of the dike/embankment making the section vulnerable should a natural disaster strike. The authorities then discovered that the rabbits "belonged" to a single man who had been living on the riverbank for the past 2 years, He was given 7 rabbits from a friend sometime ago but soon realized that the 7 had created a large family numbering over 30 individuals. The man is quoted as having referred to his rabbits as "family" and will not give them up easily. But at the same time he was "surprised" and also "did not know" that they would breed so rapidly. The public works sector of the local authorities is not equipped to deal with such issues and the only emergency measure they were able to take was to fence off an area around the man's shack and demand that he keep his rabbits inside the fence, not allowing them to roam freely along the riverbank. Obviously this is merely the first step towards a long-term solution to the issue.

As can be seen from this recent incident as well as from others in the past the most effective step that must be taken as soon as is possible is to spay/neuter the pets that are being kept by the homeless population. The ignorance of the owners about proper care and population control must be addressed immediately. Only them can the pertinent authorities as well as welfare groups move on to solve the more difficult issue of whether or not these animals should remain with their homeless owners. The human rights and animal welfare implications of this problem call for much discussion before proper solutions can be suggested.

For the spay/neuter programs needed immediately as well a for the more long term issue of proper care including veterinary medical interventions the question that must be answered is "who will pay for the services?"

Animal welfare charities in other countries have been giving help in this area. Though the efforts have yet been on a smaller scale, Japanese animal welfare groups are also trying to lend a helping hand in this area. Should the welfare of the pet animal be included when welfare authorities aid homeless people? Or, are animals an added expense that public funds should not be allocated for? Is keeping a companion animal a basic human right that should not be violated even when the human being is having difficulties taking care of him/herself? Can animal welfare groups take on another new and growing area of concern without jeopardizing their current rescue rehoming efforts? Are these animals truly happy to be living with their owners? These are but a few of the questions that must be answered in order to tackle this daunting problem.

Objective

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