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The Ministry of Environment has stated that in 2018 alone 7,687 dogs and 30,757 cats were killed in Japan. Although this figure is declining year by year, it is still high compared to other developed countries.
There are various approaches and methods nations take to reduce animal euthanasia. Some countries, such as Germany, have introduced a dog tax on their owners to curb breeding and ban their slaughter at their animal welfare centers known as “Tearheims”. Alternatively, countries such as the United States, prioritize breeding control by contraception and castration, in addition to some states and cities prohibiting for profit dog breeding. In addition, some countries, such as Norway, place greater emphasis on owner responsibility and do not recommend contraception or castration. In Japan, many animal welfare centers perform euthanasia in gas chambers, but in Europe and the United States, euthanasia by injection is mostly used.。
While the number of abandoned cats and dogs has been declining annually, in 2017 alone the total number exceeded 43,000, which indicates a major social problem. The purpose of the PeaceWanko Japan project, which is operated by PeaceWinds Japan (PWJ) is to eliminate the slaughter of dogs and cats so that we can finally achieve a society in which we can live peacefully together. We work together with government agencies, companies, and local communities to achieve our goals and help our important friends.
For a more detailed overview of our activities, please see https://peace-wanko.jp/activity.html. In summary,
These are the steps we are taking to reduce the number of dogs euthanized so that we can achieve our goals.
When we first started our project, Hiroshima prefecture had the highest number of strays and animas euthanized in all of Japan. However, since we began accepting all dogs that would have been euthanized for non-medical reasons, since April 2016, the Animal Welfare Centers in Hiroshima has not euthanized any dogs. Euthanasia was being carried almost indiscriminately but through our efforts to give every life a chance with the cooperation from the local government and other organizations, we have saved countless of lives. At the same time, through efforts such as establishing adoption centers all over the country, we are working to give rescued dogs a new forever home.
To achieve our goals, it is necessary to have large shelters, funding, human resources, and a system that helps rescued dogs get adopted. At the same time, it is also necessary to raise awareness so that fewer people will abandon their pets. 830,000 cats and dogs are sold each year and these animals are too easily abandoned or thrown out without consequences for the owners. Tackling this issue at the root of the problem is something we hope to continue in the future.
At the moment, we are working hard to achieve our goal of zero dogs slaughtered in the Hiroshima Prefecture. Therefore, we do not have the resources to directly engage in the effort to also include cats. However, we have been providing support to organizations that are. In February 2017, we also started a public subsidy program called “Zero Slaughter Challenge Subsidy”. We will continue to support activities to eliminate the slaughter of cats.
As of March 2019, our facilities cover more than 70,000 square meters, and a kennel facility with a garden for protective dogs of approximately 4,200 square meters has already been constructed. In particular, since fiscal 2016 when we achieved zero culling, the area of the new kennel has reached approximately 3,400 square meters. Apart from this, there is also a dog run of about 8,000 square meters, which provides an environment in which dogs can freely run. Our facilities can be split into 3 categories depending on its function. The first type accepts dogs directly from animal welfare centers around the Hiroshima prefecture, performs health checkups and threats any conditions the dog may have. After that, dogs are transferred to training facilities where they receive training to get used to humans and other behavioral problems they may have. Once the staff determines the dog is ready, it is transferred to one of our many adoption centers around the country. Expansion of our facilities are underway and by the end of 2019, our capacity will be further increased. Our adoption centers opened in 2014 in Shonan and Hiroshima and we have managed to open a new adoption center every year since then to a total of 7.
Rescued dogs often have a variety of medical and behavioral issues. Therefore, it is crucial that veterinarians and trainers are constantly present to properly take care of these dogs. As of April 2019, in addition to approximately 100 dedicated, specialist staff (including 5 veterinarians under contract), we have outsourced cleaning staff and numerous registered volunteers (Including volunteers in all of our adoption centers) help run our facilities. We have also established a school for training dog trainers independently in which a total of 21 students have graduated from out of the 3 graduating classes. We would like to continue to put more effort into strengthening the management system and developing human resources.
Rescued dogs are checked for their health every day in our large dog run where they can run free.However, some dogs are in such bad health due to malnutrition, infectious diseases etc. that when they are brough into our facilities that despite our best efforts, they unfortunately die. To prevent this as much as possible, we spent an average of 10 million yen or more (excluding veterinary costs) per month in 2018 and will continue to do our best.
* In the past, there was a temporary delay in vaccination against rabies for some dogs. However, currently all dogs are up to date with vaccinations. See here for more details regarding this situation.
Regarding breeding restrictions of rescued dogs, instead of providing contraception and castration for all the dogs, medical professionals comprehensively examine the merits and demerits of surgery from a biological and medical viewpoint depending on the age, sickness, personality, etc. of each dog. After considering each case, we use contraception and castration if it is deemed necessary. In most cases our shelters restrict breeding by isolating female dogs in heat. However, if there is an increase in rescued dogs and resources are stretched, sterilization surgery is performed for breeding management. As of April 2019, more than 1,000 dogs, have undergone sterilization surgery in our facilities.
In addition, there are a certain number of dogs that are already pregnant when transferred from an Animal welfare center. When these dogs give birth, the puppies will be taken care of and the staff will do everything in their power to find them foster parents.
A rescued dog will be available to be adopted once the staff determine that certain health and behavioral requirements are met. All dogs up for adoption are microchipped for monitoring and registered at the local dog register.
As a general rule, those who wish to adopt should first come to any of our adoption centers in Jinseki-Kogen, Hiroshima, Shonan, Setagaya, Fukuyama, Akiruno, Ikoma, or Okayama and discuss with our staff there. Any potential foster parents will be asked to fill in the preliminary application form to give us basic information such as address, name, living arrangements etc. The staff will then visit your home to check on the living conditions. During this process, we will also explain the necessity of breeding restrictions and confirm that proper breeding management is possible. If our staff determines at any point that the requirements for adoption are not met, the adoption can and will be canceled.
If there is no problem with the visit result, please sign the pledge and hand the dog. After confirming compatibility with dogs and training for owners for proper breeding, it will be a process to come to pick up when it is judged that the dog is ready to welcome.Once the check is complete and the final adoption papers are signed, and the dog will be handed over once the staff determine that the foster parents as well as the dog is ready and there are no compatibility issues.
Although some foster parents may be willing to adopt the dog immediately after visiting the transfer center, in practice this process generally requires a minimum of 2-3 weeks. We would appreciate your understanding and cooperation in advance. Click here for an overview
As of April 2019, there are seven adoption centers other than the main shelter in Jinseki-kogen Town, but we would like to continue opening new ones and further promoting the adoption of rescued dogs.
As of March 2019, a total of approximately 80,000 people have provided support through hometown tax payments as well as around 23,000 of those who continue to make monthly donations (such as Wandafuru supporters). Individual donations and various items (consumables, etc.) have also been donated which helps our organization greatly. Our main source of funds is from our generous supporters that let us continue with our projects.
Certified non-profit organization Peace Winds Japan, an NPO established in 1996, has been mainly engaged in humanitarian assistance in conflict and disaster areas. However, in recent years, in addition to humanitarian assistance, we have been actively working to solve various social problems including regional development and animal welfare.
Currently, we have offices in 7 prefectures in Japan and 11 countries overseas with around 360 staff under our payroll. Of these, about 100 staff (including 5 veterinarians under contract) are dedicated to the PeaceWanko Project. For activities related to our “Zero dogs slaughtered” project, approximately 350 people have also registered as volunteers to support our activities.
First of all, thank you very much for considering your support. We are always incredibly pleased to receive donations, volunteer support, as well as foster parent support. In addition to our home page, we are also constantly updating our activities on our Twitter and Facebook pages. Sharing our posts can be done easily and is greatly appreciated.
Regarding donations, there are various ways to donate, such as using the hometown tax payment system, being a continuous supporter, making a one-time donation, or purchasing our goods. Please see here for details.
Unfortunately, we do not accept donations of pet food in consideration of health management of our dogs. Please refer to our homepage for supplies that are accepted and appreciated.
Regarding volunteers, in addition to our main shelter in Jinseki-kogen, we are also looking for people who can always help various things at our adoption centers nationwide. People who can volunteer regularly are greatly appreciated. If you are interested, please contact us from the inquiry form or visit our facilities directly. Since there is a registration procedure, we hope that you can register after joining the volunteer insurance (Annual cost of 700 yen).
Yes. It is possible. Please drop in at any time when we are open at our adoption centers in Hiroshima, Shonan, Setagaya, Fukuyama, Akiruno, Ikoma, or Okayama.
For our main shelter in Jinseki-kogen Town, those who wish to adopt a dog should come and apply between 13:00 and 15:00.
There is also an approximately 8,000 square meter dog run around the facility which is open to the public for a fee. For those who are visiting facilities for reasons other than to adopt a dog, there have been many requests for visiting recently therefore it may not be possible to respond to every inquiry sufficiently. At 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 every day we offer a short facility tour taking les than 30 minutes. As a general rule, for these tours no reservation is required, but if you are visiting with a large group, please contact us and make a reservation in advance.
If you would like to visit the entire facility with a business tour, please make a reservation in advance by using the inquiry form.
First, please consult our nearest adoption center or our shelter in Jinseki-kogen Town.
We also explain the process above in “How does the adoption process work?”. Reading it before visiting our facilities will make the process smoother therefore, it is highly recommended. Click here for specific steps.
Yes, we are always looking for staff. There are various jobs such as work to care for rescued dogs, dog training, work to promote public awareness, work as administrative staff, consultation of foster parents at adoption centers etc. While most of our staff work at our main shelter in Jinseki-Kogen, we will post all information regarding job vacancies in our facilities around the country on our website.
Yes, we are accepting requests for lectures and training instructors to promote education and social understanding of our work regarding our “Zero dogs slaughtered” campaign. However, we cannot guarantee that we can provide our services due time constraints and allocation of resources, however, please do not hesitate o contact us through the inquiry form below.
