Opinion Pets Are for Life Not for Fashion By JULIET HINDELL	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
ペットの生命を尊重しよう ペットの生命を尊重しよう 動物虐待に関する法律を改正し、 虐待者に対する罰則を厳しくする動きが高まっている。 あとの世話も考えずに流行にのって 人気のペットを飼ったり、かわいさで選んで 大きくなったら捨ててしまう人も多い日本で、 改正の動きは喜ばしいことだと筆者は考える。

Many people in Japan regard animals not as sentient beings, like humans, but as accessories, which go in and out of fashion, like handbags. I've come to this conclusion over the last few weeks while preparing a report on the treatment of animals in Japan.

The law governing cruelty to animals is to be revised this year. For the first time, cruelty is to be defined in the law, and punishment of those who are cruel to animals will be increased. These are long overdue changes.

I'm not suggesting that Japan is hell for pets, but there are some cases in which animals are treated in a way that seems to prove that they are not regarded as living beings.

Take for example the pet post boxes some authorities have installed to deal with the problem of unwanted pets. Owners who no longer want their dogs or cats are invited to "post" them into a box from where they will later be picked up and taken to the pound. The post boxes have different size slots for small and big ani mals. Imagine the horror of plunging down a chute into a dark box where other, bigger animals in distress may be incarcerated. If the animal is deposited on a Friday it won't be picked up until Monday. A whole weekend will go by without food and water. Sometimes larger dogs will eat their smaller companions out of hunger.

I am not one of the British people who think animals are more important than humans (I have many compatriots who do) but I do think pets should be treated with respect and kindness. People shouldn't buy animals to keep at home if they have not thought hard about the undertaking.

British people would be horrified to learn that Japan's dog pounds frequently pick up abandoned thoroughbreds. I was recently at a pound where they told me that they could detect the trends in dogs by what they found on the streets. Huskies, Dalmatians and golden retrievers have all been boom dogs recently.

Animal protection activists explain that people see cute puppies in the shop, see fashionable people walking these fashionable dogs in the streets, and think they'd like one too. They forget that the puppies will get bigger and need feeding, care, attention and above all space. When nature takes its inevitable course, the dogs are thrown out like other accessories that have gone out of fashion.

Worse perhaps are the people who buy unusual pets. Pigs, alligators, big snakes, orangutans and even tigers can be bought in Japan to keep at home.

Ideally you shouldn't buy any animal without considering whether you have enough space, money and time to look after it for 10 years or more. If you do buy a pet it is vital to have the animal neutered to prevent the birth of unwanted animals you won't be able to find homes for. Above all it's crucial that you don't buy a pet because it's trendy and that you don't forget that a pet is a living being who deserves to be treated with respect.

Shukan ST: June 11, 1999

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