Support NeoGAF

[stump sock]

It's absurdly expensive to be a pet owner in Japan, a lot of time they're definitely luxury items to an extent. and correspondingly, pets in Japan are frequently treated way better than in other places because of the commitment required.

but stray animals are stray animals, and it's just unfeasible to do anything but euthanize in a lot of situations. sadly this is drastically more humane than what probably happens in your own hometown.

anyway, worthwhile reading: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/communi...ssed-each-year-in-pet-mad-japan/#.VktgVXarRSE

 

[Kurita]

so... every single country?

I don't know what's the best, that or the spoiler LMAO

 

[JoeNut]

More humane than a shotgun

 

[faridmon]

so... every single country?

Yes!

 

[eddie4]

I think it's much better than shooting an animal, or beating it to death.

 

[Famassu]

Sounds like a pretty humane way to solve a shitty human-caused problem that can cause its own shitty problems.

 

[superseohyun]

Dont see a problem.
would be better there are ways to process and consume those wasted meat.

 

[superdeluxe]

Its a humane solution to a big problem. Its sad, but I have no issue with it.

 

[RiccochetJ]

Hopefully perceptions about pets is changing. I don't know how anyone could think of a pet as just a toy or trinket to get rid of once the novelty wears off.

 

[Astral Dog]

When will you agree for similar treatment for human beings? If we're talking of an overpopulation problem of one type of organism....

But that goes against your fellow human companions.

 

[zma1013]

I feel like pet stores and other places that deal in pets should be required to display the yearly estimated cost of pets. The food, medical bills, all associated costs should all be accounted for so people could see how much it's going to be to take care of that animal before they buy it. Maybe it would persuade people who don't actually have the money to take care of them to maybe not buy them.

Seems like people just think, all I gotta do is put some food in a bowl and that's that without thinking it through and then months later they dump them on the streets.

 

[MikeyB]

They do that outside of Japan too.

If you're really concerned about the ugly realities of companion animals, you may want to watch Earthlings. Toughest thing I ever started watching. Had to shut it off once I got to the end of the companion animals piece.

 

[Chips Fission]

I feel like pet stores and other places that deal in pets should be required to display the yearly estimated cost of pets. The food, medical bills, all associated costs should all be accounted for so people could see how much it's going to be to take care of that animal before they buy it. Maybe it would persuade people who don't actually have the money to take care of them to maybe not buy them.

I think pet stores and kennels should be responsible to install microchips. If dog/cat is found abandoned you could fine the owner. Also, as you said education is important. I think pet license should be mandatory. 20 or so hours on basic education. That would at least kill some spur of the moment buyers. Many cats for example are crazy cheap, so people just buy one for summer and dump it when summer is over.

 

[Game-Biz]

This is a good thing. Seems like a fairly pragmatic way to deal with the issue.

 

[Darth Pinche]

This is very sad, but it seems they have found a humane way to deal with this problem.

 

[Alexlf]

Carbon Dioxide to put them down? Damn, that's actually really cruel.

Edit just to be clear:
The concept of a mobile euthanization unit isn't cruel, it's a pretty neat solution actually, but using CO2 instead of almost any other inert gas triggers the suffocation reflex which means that the animals die in an extremely painful panic.

 

[deltatheta]

It doesn't sound like it's a particularly cruel method of euthanasia, and euthanizing stray animals is done everywhere, so I don't see why this is being singled out as noteworthy.

The problem is shitty owners who don't spay or neuter their pets and get rid of them when they become inconvenient.

 

[Xun]

That picture.

 

[stump sock]

Many cats for example are crazy cheap, so people just buy one for summer and dump it when summer is over.

old article, but

The Tokyo government survey stated that the average expenditure to acquire a pet dog was 124,441yen. This would amount to about 1300U.S. dollars. For cats this cost was 72,194yen, about 800U.S.dollars. Compared to other countries this initial cost is probably quite high when one takes into consideration the fact the survey was aimed at finding facts pertaining to the general pet - keeping public and not to a specific animal - oriented elitest group.

exchange rates are a lot different now, but unless you think >$600 is cheap, this just isn't the case

Carbon Dioxide to put them down? Damn, that's actually really cruel.

Edit just to be clear:
The concept of a mobile euthanization unit isn't cruel, but using CO2 instead of almost any other inert gas triggers the suffocation reflex which means that the animals die in an extremely painful panic.

the article I posted at the top of this page kind of agrees with you. but they can't afford to use anesthetic gases because of the costs.

 

[disappeared]

How do they determine strays versus an owned animal? Hell with those death-dream-box-trucks roaming the streets I'd be scared to even let the animal out to piss.

 

[OrlanisWorks]

Using carbon dioxide is pretty messed up. Why not do what we do to cows before slaughter: punch a hole through its head and into the brain. Instant death.

 

[Alexlf]

the article I posted at the top of this page kind of agrees with you. but they can't afford to use anesthetic gases because of the costs.

Damn, that's sad. You'd think sourcing something like nitrogen gas would be in the budget, or that they could campaign for funding or something

 

[Chips Fission]

old article, but



exchange rates are a lot different now, but unless you think >$600 is cheap, this just isn't the case

I wonder if most cat owners buy their cats from petstores? I mean if you want certain breed of cat then yes, you go petstore or cat breeder. That is expensive. I think most people buy their pet cats from other sources. I don't have any data but I doubt Japan's stray cats are +$600 cats. Same goes for dogs. Summer dogs are probably less of an problem then summer cats. People buy cheap mutt or get one for free.

 

[Velcoro]

Japan is a cool country but they are pretty much fucked up when it comes to animal rights. Sickening.

Pretty sure there's loads of countries with animal rights issues not just Japan. This seems like a humane way to solve a big problem that they have.

 

[Chips Fission]

Pretty sure there's loads of countries with animal rights issues not just Japan. This seems like a humane way to solve a big problem that they have.

They aren't really solving anything. They just keep dealing with the same problem. But it's true, Japan isn't alone in this.

 

[Storm Chamber]

This might seem "WTF" to you, but my brother works in China and one day his class rushed to the window because they heard high-pitched screaming outside.

A guard for the school was beating a stray dog to death with a baseball bat.

When he left for the day, there was trail of blood from the courtyard to the bus stop.

So comparatively, at least Japan isn't publicly executing animals in front of schoolchildren.

What an interesting tidbit to share with all of us. Very enlightening.

 

[Devilgunman]

Using carbon dioxide is pretty messed up. Why not do what we do to cows before slaughter: punch a hole through its head and into the brain. Instant death.

It's pretty common method. It is also wildly used in US to euthanize lab animals.

 

[Heavy_D206]

It's pretty common method. It is also wildly used in US to euthanize lab animals.

Being common doesn't make it less fucked up.

Animal testing in labs should be abolished by now.

 

[scamander]

meh it's better than putting animals in a bag and smashing it against a wall or the ground. Yes this happens in Western countries by animal control

Which countries are you speaking of? There are also many Western countries in which stray animals and pets in animal shelters aren't killed at all.

 

[Velcoro]

They aren't really solving anything. They just keep dealing with the same problem. But it's true, Japan isn't alone in this.

Yeah I agree it's not really solving a problem that'll always be an ongoing issue.

 

[GreatestHits]

Lost a little bit more faith in humanity after reading the replies in this thread.

There are other ways to deal with this problem. Ways which require more work, more cost, and they are worth it. I'm not going to sit here and type out a brilliant solution, but the fact that people quickly say "I'm OK with this" is devastatingly depressing. How out of touch.

 

[Devilgunman]

Being common doesn't make it less fucked up.

Animal testing in labs should be abolished by now.

Not saying it's not messed up but you make it sound like it's something unheard of.


Also giving up animal study = giving up on advance of medical science. Say goodbye to medicine discovery and the cure of cancer.

 

[stump sock]

Lost a little bit more faith in humanity after reading the replies in this thread.

There are other ways to deal with this problem. Ways which require more work, more cost, and they are worth it. I'm not going to sit here and type out a brilliant solution, but the fact that people quickly day "I'm OK with this" is devastatingly depressing.

"other ways" just aren't something that are going to happen anytime soon though, pretty much anywhere. TNR campaigns are expensive and difficult. shelters are expensive and impractical. the funds and manpower aren't just going to happen. feral animals have broader impacts than public nuisance (like destroying native species). killing animals is depressing, but there aren't viable real-world solutions to this problem.

maybe some day.

 

[Heavy_D206]

Not saying it's not messed up but you make it sound like it's something unheard of.


Also giving up animal study = giving up on advance of medical science. Say goodbye to medicine discovery and the cure of cancer.

Well I see 3 billion humans walking around, and I'm sure there's a few thousand without jobs probably living on the street. Perhaps they could be payed and housed to be tested on. Or how about death row inmates?

Let's not pretend like using helpless animals who can't make choices for themselves is the only option.

 

[stump sock]

Or how about death row inmates?

oh boy

 

[Tagyhag]

It's really sad but it's probably the most humane option aside from euthanizing each one individually while giving them a good last day.

I would rather they do this than what the fucks at China do.

 

[Alexlf]

Lost a little bit more faith in humanity after reading the replies in this thread.

There are other ways to deal with this problem. Ways which require more work, more cost, and they are worth it. I'm not going to sit here and type out a brilliant solution, but the fact that people quickly say "I'm OK with this" is devastatingly depressing. How out of touch.

By not providing and working towards an alternate solution, you to are implying you are OK with it. You might not like the way they do it, and the people posting that they are OK with it might not like it either, but the act of fixing the problem is such a great hurdle that for all intents and purposes "I'm OK with this" is just fine.

I'm sure everyone would prefer if every single stray pet could find a home and live a full and happy life, but that's just lip service. Without time, effort and money it's pointless.

It a balancing act of effort, cost, and morality, and this is the equilibrium that has been reached.

It's fine speaking out against it and saying it's abhorrent, but talking about how others in this thread are making you lose your hope for humanity for essentially pledging indifference, and then immediately turning around saying that you're not going to offer/work towards any solutions is pretty heavy handed.

 

[radios shipping overview]

Well I see 3 billion humans walking around, and I'm sure there's a few thousand without jobs probably living on the street. Perhaps they could be payed and housed to be tested on. Or how about death row inmates?

Let's not pretend like using helpless animals who can't make choices for themselves is the only option.

Maybe you could volunteer?

 

[Devilgunman]

Well I see 3 billion humans walking around, and I'm sure there's a few thousand without jobs probably living on the street. Perhaps they could be payed and housed to be tested on. Or how about death row inmates?

Let's not pretend like using helpless animals who can't make choices for themselves is the only option.

Are you suggesting killing humans? That's what you're trying to say? lol


Just to give you an idea, a single medical lab can go through thousands of lab animals in a few years and there are thousands of medical labs around the glob. If you want labs to replace animals with humans, we would need to sacrifice millions of lives every single year and it would take centuries to complete a research.

 

[Heavy_D206]

Maybe you could volunteer?

That's the point.

I have a choice. You have a choice.

This should be something people volunteer and or get paid for.

It's better than not having a job and doing nothing for our society.

What choice do animals have except suffer and die at the hands of humans?

 

[Alexlf]

That's the point.

I have a choice. You have a choice.

This should be something people volunteer and or get paid for.

It's better than not having a job and doing nothing for our society.

What choice do animals have except suffer and die at the hands of humans?

Suffer and die at the hands of each other/die horribly of starvation thanks to the cruelty of nature?

 

[entremet]

Sad, but predictable. Unless you want all animals to be feral (meaning no pet ownership) this is gonna happen.

 

[Foffy]

Well I see 3 billion humans walking around, and I'm sure there's a few thousand without jobs probably living on the street. Perhaps they could be payed and housed to be tested on. Or how about death row inmates?

Let's not pretend like using helpless animals who can't make choices for themselves is the only option.

Friend, this is because of our ideas about labor. Get the fuck out of here by classifying them as "less than" humans because they're the results of bad ideas.

Also, animals who can't make choices also applies to humans. Or do you believe in the illusion of free will?

Your post is even worse than those apathetic to this. Miles worse.

 

[PBY]

Well I see 3 billion humans walking around, and I'm sure there's a few thousand without jobs probably living on the street. Perhaps they could be payed and housed to be tested on. Or how about death row inmates?

Let's not pretend like using helpless animals who can't make choices for themselves is the only option.

WELP

 

[superseohyun]

Well I see 3 billion humans walking around, and I'm sure there's a few thousand without jobs probably living on the street. Perhaps they could be payed and housed to be tested on. Or how about death row inmates?

Let's not pretend like using helpless animals who can't make choices for themselves is the only option.

wow.

no, lets use helpless animals instead. Seriously.

 

[davepoobond]

When will you agree for similar treatment for human beings? If we're talking of an overpopulation problem of one type of organism....

seems to me like we kill each other enough.


being less flippant, though, what do you do with unwanted animals? they can't concentrate them on farms, force people to keep them, shelters overflow already. its a problem and the best way to solve it is to euthanize them. at least they don't die in worse ways out on the street -- starvation, cars, elements, etc

 

[AlexBasch]

I can picture this in a Junji Ito manga for some reason.

 

[M0nochromatic]

I love animals and this is actually more humane than what we do in most parts of America in terms of animal control.

The real issue here is Japan needs to make it so you have to obtain a pet license, then make neutering mandatory unless you're a licensed breeder, then make microchipping mandatory, and then also make it illegal to abandon an animal and fine/punish those that do - you know, kind of like exactly what we should do in the US but never will.

It's a real shame that this isn't the standard.

 

[Schweinehund]

I always regret entering these threads, I have to learn.

This is probably the most humane method though. Compared to eventually being stuck in a pen and put down anyways or starving to death. Alternatively I hope they are pushing for neutering and offering vouchers to have it done.

 

[wenis]

When will you agree for similar treatment for human beings? If we're talking of an overpopulation problem of one type of organism....