JAWS Annual Report 2022 (April 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023)
GREETINGS FROM MR. MITSUTAKA KUROKAWA, CHAIRMANI.

ANIMAL WELFARE ACTIVITIES
1. Addressing Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
2. From the Statistics of the Ministry of the Environment
3. Regarding JAWS UK
4. Activities as a Board Organization of the Japanese Coalition for
Animal Welfare
5. Submission of Requests/Petitions, etc.
6. Collaboration with Other Organizations
7.
8.

Academic Network
Collaborative Research with Nippon Veterinary and Life Science
University<An Outline of the Results of the Survey of the Current Situation ofZoos in Japan>
9. Animal ID Promotion Organization (AIPO)
10. Promotion of Spaying/Neutering of Dogs and Cats
11. Adopted Animals
II.

EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

III.

The 63rd Animal Protection Essay Contest
Kazuma Okamoto’s Happy Animal Project
The Main Event of the Be Kind to Animals Week
JAWS Report
Adoption Events
Seminars, Workshops, Lectures, Academic Societies, and Interviews

FUNDRAISING
1. Design Cards and Picture Books Translated by H.I.H. Princess
Hitachi
2. Sales of Original Products
3. Donations

IV.

MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENTV.

OFFICE REPORT
1

1. Annual General Assembly
VI.

REPORTS FROM OUR BRANCHES
1. Tochigi Branch
2. New Tokyo Branch
3. Yokohama Branch
4. Nagano Branch
5. South Osaka Branch

VII.

REPORTS ON FINANCIAL AFFAIRS

2

GREETINGS
Report on the Situation of Activities in Fiscal Year 2022
I send my best regards to all members and supporters of JAWS and hope that
all is well for everybody. I would like to show my sincere appreciation for thecontinued warm understanding and support regarding our animal welfare
activities.
The onset of a new variant of COVID-19 in fiscal year 2022 led to the sharp
increase in the number of cases. Due to restrictions on activities, JAWS had
to suspend a part of its activities. Even under these circumstances, there weremany cases of animal hoarding and animal abuse in areas outside of Tokyo.
From the perspective of One Health and One Welfare, JAWS proactively
participated in projects that comprehensively assist the welfare of bothhumans and animals in animal hoarding situations as collaborative efforts
with local authorities.
The subsidization of spaying/neutering operations, the other main pillar of
the animal welfare activities of JAWS, targeted two prefectures, Fukushima
and Nagasaki Prefectures, in fiscal year 2022; we subsidized the operation ofroughly 1,600 animals. In addition, our “JAWS Stray Cats Campaign”
subsidized roughly 200 animals, and in total JAWS was able to subsidize theoperation of roughly 3,300 animals totaling those subsidized by our branches.
On the other hand, per our educational activities, we have advanced the useof online platforms to avoid the transmission of COVID-19, and we have
expanded our audience base throughout the country. The “Shelter Medicine
Seminar,” that addresses appropriate care and management of rescued
animals, was held using a hybrid method; we provided recorded archives ofthe seminar as we had strong requests from our audience. We also held the“Veterinary Forensics Seminar” with the purpose of training veterinarians
who can scientifically assess animal abuse, and we also delivered online the“Citizen Forum for Animal Welfare” targeting the general public; we reacheda total of roughly 5,000 views. In addition, we launched a “Shelter Medicine
Collaborative Seminar Series” with the Nippon Veterinary and Life Science
University in order to disseminate the concept of animal welfare among young
veterinary professionals and stakeholders who would be bearing the future of3

this industry.
The “Animal Protection Essay Contest” that we hold every year counted its
63rd year, and we received 1,251 applications from elementary and middle
school students. JAWS believes that raising the interest of the young
generation in animal welfare activities is a challenge for us and our duty.
Thus, we perceive the essay contest as one of the events that we should strive
to further enhance.
All activities of JAWS are supported by the membership fee and donations
from corporations and individuals who have donated to make a social
contribution. In addition, from the previous fiscal year, Kazuma Okamotoof Yomiuri Giants supports our animal welfare activities through the“Kazuma Okamoto Happy Animal Project.” We would like to put our utmost
effort into continuing our contribution in improving the situation of animal
welfare in Japan using the funding that everybody has provided to theorganization, and we appreciate your continued understanding and support.
We extend our wishes for the health and happiness of all and hereby present
the situation of activities for fiscal year 2022.
Mitsutaka Kurokawa
Chairman

4

I.

ANIMAL WELFARE ACTIVITIES<Promotion of Spaying and Neutering of Dogs and Cats, etc.>
1. Addressing Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The reported number of animal abuse cases charged by the police in 2022
as violation of article 44 of the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals(from hereon referred to as the Animal Welfare Act) was 166; this is more orless on the same level compared to the previous year which marked a record
high of 170 cases. As for the victimized animals, 91 cases involved cats, 53
cases involved dogs, and other cases reported exotic animals such as horses
and rabbits as well as oriental short-clawed otters. Regarding the types ofabuse, 74 cases involved abandonment, 49 cases involved neglect, and 43
cases involved the killing or injuring of animals. The reasons that the numberof cases charged remains high may be strengthened penalties of animal abuse
under the revised Animal Welfare Act of 2018 and the growing publicawareness.
However, even if the number of cases that are charged increases there
are many cases that are not prosecuted due to the decisions of the Public
Prosecutor’s Office. And even if the cases are prosecuted it is rare that thesecases get actual jail sentence without suspension. JAWS believes that it is
crucial for the judicial branch to make more stringent decisions in order todeter people from committing these crimes.
In addition, the insertion of microchips became a requirement from June
2022 for dogs and cats that are sold from places such as breeders and pet
stores. With this change, there have been cases on the violation of theVeterinary License Act in which non-licensed breeders have inserted
microchips in dogs. The violation of the Veterinary License Act has been an
issue with animal handling businesses without veterinary licenses
vaccinating their animals. Such acts may be hazardous to the health of theanimals and need to be actively brought to charge.
On the other hand, even if the increase in penalties present more
opportunities to penalize the perpetrators of animal abuse there still remains
the issue of ownership rights which makes it difficult to rescue the victimized
animals. For this reason, there is an urgent need to develop laws so thatvictimized animals can be rescued in a speedy manner; thus, JAWS would
like to make proposals so that a provision for emergency rescue would be
included in the next revision of the Animal Welfare Act.
5

Recently, there has been a series of large-scale animal abuse cases of typeI animal handling businesses. In a major case during the previous fiscal year,
a puppy mill breeder in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, was arrested
and prosecuted for abusing roughly 1,000 dogs and cats; this fiscal year,
puppy mill breeders in Neyagawa City, Osaka Prefecture, and Hachioji City,
Tokyo, were arrested for abusing small breeds and Kai dogs (a Japanese
breed). In all of these cases, the respective local authorities have inspected
and provided guidance to the breeders several dozen times. In some cases,
this period spanned for several years in which dogs and cats were left in
unnecessary suffering and causing deaths for some of these animals. The local
authorities have a power to suspend these operations or cancel theregistration of these businesses. However, as these cases demonstrate,
there are instances where the local authorities cannot take stringent
measures despite the fact that the situation of these businesses fulfill therequirements for the cancellation of their registrations; such hesitation only
worsens the situation. Nationally, during the five year-period from fiscal
year 2017 to fiscal year 2021 there were only five cases in which suchadministrative punishments were imposed. For the cases in Matsumoto City
and Neyagawa City, the local authorities did not cancel the registration of thebusinesses until the business owner was arrested and a notice on the
discontinuation of the business was submitted.
Also, in animal abuse cases, often times stakeholders need to secure aplace to temporarily board the rescued animals. As with previous fiscal years,
this year too, JAWS received reports of police requesting to board victimized
animals in government facilities and being turned down. JAWS understands
that these matters need to be addressed in a careful manner due to the issueof ownership rights; however, it is clearly stated in the “Guideline for
Addressing Animal Abuse” issued by the Ministry of the Environment that
Animal Welfare Centers are to cooperate with the police if they request to
temporarily board the confiscated animals. In addition, it is stated that the
Animal Welfare Centers must take in surrendered dogs and cats as much as
possible; however, there are few local authorities that make this effort, andprivate organizations that have boarding facilities are left to bear the burden.
There are also many cases in which multiple private organizations that are
involved in a case confront each other, so even when the local authorities
choose not to board the animals and make requests to the private sector, thelocal authorities need to take the initiative to move the case forward. JAWS
is hoping that the animal protection authorities show a proactive stance in6intervening in and collaborating for animal abuse cases – they should not beperceiving these cases as somebody else’s affairs.
Reflecting on the case which took place in Matsumoto City, Nagano
Prefecture has drafted an “operation procedure on adverse disposition” and a“notification on enforcement.” A public servant in Nagano Prefecturecommented that “we must be aware that it is our job to protect the health andsafety of the animals, and it is important to think through for a way toaccomplish this rather than think of reasons why we cannot do this.”
Perhaps, more animals will be saved if public servants in charge of animal
welfare and management all over Japan addressed these cases under similar
beliefs.
There is also a rise in the number of requests for consultation and abusecases involving type II animal handling businesses. There was an animal
rescue facility in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, whose stakeholder
was prosecuted for animal abuse at the end of this fiscal year, because theperson allegedly inflicted violence on animals as a part of obedience training.
This organization had been criticized for collecting money as fundraising infront of train stations accompanied by a dog under the scorching sun; however,they seemed to have been successful with their fundraising. Like theorganization in this example, unfortunately, there is an increase in thenumber of animal rescue organizations and corporations that play on the good
will of others. There are organizations that make people pay expensive
adoption fees or donations, and some are engaged in transaction exclusively
on the internet, which is prohibited for type I animal handling businesses,
causing various conflicts. Some animal protection organizations andcorporations are becoming the last resort for leftover animals from pet
auctions and pet stores or retired breeding dogs/cats from breeders; thesebusinesses function as pick-up (sales) operations for unwanted animals.
These gray-area businesses are not under strict provisions like the type I
animal handling businesses, and they make money playing on the good willof the public. Thus, JAWS believes that there needs to be a legal distinction
between these entities and non-profit organizations that truly work hard to
rescue animals that are suffering under unfortunate circumstances.
It is not only companion animals like dogs and cats that become victimsof abuse. JAWS continues to receive requests for consultation on animals
used for exhibitions. This fiscal year, JAWS conducted an inspection in June,
October, and January at the Zao Fox Village in Miyagi Prefecture, a place forwhich JAWS had received many complaints.
JAWS confirmed many7

instances of inappropriate care and management on the site.

Ifinappropriate care and management continue for a long period of time
without any improvements it becomes animal abuse. For this reason, JAWS
sent Miyagi Prefecture, the local authority in charge of this facility, a reportand a request for improvement after the inspections.

↑ Animal injured on the head with a swollen face ↑Animals fighting↑ The inside of thecage was unsanitary posing an inappropriate environment for animals

Currently, the Ministry of the Environment is drafting standards for the careand management of animals other than dogs and cats. However, because
there are so many species living in Japan, it is impossible to cover all of them.
Thus, JAWS believes that there needs to be materials with items common for
all animal species written so that it can be applied to various animals.
There are many grave issues regarding the stress on young animals fromthe sales in mobile stalls and consumer conflicts that arise from such methodsof sales. In many cases, the trucks that are used to transport the animals or
event venues are registered as the facility to care for the animals. It is
doubtful as to whether facilities complying with the care and management
standards can be set up in trucks and event venues and whether thesebusinesses truly comply with the two-day observance period after the arrivalof animals at the venue. Often times, these points make it questionable as
to why these businesses are able to register. In addition, the stress of beingtransported is enormous for the young animals, and there are reports thatthe conditions of these animals on sales deteriorate as time passes. JAWS has
been requesting the prohibition of the sales of animals in mobile stalls every
time the Animal Welfare Act is being revised and hopes that this would bereflected this time.
As with previous years, JAWS received many requests for consultation
regarding animal abuse perpetrated by private pet owners. For animalhoarding cases, depending on the locality, there are cases where humanservice authorities are proactive in resolving the case but the animal
protection authorities are passive or refuse to move. Under article 25 of theAnimal Welfare Act, the animal protection authorities are capable of8inspecting and providing guidance to private pet owners that keep their petsin an inappropriate manner. How the animal protection authorities addresscases at this timing becomes the key to prevent these cases from escalating
into actual animal abuse.
Regarding farm animals, the national government is also engaged under
the stance that animal welfare is an important issue. Especially for egglaying hens, the discussion at the World Organization for Animal Health(OIE) on animal welfare and the production system of egg-laying hens isreaching its final stages. Battery cages, operations for keeping egg-laying
hens, are already banned in the EU, and there is also an increasing numberof countries in Asia that prohibit this method. In Japan over 90% of hens
are kept in over-crowed battery cages, and this method has kept the prices of
eggs low. However, as with the case during this fiscal year, it has become
clear that once (high-pathogenic) avian influenza enters a battery cage
operation it is easy for the disease to spread. Also, battery cages infringe
greatly on the welfare of the egg-laying hens. JAWS believes that as adeveloped country, it is time for Japan to consider the banning of battery
cages. However, JAWS thinks that the authorities would need to consider
the burden on the egg producers with a period similar to the ban in EU where
the actual ban was enforced during a 12-year period following theannouncement. JAWS also believes that it is important to require
manufacturers to print the method of the management of the egg-laying hens
onto the egg packages that would be sold in places such as supermarkets.
Many consumers often do not know the environment under which the eggs
were produced; thus, if this is printed on the pack it would give the consumers
the opportunity to think about this issue which would feed into theimprovement of farm animal welfare.
2. From the Statistics of the Ministry of the Environment
According to the statistics of the Ministry of the Environment, thenumber of dogs and cats destroyed in fiscal year 2021 (April 1st, 2021 – March
31st, 2022) continues to decline. The number of animals returned/adopted isfalling proportionate to the number impounded, however, the rate of
return/adoption has also reached a record high of 75.8%. As for the numberof animals impounded, kittens top the list as with previous years. For bothdogs and cats, there are more animals impounded for which owners are
unknown compared to those brought in by owners. The number of animals
9destroyed reached a record low, and the rate of destruction broke 25%.

The

reasons for destroying the animals are counted using the following three
categories: 1) animal is unfit for adoption (has a disease that cannot be cured,aggression, etc.), 2) difficulties in keeping or putting up the animal for
adoption due to reasons other than 1) (old age, is injured or has a disease,capacity of the facility, etc.), and 3) dies after impoundment. For both dogs
and cats, 1) is the most common reason with 6,725 cases, followed by 2) whichcounted 4,180 cases.
National Statistics of Fiscal Year 2021 (FY 2020)

Dogs
Cats
Total

Number of Animals Impounded

After Impoundment

Adult Dogs/Cats

Puppies/Kittens

Returned/Adopted

Destroyed

19,2294,873

21,5182,739（22,397）（5,238）（24,199）（4,059）11,28823,517

23,112

11,718（13,919）（30,879）（25,385）（19,705）

30,51728,39044,63014,457（36,316）（36,117）（49,584）（23,764）*The number of puppies and kittens signifies the number of animals not weaned. The
numbers in parenthesis signify the numbers from the previous year.
The number of impounded adult animals with unknown owners includes animals seizedunder the Rabies Prevention Act.
The number of animals impounded with unknown owners also includes a part of animals
impounded based on prefectural/city regulations.
The number of destroyed animals includes natural deaths such as deaths ofkittens/puppies during impoundment due to causes such as diseases.
For local authorities that do not distinguish between adult animals and puppies/kittens,
the number is included in the adult animals.

3. Regarding JAWS UK
As with previous fiscal years, this fiscal year too, JAWS received seven
requests for consultation via its sister organization, JAWS UK, fromforeigners living both within and outside Japan regarding issues concerning
SNS posts and articles. There is an increase in the number of requests we
receive from not only foreigners living outside of Japan but also from those
who live in Japan.
The content of these requests spanned from companion animals such as
10

dogs to issues regarding the cat island, Japanese monkeys, dolphins, andmeerkats covering a variety of issues.
4. Activities as a Board Organization of the Japanese Coalition for Animal
WelfareThe Japanese Coalition for Animal Welfare (from hereon, referred to as
JCAW) has been involved in activities related to improving the legislation,such as the drafting of proposals of revisions and discussions with related
entities, eyeing the revision of the Animal Welfare Act which is plannedaround 2025.
5. Submission of Requests/Petitions, etc.
With a request from Sakai City, JAWS drafted and submitted a position
statement regarding a video clip that abuses cats created by a You Tuber who
lives in Sakai City. JAWS also sent in a request and a position statement to
the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries regarding the “New
Guideline for the Care and Management of Animals Eyeing Animal Welfare.”
In addition, there was a phone call to JAWS that provided the informationthat Kasamatsu Race-Track continues to use Pacoma, an invert soap andpreparations, to destroy horses; thus, JAWS sent a query to Gifu Prefecture
Association of Racing regarding the use of Pacoma in order to confirm thefacts.
6. Collaboration with Other Organizations
JAWS had a discussion with the Japanese Association of Zoos andAquariums on the drafting of the Zoo Law eyeing to improve the welfare ofanimals used for exhibitions. JAWS also provided advice for the “Exotic Pet
Guide” drafted by WWF Japan. https://www.exoticpetguide.org/guide/
7. Academic Network
JAWS convened the meetings of experts for “considering the welfare offarm animals” and “reviewing the need for emergency rescue measures ofanimals.”11

8. Collaborative Research with Nippon Veterinary and Life Science
University
The following is the final report on the collaborative research with the
Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University which has been continued
from the previous fiscal year. This research was a field survey of the situationof animal welfare in zoos all over Japan which was conducted as a joint
research project with the Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University; theresearch serves to fundamentally resolve the current situation in which there
are simply too many zoos in Japan and how many of these zoos are silently
accepted despite the fact that they sacrifice the welfare of their animals in
exchange of collecting visitors and prioritizing profit.
<An Outline of the Results of the Survey of the Current Situation of Zoos inJapan>【Introduction and Purpose】
Many of the animals used for exhibitions are captive wildlife, and zoos need
to be operated in a manner that considers the welfare of all species so thatevery animal can express their natural behaviors. However, there are no
regulations or codes that address zoos or captive wildlife, and it seems likethere is much variability in the welfare of animals across Japanese zoos.
This research aimed to survey the current situation of animal welfare indomestic zoos by comprehensively assessing their welfare from five
perspectives – physical health, nutrition, behavior, environment, and mental
aspects.
【Method and Instrument】
The study included mammals, birds, and reptiles kept in domestic zoos. The
zoos included in this research were randomly selected members of theJapanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) and non-JAZA zoos.
Thirty-one items on the five domains of physical health, nutrition, behavior,environment, and mental aspects were drafted to evaluate each animal. The
mean of each item in the physical health, behavior, and mental domains wereused as objective variables, and their correlations with the explanatory
variables – 18 items on nutrition and environment – were examined using
linear regression analysis. For items with significant results, multiple
regression analyses were conducted.
12

【Results】
Data were collected from 185 species kept in 70 zoos (40 JAZA zoos and 30
non-JAZA zoos) which were visited during the period from October 20th, 2020
to January 19th, 2022. Safety of feeding, behavior restrictions, foul odor/noise,and contamination of environment correlated significantly with physicalhealth scores. Choice of environment, place to hide, species-specific behavior,and foul odor/noise correlated significantly with behavior scores. Mental
domain scores were significantly correlated with six items.
【Discussion】
The results suggest that the mental domain is strongly related to otherdomains and that the environment has a large impact on animal welfare. In
addition, the five domains are closely interrelated with the welfare of zoo
animals, and all domains are imperative in the improvement of the welfareof these animals. The comparison between JAZA member zoos and nonJAZA zoos revealed that JAZA members scored better in most items related
to animal welfare compared to non-JAZA zoos.
【Conclusion】
There is a stark difference in the level of animal welfare among domestic zoos,
and improvement is necessary especially in the items relevant to nutrition,
behavior, and environment. Also, the welfare of animals exhibited in zoos is
a result of the interaction between the five domains, and the welfare ofanimals is only maintained by fully considering all items. Among these, of
special importance are the existence of appropriate stimuli and sufficientchoices which create an environment in which the animals can exhibit theirnatural behavior as well as the provision of a sanitary and comfortableenvironment in which the animal can relax. In addition, minimizing thenegative aspects is not enough; the positive aspects must be enhanced at thesame time to accomplish good animal welfare. In order to evaluate animal
welfare in a simple manner it is best to assess the environment to see if it isa situation in which animals can exhibit their natural behaviors and if it isclean and comfortable for the animal to relax in.
Furthermore, for the welfare of zoo animals it is thought that aspects such as
the social roles and implications of zoos, the clarification of its standards aswell as the understanding and compliance of stakeholders regarding thesestandards, and comprehensive knowledge and skills of the stakeholders are13

also important.

Future directions of zoos need to be clarified, including thedevelopment of regulations, so that domestic zoos can achieve higher
standards of animal welfare.
9. Animal ID Promotion Organization (AIPO)As a member of the National Animal Welfare Promotion Council which
consists of three organizations, JAWS has been collaborating with the Japan
Veterinary Medical Association and putting its effort into promoting
microchips as a member of AIPO. With the revision of the Animal Welfare
Act in 2019, sellers of dogs and cats are now required to insert microchips in
the animals and register them; this provision was enforced in June 2022.
The identification number registered in the small chip serves as a “name tag”
which is managed centrally, thus this system is powerful in cases of disasters
such as earthquakes in which pet owners and their pets can be promptly
reunited in a secure manner. The infrastructure to read these microchips
has been prepared within local authorities around the country that haveobtained readers, and thus the system will function “in case of emergencies.”
JAWS always inserts a microchip in the animals that the organization
possesses when they are adopted out.
10. Promotion of Spaying/Neutering of Dogs and Cats<<Campaign for the Promotion of Spaying/Neutering Operations for Dogs
and Cats>>
Continued from the previous year, JAWS Headquarters launched the29th “Campaign for the Promotion of Spaying/Neutering Operations for Dogs
and Cats” targeting two prefectures. Fukushima Prefecture, now in its thirdyear, and Nagasaki Prefecture, in its second year, were targeted. Bothprefectures have many animals surrendered and destroyed, and JAWS has
received an enormous amount of feedback from these prefectures in launching
this campaign. Hence, JAWS decided to reduce the number of targeted
prefectures to two in order to increase the number of winners in eachprefecture.
Applications were accepted for two months – from September 1st to
October 31st, 2022 – and applicants applied via the internet or with postcards.
The website of JAWS allows applicants to fill in an electronic form and easily
apply, and roughly 80% of the applicants applied via the internet. JAWS
14

receives some voices from stakeholders who are not too internet savvy, so we
also accepted applications via postcards.
Continuing from the previous year, we have introduced a system withwhich applicants can receive the subsidies via the internet, and this was usedby roughly 70% of the stakeholders.
The rate of the use of subsidies (number of animals operated on divided
by the number of winners multiplied by 100) was 74% for Fukushima
Prefecture and 67% for Nagasaki Prefecture.

Number of Animals Chosen

NumberofAnimals

Spayed/Neutered
Cats

Fukushima
Prefecture
NagasakiPrefecture
Total

Dogs

Cats

Dogs

Females

Males

Females

Male

Females

Males

Females

Males

868

568

21

25

575

488

14

19

459

273

62

54

288

215

34

34

1,327

841

83

79

863

703

48

53

Total Number Subsidized 1,667

Also, the “JAWS Stray Cats Campaign,” that subsidizes a part of thecost for the spaying/neutering of stray cats, is now in its seventh year.
Continuing from the previous year, applications were received from all overJapan, and JAWS supported these activities to stop the increase of animals
that have to lead unfortunate lives.
<<Results of JAWS Stray Cats Campaign>>
Number of Animals that were Spayed/Neutered
Numberof

NumberFemale Animals

Male Animals

165

116

of

Total
281

The branches of JAWS
have also been engaging in

the promotion of spaying/neutering by subsidizing operations so that the
number of cats and dogs that have to lead unfortunate lives could be reduced
as much as possible. The following are the details of the total number ofanimals for which operations were performed.

15

FemalesMales

Total Number Subsidized by Branches

807

627

Total Number Subsidized by the HQ*

1,076

872

Total Number Subsidized by Branches and HQ

1,883

1,499

Total Number of All Animals Subsidized

3,382*Includes support activities for spaying/neutering such as the JAWS Stray
Cats Campaign and the Campaign for the Promotion of Spaying/Neutering
Operations for Dogs and Cats
11. Adopted Animals
Chachamaro, male toy poodle
Chachamaro was looking for a new home due to personal reasons of his
ex-owner. Now, Chachamaro lives in a new home and is happy surroundedby his new family!
<<Report from His New Mom>>
Chachamaro loves to be pampered and is very clingy.
Every morning, we go to a neighborhood park where he runs in a field ofclovers.
When we return home, he eats a bit and takes a nap. When he wakes
up, he plays on the balcony, eats a bit, and takes a nap again. Then he takes
a walk. At nights, he sleeps with my daughter.
Our previous family dog, Maro, has already passed, but Chachamaro fills
all of the void in our heart.

A photo with his mom; he loves being pampered! ↑16↑Fast asleep on the soft couch…

II.

EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY

1. The 63rd Animal Protection Essay Contest
The essay contest, which has been continuing for over half a century, washeld in a compact manner this fiscal year as well due to precautionary
measures against the spread of COVID-19. JAWS received 1,251 applications
from elementary and middle school students from all over Japan. With
many outstanding masterpieces, the judging process was very difficult, but
as a result, the winner of the Minister of the Environment Award forelementary school children was Ayana Sonoda (4th grade, Kanagawa
Prefecture Kanrei Shirayuri Gakuen Elementary School) who wrote “Whatthe Pigs Taught Me,” and the winner of this award for middle school children
was Tsumugi Horiuchi (7th grade, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture Sendai
Seiryo Middle School) who wrote “My Brother’s Shamisen.” Ten elementary
school students and ten middle school students – a total of 20 children –received awards including the “Showakaikan Award,” the “JAWS UK Award,”
and the newly established “Kazuma Okamoto Hapy Animal Award.” Thecommendation ceremony was held, with thorough COVID-19 measures
implemented, at Tokyo Prince Hotel on November 20th with H.I.H. Princess
Hitachi present. Award certificates and gifts from H.I.H. Princess Hitachi
were presented to the winners, and JAWS received comments from thewinners noting that the occasion had refreshed and encouraged them amidst
the dismal COVID-19 situation.
2.Kazuma Okamoto’s Happy Animal Project
On November 23rd, “Giants Fan Festival 2022 supported by DAZN” washeld. The impact of COVID-19 had continued for the past several years, but
this festival was held for the first time in three years at Tokyo Dome.
Participants surrounded the baseball players on the stage in the field fillingthe entire dome with these fans, and there was mounting energy in the event,more so than the previous year. The participants were able to see a different
aspect of the players who are usually tension-filled. Within the event, there
was a ceremony to present donations related to the charity activities that theteam and the players were involved in, and the team and the players
presented organizations with plates that had the amount of donation printed
on them. With Mr. Okamoto’s successful season, a donation of 820,000 JPY
17

was presented to JAWS.

Also, at the venue, Mr. Hara, the coach of the teamannounced that Mr. Okamoto was going to be appointed as the new captainof the team from the next season, and JAWS is looking forward to the successof the new team that he is going to be leading. JAWS would like to work hardto save as many animals as possible so that we would match the success of
Mr. Okamoto. JAWS would appreciate everybody’s support.
3. The Main Event of the Be Kind to Animals Week
The main event for the Be Kind to Animals Week this fiscal year was held
under the slogan “let us all think about animals and us.” As a measureagainst COVID-19, only the event on stage was held as the outdoor event on
Saturday, October 1st at Ueno Park; the indoor event, “2022 Animal Welfare
Online Symposium” was held at Taito Ward Lifelong Learning Center on
Saturday, September 24th and open to audiences online. The lectures andthe discussion of the experts were livestreamed online which was viewed bya large number of people.
4. JAWS Report
This fiscal year, two issues – no. 91 and no. 92 – were issued. In addition
to the general activities of JAWS, the reports included issues such as animalhoarding and reports on zoo inspections. The reports were sent to membersof JAWS as well as local authorities, veterinary associations, and otherrelevant organizations.
5. Adoption Events
During 2022, JAWS Headquarters held adoption events for the first time.
The Headquarters does not have a facility to board animals, so we put up theinformation of animals looking for new owners on our website, and our staff
members engage in activities such as the assessment and trial adoptions for
those who wish to adopt. However, for old animals and animals withdiseases, people tend to only look at these attributes, and it is difficult to find
new homes for them. In order to feature these animals that have been
looking for new homes for a long period of time, the Headquarters decided tolaunch adoption events.

18

【First Event at Kamome Café】
We held our first adoption event on June 25th at Kamome Café which is
close to Osaki station. This was a small event with one dog and three cats –a total of four animals. All of the animals were very enthusiastic, and they
enjoyed interacting with those who visited the event. Visitors had to RSVP
in advance as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19, but
the event had no RSVPs till the day of the event. However, there were over
3,000 reactions on the internet, and many people cooperated to spread theword. JAWS was able to reconfirm the high interest of the public in animal
rescue activities which made us hopeful about launching adoption events once
COVID-19 settles. Although there were no RSVPs, the event had a few
visitors who came on the spot; JAWS provided consultations regarding
animals and had the visitors interact with the rescued animals. The first
adoption event held by the Headquarters went smoothly without any issues.
【Second Event at Yamazaki Animal Vocational School】
The second adoption event was held on January 21st, 2023 at the Rainbow
Hall within Yamazaki Animal Vocational School in Shibuya Ward, and was a
joint event between Tochigi Branch and the Headquarters. The Rainbow
Hall is a new facility that was just built in January 2022, and we were
fortunate to be able to use a wonderful, clean, and spacious venue with a lotof animal-friendly features.
Seventeen animals – both dogs and cats – participated on the day of theevent. Among these animals were some that had attributes that made itdifficult for people to want to adopt, such as old animals, animals withmissing legs, and animals that had kidney issues; however, during the eventthe staff monitored their health, and the animals were able to participate at
the venue. For animals that were shy, the staff would take care to explain
to the visitors the forte of the animals. On the day of the event, many peoplecame to help including students of the cat volunteer club in Utsunomiya
University and animal care volunteers of the Tochigi Branch.
Kazuma Okamoto of Yomiuri Giants also visited the event to observe theactivities of JAWS. Kazuma Okamoto is engaged in the “Kazuma Okamoto’s
Happy Animal Project” as a part of a CSR project of Yomiuri Giants, “Ghands,”
and he donates 10,000 JPY per RBI in official games.
Mr. Okamoto spoke to the animals in gentle words telling them how cutethey were as he held the rescued dogs and cats. When he found a rescued dog
that looked like the dog he had before, he approached the animal with care so
19

as to not scare the dog.

Mr. Okamoto was also interested in why the animals

were rescued, and the venue had a very relaxing, positive atmosphere during
his stay. The adoption event was also introduced on a BS program of Yomiuri
Giants, and there was lots of feedback about the caring aspect of the newcaptain of the team.
The event was held on a very cold day, and we implemented
precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but it was a busy
event with many visitors. JAWS would like to show its appreciation to all
who have cooperated.

↑ Mr. Okamoto holding a rescued dog↑I got lots of cuddles(photo provided by Hochi Shimbun)

6. Seminars, Workshops, Lectures, Academic Societies, and Interviews
6-1. Seminar① 【JAWS Citizen Forum for Animal Welfare】
As with previous fiscal years, all ten seminars were launched online.
JAWS receives feedback of participants who want an in-person event,but there are more voices from people who live far who want this series
to continue online; thus, JAWS is planning to continue the series online.
The seminar video clips are available online for two weeks, andparticipants can view the video whenever and as how many times as
they want to. Because the series is free of charge and easy for everyone
to view regardless of the schedule of the individual participants JAWS
receives a lot of feedback on the internet. This fiscal year, a total ofroughly 1,500 people participated. Furthermore, as a new initiative,
participants are now able to ask questions to the lecturers. Participants
can send in questions using a special form, and the responses from thelecturers are posted on the web.
②

【RSPCA Seminars】<<RSPCA Basic Seminar>>
20

For the first time in three years, Mr. Paul Littlefair, the head of
RSPCA International, visited Japan, and JAWS held the RSPCA
seminar for two days. The event was a hybrid seminar launched bothin-person and online. The in-person seminar at the venue involved
group discussions among the participants as previous years.
<<RSPCA Animal Welfare Basic Seminar>>
In February, the Animal Welfare Basic Seminar was held
exclusively in-person.
Mr. Paul Littlefair, the head of RSPCAInternational, and Mr. David Coggan, who worked in RSPCA’s
education department for a long period of time, served as lecturers andspoke about the basics of animal welfare. Veterinary stakeholders aswell as many people from the public participated in the seminar.
<<RSPCA Humane Education Seminar>>
The Humane Education Seminar, which was held for the first time,
was a two-day seminar targeting educators. The seminar covered
topics such as how “respect for life” can be taught to children, howinteractions with animals and nature can help the development andlearning of children, and how educators should guide children in theseeducational endeavors. These topics were discussed in comparison
with the Japanese school curriculum guidelines, and basic information
as well as application of the information were covered. Mr. David
Coggan, who works with the education department of RSPCA and is ateacher and a biologist, led the lecture. Mr. Coggan is involved indrafting curriculums for humane education and training personnel, andhe also visits many countries to engage in the dissemination of animal
welfare-based humane education.
【Shelter Medicine Seminar】③

With the continued sponsorship of Mars Japan Limited andBoehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Japan Co., Ltd., the first andsecond Shelter Medicine Seminars were held this fiscal year. This year,
JAWS was able to launch the event in a hybrid manner implementing
COVID-19 measures. With the in-person style, participants were now
able to ask questions to lecturers – which had been difficult with online
seminars – and the energetic seminars with people actively voicing theiropinions have come back.
21

【Veterinary Forensics Seminar – Basic Level】④

This seminar targets veterinarians, public servants, and veterinary
students and aims to have participants obtain knowledge that would
enable them to detect animal abuse as animal professionals. This fiscal
year too, the seminar was held completely online. This seminarconsisted of a basic lecture on animal abuse as well as actual sample
cases beginning from evidence gathering to proving the case; threelectures took on the seminar spanning a series of nine lectures. The
series was viewed roughly 1,500 times. Animal abuse is a topic that
not only concerns human and animal welfare; it is an issue that also
relates to violent crimes and public health issues impacting the entire
community. Thus, this is an important discipline for veterinary
stakeholders and public servants, and training personnel to be able toaddress animal abuse is much anticipated.
6-2. Activities as a Board Organization of Academic Societies
A staff of JAWS participates as a board member in the Japanese
Association of Veterinary Forensics and the Japanese Association ofAnimal Welfare Science. The Japanese Association of Veterinary
Forensics launched a symposium in September and November and held
its second academic conference in March. The Japanese Association ofAnimal Welfare Science held its third symposium in December under
the theme, “farm animal welfare.”
6-3. Lectures
JAWS spoke at the graduate school of Yamazaki University ofAnimal Health Technology and Mitaka Network University.
6-4. Interviews
This fiscal year too, JAWS received requests for interviews fromtelevision companies, newspaper companies, and magazine publishers.
We also received a request for interview from an elementary school
student.
6-5. Councils and Committees of Ministries and Local Authorities
A staff of JAWS Headquarters served as an ad hoc committee
22member of the Animal Welfare Committee of the Ministry of theEnvironment and as a committee member of the Informal Meeting on
Animal Welfare of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
In addition, JAWS also participated in animal-related meetings ofTokyo Metropolitan Government, Chiba City, and Sendai City as
members of these meetings. Also, an advisor of JAWS attends the
Gunma Prefecture Expert Panel for the Promotion of Coexisting inHarmony with Pets as a committee member. Other than these meetings,
there are members of JAWS who are appointed as animal welfare
promoters by the local authorities of their communities, and thesemembers work to promote the welfare of animals in their local areas.

23

III.

FUNDRAISING

1. Design Cards and Picture Books Translated by H.I.H. Princess Hitachi

Dot the Fire Dog, translated by H.I.H. Princess Hitachi, and cards
designed by H.I.H. Princess Hitachi are available at places such as bazaars.
A Guide Dog Puppy Grows Up and It was Jake have been very popular at
bazaars and are sold out. H.I.H. Princess Hitachi kindly donates all of thesales and the royalties of these products to JAWS.
2. Sales of Original Products
The classic products with the logo of JAWS, such as T-shirts, polo-shirts,
umbrellas, and rolls of sticky-notes, are very popular. Bazaars have beencancelled due to the impact of COVID-19, but from around October, JAWS
has been able to gradually participate in bazaars of various events, andthere has been a growing number of opportunities in which we can sellcharity goods. JAWS hopes to make use of these opportunities to increase
the sales and amount of donations.
3. Donations
As with previous years, this fiscal year, JAWS has received donations
and legacies from many individuals, including its members, as well asorganizations who have kindly shown their understanding and support for
our animal welfare activities.

24

IV.

MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT
This fiscal year, there was an increase in the number of members who
withdrew due to delinquencies in the payment of membership fees fromthe impact of the stay-at-home trend during COVID-19. This resulted ina considerable decrease of individual members to 2,078 at the end of
March. JAWS will continue its efforts to increase the number ofmembers, but we would greatly appreciate it if stakeholders of JAWS who
have acquaintances around them with an understanding of animal
welfare could recommend joining the organization.
The following chart outlines the number of members as of the end of fiscal
year 2022 (March 31st, 2023).

Honorary Members

1

Associate Members

1,748

Corporate Members

26

Junior Members

15Life Members

131

Total

2,104

Sustaining Members

183（Total of Individuals）

25（2,078）V.

OFFICE REPORT

1. Annual General Assembly
The annual general assembly for fiscal year 2022 was held on June 17th,
2023 from 13:30 at Standard Conference Room located in Higashigotanda.
The first agenda, “The Approval of the Financial Documents for Fiscal
Year 2022,” was presented and approved. Following this, “The Reportsof Activities for Fiscal Year 2022,” “The Plan of Activities for Fiscal Year2023,” and “The Budget for Fiscal Year 2023” were presented, and theassembly closed at 14:00.

26

VI.

REPORTS FROM OUR BRANCHES<Looking for New Homes
Spaying/Neutering, etc.>

forAnimals/Providing

Subsidiesfor①

There are currently five branches that are active.
Sagami Branch terminated its activities, and the branch members andactivities were taken on by Yokohama Branch.

②

JAWS UK, a sister organization of JAWS, also follows the activities ofthese branches and regards them highly. JAWS UK proactively
cooperates with and supports the activities of these branches.

③

The five branches each work to provide consultation on the care andmanagement of animals, look for new homes for animals, subsidize
spaying/neutering, and address animal hoarding issues while tacklingproblems and issues that are unique to their communities.
The
following is a report on their situations.

⚫

Tochigi Branch
Akiko Kawasaki, Head of Branch⚫

New Tokyo Branch
Rumi Inoue, Head of Branch⚫

Yokohama Branch
Shoichiro Ieiri, Head of Branch⚫

Nagano Branch
Sumiko Tokuma, Head of Branch⚫

South Osaka Branch
Chizuru Yamautsuri, Head of Branch27

1. Tochigi Branch
Many Requests for Support and Consultation from Local Authorities
Regarding Animal Hoarding
Because of the impact of the 80-50 issue (the issue of senior parents
and their socially withdrawn children) and our aging society, there is a
growing number of requests for consultation regarding animal hoarding.
Since the Ministry of the Environment issued the “Guidelines forPreventing Animal Hoarding” to address animal hoarding issues, when acase starts moving, it is now easier for private and public sectors tocollaborate.
In animal hoarding cases, often times, the hoarders are incapable of①

making appropriate judgements due to issues such as dementia and mental
disorders. Because of this, there are cases in which not only the welfare ofanimals poses an issue, but the physical health and public sanitation of thehoarders and the surrounding people are jeopardized. If animal hoarding
issues can be detected and addressed early, then it can also lead to theprevention of self-neglect of the hoarders as well as the neglect of animals;
early detection and intervention can reduce the risks of public health issues
and minimize societal loss.
However, animal hoarding cases are known for their high recidivism.
For this reason, we believe that it is necessary to establish measures within
legislation such as possession bans and emergency rescues. The Branch
will continue to work to prevent recidivism and engage in early detection
and intervention of these cases.
Adopting Animals as an Organization
Tochigi Branch is an organization registered with Tochigi Prefecture
Animal Welfare Consultation Center as an organization that can adopt
animals from these authorities to further look for new homes for them andis actively involved in promoting the adoption of dogs and cats that would
otherwise be put down. The Branch takes on animals with injuries and②

diseases that need medical attention which would be difficult for otherorganizations to address. The support from everybody is extremely helpful
in covering veterinary expenses. Many of the treated animals now live
happy lives with their new families; we hope that adopting rescued dogs
and cats becomes a choice that is widely available for those who want pets.

28

Adoption Event at the Library
As with the previous fiscal year, the Branch held an adoption event at
a library in Tochigi Prefecture. The library held an event that featured
books related to animals, and the visitors not only observed the rescued
animals but also took interest in various issues regarding animals including
how and where these animals were rescued. Local university students
also helped out at the event, and our public education efforts ended insuccess.

③

Measures Regarding Community CatsWith the support from everybody, we provide subsidies forspaying/neutering operations, and the Branch is getting the impression④

that the concept of measures regarding community cats is graduallycatching on in Tochigi Prefecture as well. The Branch would like tocontinue to make use of subsidies to prevent the over reproduction ofanimals and the increase of unwanted animals.
A Series of Mysterious Deaths of Cats in Utsunomiya City
Utsunomiya City experienced a series of mysterious deaths of cats inwhich it is suspected that poison was used. The Branch is collaboratingwith the local neighborhood associations, the Utsunomiya City Public
Health Center, and the police; the police is currently working on identifying⑤

the poison used and investigating to identify the perpetrator. The Branch
is working on rescuing all the cats from the site so that no more cats would
be victimized; the Branch is also having the cats undergo necessary
examinations and providing the police with the information obtained.
The staff of the Branch worked to address the issue during Christmas
and New Year vacations and commuted to the veterinary hospital every day
for the treatment of the animals. The veterinarian also kindly opened theclinic on New Years to address this case. Addressing this case was a teameffort – the staff of the veterinary hospital as well as the staff of our Branch
worked full throttle. Fortunately, the cats that were seriously impacted
also recovered, but some of them are left with mild kidney dysfunctions.
The Branch hopes that these cats could find understanding homes thatwould take them in. The Branch would like to express its appreciation to
those who have donated; it was because of the funding from everybody that
we were able to cover the costs for the examinations to assist theinvestigations and the veterinary expenses for the treatment.
29For all issues – animal hoarding cases, subsidies for spaying/neutering
operations, adoptions as an organization, and the everyday care andmanagement of the animals – behind the lives of the saved animals are not
only our efforts but the assistance of everybody who supports the activities of
our Branch. Every time the Branch drafts its annual report, we are able toreconfirm this point. Every time we see an animal that we saved restart a
happy life we feel that the animals share their happiness with us, and wecannot express how grateful we are for those who support our activities.
Once again, we would like to thank everybody for their support.

↑

The cat had an injured ear but is well once again!

↑

The cat had its leg amputated but isleading a happy life

An animal hoarding site that we addressed

30

now

1) Number of Animals Subsidized for Spaying/Neutering Operations (total
number of dogs/cats = 111)
Dogs

Males→0Cats

Males→47

Females→0Females→64

Total

Total

0

111

2) Number of Dogs and Cats that were Adopted (total number of dogs/cats =

61)
Dogs

Males→2

Cats

Males→23

Females→0Females→36

Total

Total

2

59

(Akiko Kawasaki, Head of Branch)31

2. New Tokyo Branch①

Looking for New Homes of Animals from a Closed Down Breeding

Operation
A type I animal handling business (breeding operation) within Tokyo
closed down their business due to the staggering of sales of dogs frommeasures against COVID-19, related restrictions of movement of people, andchanges in the economic situation.
Also, because article 44 of the 2019 revision of the Animal Welfare Act
now adds “keeping a large number of animals in a limited space anddebilitating them” as a part of the definition of animal abuse, Tokyo
Metropolitan Government filed criminal charges against this business; theMetropolitan Police Department investigated the site and found 104 dogs ofJapanese breeds which they rescued.
After the breeding operation closed down, many animal protection groups(certified) collaborated. The organizations found new homes for close to 100
dogs over the period of two years, and stakeholders have been working to
adopt out adult dogs.
New Tokyo Branch was also involved in the sharing of information
regarding this case and cooperated with the adoption of one Shiba dog andone Kai dog during the final stages of the rescue operation. These breeding
operations sometimes close down their businesses when there is a change in
generations; thus, stakeholders collaborated in the form of a task force,shared information, and held workshops to train stakeholders to prepare for
adoptions and to carry them out. From this case, the Branch reconfirmed
the importance of networking in implementing animal welfare activities.

② Looking for New Homes for Dogs of Deceased Elderly Owners
The Branch put up for adoption a Welsch corgi that needed a new home
due to the death of its elderly owner. In addition, the Branch also addressed
an eleven-year old Scotch terrier that was left by a couple that consecutively
passed away due to COVID-19. The terrier had oral issues and an
oncological disease, so it was a difficult case to put up for adoption. However,both dogs found new homes with families that had experiences with dogs.

32Number of Animals Subsidized for Spaying/Neutering Operations (total
number of dogs/cats = 0)
Dogs

Males→0Cats

Males→0

Females→0Females→0

Total

Total

0

0

Number of Dogs and Cats that were Adopted (total number of dogs/cats = 4)
Dogs

Male→2

Cats

Female→2
Total

Male→0Female→0

4

Total

0

(Rumi Inoue, Head of Branch)33

3. Yokohama BranchThis time, the Branch would like to report on a rescue case of abandonedcats that we addressed in collaboration with the reporter and the government.
Through this case, the Branch felt that there is an urgent need to improve
the awareness and the skills of public servants to address such sites.
⚫

November 29th: There was a phone call from H.
H received a phone call from the hospital on November 25th, informingthat H’s younger brother-in-law had been hospitalized since November
21st. H visited the house of his brother which was filled with garbage
and found nine cats hiding away.
H commutes to his brother’s house every day to clean up the litter andfeed the cats. However, commuting takes a one-hour-and-a-half train
and bus ride; his wife has a physical disability which would make it
difficult to continue to commute every day. He was also informed by H’s
doctor that it is unlikely that H would recover.
H wanted to take the nine cats to his house, but he already has two cats.
In addition, it would be difficult due to the physical condition of his wife.
Thus, he consulted the local government (Environmental Health
Department of Asahi Ward), and they referred him to Yokohama Branchof JAWS.

⚫

December 4th: The vice-head of the Branch and a staff inspected the site.
There was foul odor as the staff got close to the apartment. The garbage
in the room to which they were led was already removed; however, thestench that had seeped into the room was so bad that the two that
inspected could not stop their tears and runny nose.
The cats were not used to people, and they were running away as soon as
they saw the Branch staff. H cleaned the litter and fed them every day
but said that he could not touch them. The staff confirmed several catsthat ran under the table had faces stained with eye mucus and discharge
from noses. H, his wife, the vice-president of the Branch, and the staffof the Branch discussed what would be best for these cats. It was
decided that among the nine cats two would be taken on by H’s family,
one would be taken on by Yokohama Branch, and the remaining six would
be rescued and entrusted to Yokohama City Animal Welfare Center.

⚫

December 8th: H was unsuccessful with the capturing of the cats.
H tried to capture one of the cats and failed. H consulted the Branch,34

and the Branch provided advice on how to capture cats and points to be
⚫
⚫
⚫

⚫

⚫

careful about.
December 9th: H captured one cat.
December 10th: H captured another cat.
December 12th: The Branch called the Environmental Health Departmentof Asahi Ward.
The Branch consulted the local government regarding the six cats thatneeded a place to board. The Branch provided consultation to the public
servant in charge regarding how to capture the animals and the
manpower and equipment necessary. The local government told theBranch that they would take on the job of capturing but wanted theBranch to accompany them if they are unsuccessful; the Branch accepted
their request. It was mid-December, and considering the stress on thecats that have to live in a room without a heater and the burden on H andhis wife who had to commute to care for the cats the Branch requested
the government to address the case as promptly as possible.
December 13th: H captured another cat.
The cats that were captured were sent to a veterinary hospital where they
were spayed/neutered and administered blood tests. The cat that wascaptured on this day had pyometra and was hospitalize for several days
after being spayed.
December 15th: The staff of the Environmental Health Department of

Asahi ward set up traps for the cats.
The staff of the Environmental Department set up six traps on the site to
get the cats used to them.
⚫ December 20th: Six cats were captured.
Two cats were already captured by H when three public servants visited
the site. Two more cats were trapped, but the remaining two did not getin; they were running around the house, so the stakeholders had to corner
the cats a little by little to catch them. The six cats were taken directly
to the Animal Welfare Center where they were boarded.
[Discussion]
All of the cats were captured after three weeks from the initial request for
consultation.
From the dialogue with the local government, the Branch felt the lack ofawareness of the public servants regarding how to catch cats that are not used
to people (including the dangers involved). It is imperative for public
servants to confirm the actual site, and the Branch hopes that local
35

governments would obtain skills to address these cases through experiencing
the site and refrain from relying just on desktop theories.
This case was very meaningful from the abovementioned aspect. The
Branch hopes that the government proactively involves itself in these casesin the future.

After H cleaned the room, the remaining cats were huddled in cardboard boxes or under thetable

The cats are fluffed up due to the cold, but they were physically very thin and emaciatedA rescued cat at H’s home; the cat is very relaxed36

Number of Animals Subsidized for Spaying/Neutering Operations (total
number of dogs/cats/rabbits = 69)
Dogs

Males→0Cats

Males→29

Rabbits

Males→0

Females→1

Females→38

Females→1

Total

Total

Total

1

67

1

Number of Dogs and Cats that were Adopted (total number of dogs/cats = 25)
Dogs

Males→2

Cats

Males→7

Females→3

Females→13

Total

Total

5

20

(Shoichiro Ieiri, Head of Branch)37

4. Nagano Branch
As with previous fiscal years, the Branch was able to offer a helping handto animals under unfortunate circumstances because of the support from ourmembers who had passionately engaged in rescue activities. The Branch
actively engaged in TNR activities, and similar to the situation during theprevious fiscal year, our annual budget for the subsidies forspaying/neutering operations was depleted by the end of the year.
The Branch promotes the rescue of animals that have been put underunfortunate circumstances for various reasons, but the most memorable caseof dog rescue was the case of a breeding operation that has been getting
guidance from the government for several years for the purpose of improving
the care and the environment of the animals. The Branch has also been
rescuing one animal at a time from the breeding operation in a timely manner,
but we were able to get them to surrender multiple animals at once.
However, the breeding operation still has many animals, and the rescue ofthese remaining animals is a major issue that we have to tackle during thenext fiscal year. The animals are under an environment that is on the vergeof violating related laws, and there are still many of them suffering under thiscondition.
On the other hand, the Branch addressed several animal hoarding casesin terms of cat rescue. Most of the sites of these cases were houses full of
garbage where it was difficult for the owners of these cats to lead appropriate
lives; from these cases, the Branch got the impression that issues surrounding
cats are closely associated with the issue of poverty. For some cases thehouse was cut off from lifeline utilities. Under such financial circumstances,it would be impossible for the owners to spay/neuter or provide veterinary
care for the cats. The Branch collaborated with the local government toaddress these rescue cases. However, it takes time for these cases to amountto a hoarding situation of 20-30 cats, so if the local government could
intervene and provide guidance early on at the point when there are only
several cats (it is difficult for the private sector to intervene until the actualissue surfaces) it may lead to reducing the number of these tragic cases.
Recently, there has been a growing interest in animal welfare, and there
are pet owners who actively seek to adopt rescued animals. The Branch willcontinue its activities to further garner the interest of the society in “the Five
Freedoms,” the basics of animal welfare, so that Japan catches up withcountries that are more advanced in animal-related issues.
38

A Yorkshire terrier immediately after rescue

The Yorkshire terrier after being spayed

An animal hoarding site

39

Number of Animals Subsidized for Spaying/Neutering Operations (total
number of dogs/cats = 400)
Dogs

Males→0Cats

Males→211

Females→5Females→184

Total

Total

5

395

Number of Dogs and Cats that were Adopted (total number of dogs/cats = 157)
Dogs

Males→7

Cats

Males→42

Females→53

Females→55

Total

Total

60

97

(Sumiko Tokuma, Head of Branch)40

5. South Osaka Branch① Behind the Scene of “Zero Euthanasia”
When looking at animals, there are many issues of concern, such asanimal hoarding, animal abuse, pets and elderly, and abandonment ofanimals, and these issues have been lingering for years without any effective
measures in place. The Branch hopes that the national government would
address these issues that disrespect life with more sincerity.
For a long period of time, there has been a word that has been irritating
me like a smoldering charcoal fire deep inside my heart. This word, indeed,is “Zero Euthanasia,” the term used to describe the stopping of all euthanasia
of unwanted animals.
The Asahi Shimbun article dated May 28th, 2019 which I had saved
writes “uncounted deaths from the ‘destruction of dogs and cats’” and “those‘unfit for adoptions’ excluded.” It is understandable that animals that die
from injuries and diseases while being boarded at public health centers andanimal welfare centers are excluded from the number of animals destroyed.
But for the first time, I have learned from the article that there are“uncounted deaths” other than these cases. What constitutes these deaths?
I would like to introduce a quote from the article.
“With the revised Animal Welfare Act enforced in 2013, there is now aprovision that states that local authorities such as prefectures must ‘strive toend the destruction of animals.’ The Ministry of the Environment hasrequested the local authorities to divide the tabs of animals deemed ‘unfit for
adoption’ and those ‘that have died due to diseases and injuries…’ However,among 121 local authorities 73 responded that they had drafted ‘standards or
guidelines’ to assess animals unfit for adoptions and 34 local authorities had
not drafted such documents… In case of Tokyo Metropolitan Government thathas announced in fiscal year 2018 that they accomplished Zero Euthanasia,
they had categorized and destroyed 146 cats and dogs as unfit for adoption.
There were also 211 animals that had died due to diseases or injuries while
being boarded.” Tokyo Metropolitan Government does not have a guideline.
There is an impression that this point is serving as a loophole and being
used as a means to accomplish the goal.
The “leftovers” that were not adopted can be squeezed into the “special
category” – the fact that such decisions that disregard the lives of theseanimals go unchallenged is an illustration of human ego and horridness.
41One begins to wonder if lives have to cater to human expectations andrequests to be considered as a living being. This is pure human arroganceand a blasphemy. It seems like the ugliness of human beings is swirlingbehind this dressed-up word, “Zero Euthanasia.” On a different note, both
Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City report the number of animals that havebeen destroyed.

② Events and Meetings
1) Nakanoshima Festival: May 3rd – May 5th, 2022
2) Sakai City Animal Welfare Fair: September 23rd, 2022, at Sakai City
Animal Guidance Center3) Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City Joint Workshop for Animal Welfare
Promoters: February 8th, 2023
4) Osaka Prefecture Animal Welfare Promotion Council: March 16th, 2023
5) Osaka City Animal Welfare Promotion Meeting: March 30th, 2023

Distributing treats and having visitors experience
the reading of microchips (Sakai City Animal Welfare Fair)

Booth with coloring books for children (Sakai City
Animal Welfare Fair)42

A dog that visited the event

Number of Animals Subsidized for Spaying/Neutering Operations (total
number of dogs/cats = 854)
Dogs

Males→43

Cats

Males→297

Females→88

Females→426

Total

Total

131

723

Number of Dogs and Cats that were Adopted (total number of dogs/cats = 290)
Dogs

Males→38

Cats

Males→59

Females→124

Females→69

Total

Total

162

128

(Chizuru Yamautsuri, Head of Branch)

43

VII.

REPORTS ON FINANCIAL AFFAIRS

1. Situation of Assets(unit:

1,000 JPY)

FY 2022

FY 2021

Cash equivalent

28,60816,755

Supplies

967

697

Other current assets

46

4,012

227,811224,247

Special assets

214,724

210,359

Others13,087

13,887

Total assets

257,433

245,711

Total debt

14,371

10,738

Net assets

243,061

234,973

Fixed assets

⚫
⚫
⚫

⚫

<Fiscal Year 2022>

Our net asset at the end of this fiscal year is 243,060,000 JPY which is anincrease of 8,090,000 JPY.
Our cash equivalent increased by 11,850,000 JPY.
Per special assets, we dug into 10,000,000 JPY of the Animal Rescue Fundwith 25,000,000 JPY remaining at the end of this fiscal year; we also dug
into 15,000,000 JPY of the Funds for the Prevention of Abandonment ofDogs and Cats with 15,000,000 JPY remaining at the end of this fiscal
year. 167,150,000 JPY of the special assets is restricted net assets(specified securities); there was an increase of 30,930,000 JPY.
JAWS plans to use its animal related funds and restricted net assets
among the special assets to strengthen its animal welfare activities
beyond fiscal year 2023.

2. Situation on Income and Expenditure(unit: 1,000 JPY)

FY 2022

FY 2021234,973

206,246

Income from membership fee

32,86631,554

Income from donation

59,57975,184

Income from fundraising

2,735

3,031

Other income

7,607

5,980

Total income

102,787

115,748

Operating expense

74,802

69,428

Balance brought forward fromthe previous account44General expense

28,542

28,187

Business expense

46,26041,241

Management expense

16,973

14,661

Expenses for fundraising, etc.

2,924

2,933

Total expense

94,69987,021

Balance to bring forward into

243,061

234,973

the next account⚫
⚫

Our overall income for this fiscal year decreased by 12,960,000 JPY.
Our income from membership fee increased by 1,310,000 JPY comparedto the previous fiscal year.

⚫

Our income from donations (donations from the public and specified
donations) decreased by 15,610,000 JPY.
Our overall expenditure for this fiscal year increased by 7,680,000 JPY.
Per our operating expense, our expenses for animal rescue decreased by
3,230,000 JPY, and our expenses for spaying/neutering subsidization ofdogs and cats decreased by 360,000 JPY; however, our PR expenses
increased by 8,600,000 JPY, because we proactively held seminars andengaged in research activities.
Our income and expenditure for this fiscal year produced a surplus of
8,090,000 JPY, and we will carry forward 243,060,000 JPY for next fiscal
year.

⚫
⚫

⚫

3. Budget for the Fiscal Year 2023
Balance brought forward fromthe previous account(unit: 1,000 JPY)
243,061

Income from membership fee

33,000

Income from donation

42,650

Income from fundraising

5,500

Other income

8,850

Total income

90,000Operating expense for animal
welfare activities

100,000

General expense

29,500Business expense

70,500Management expense

17,00045Expenses for fundraising, etc.

13,000Total expense

130,000

Balance to bring forward into
the next account⚫

⚫

203,061

For the budget of fiscal year 2023, JAWS expects a decrease in the income
from donations but is planning to enhance its animal welfare activities
such as animal rescue and the subsidization of spaying/neutering
operations, as well as public education activities such as its seminars andthe essay contest. We are planning to be in the reds by 40,000,000 JPY.
JAWS will continue to work to increase the number of members and theamount of income from donations to create a stronger foundation for its
activities and would like to further strengthen its animal welfare
activities.

46