TOKYO -- Two employees at a major Japanese pet shop chain have come forward to expose widespread neglect and inaction allegedly occurring at their workplace when dealing with sick animals. They shared their experiences with the Mainichi Shimbun, shedding light on the oft-hidden dark side of the industry.

Blaming the animals for worsening health

"When an animal's condition worsens, they say, 'It's because this one is weak,' and blame it on the animal. It makes me furious," said Employee A, who works at a large pet shop chain with over 100 stores nationwide.

At a store in western Japan where Employee A works, puppies and kittens suffering from injuries or illnesses often do not receive proper medical treatment.

In the winter of 2023, a puppy showing symptoms of a cold, including fever and loss of appetite, was never treated by a veterinarian. Its condition deteriorated, and despite reaching a critical state, it didn't receive adequate care and ultimately died.

Employee A and other staff members suggested taking the sick puppy to a veterinarian, but the store manager and corporate leadership ignored their requests.

Employee B, who has worked at other major pet shop chains, confirmed that neglecting sick animals was not uncommon. However, they noted, "I've never seen a store that refuses to take animals to the vet to this extent."

Failing to provide necessary care and leaving sick or injured animals untreated is a form of animal abuse. So why does this type of "failure to act," which could constitute a violation of the animal welfare law, happen at pet shops?

"If we report these issues to headquarters, we get severely reprimanded," Employee A said.

In their store, when puppies or kittens fall ill, the standard response is to force-feed them using a syringe. However, this causes them to vomit, providing no improvement to their health.

Shop workers, including part-time and student staff, sometimes administer medication on their own judgment, and the two believe that this practice worsens the animals' conditions.

Employee A revealed, "They just assume, 'This medicine should work,' without proper knowledge."

Sick animals are moved to cages in the store's backroom -- not always a hygienic place due to a lack of proper waste cleanup. This can exacerbate their illnesses, creating a vicious cycle.

The two also confided that their shop has handed animals over to new owners without providing medical care even if the pets started showing symptoms such as diarrhea, bloody stools or a cough between the time they were sold and the scheduled handover.

When concerned customers later call the store after noticing symptoms, they often respond with explanations such as, "Young animals tend to show symptoms like this," or, "Animals' health can fluctuate when adapting to a new environment."

When asked about these allegations, the shop representative responded, "We conducted an internal investigation across all stores, but found no direct evidence of the reported cases. However, we cannot definitively say they never happened."

Unsold animals seen as 'inventory'

In 2023, Japanese police saw a record 181 cases of suspected animal welfare law violations nationwide -- 3.8 times higher than a decade before.

Since 2010, the National Police Agency has released data on animal cruelty cases. Of the 181 cases investigated by police in 2023, 97 involved cats and 65 involved dogs -- nearly 90% of all cases. Of these cases involving cats and dogs, 64 were for abandonment, followed by 57 cases of abuse including neglect, such as by lack of food or unsanitary living conditions, and 41 cases of intentional harm or killing.

Prompted by heightened public awareness on animal welfare, animal abuse reports overwhelmingly come from third-party whistleblowers including neighbors, amounting to 118 cases versus from suspects themselves or those directly involved at 21 cases.

Satoru Kishimoto, an attorney and board member of the animal welfare nonprofit Animal Defense Team based in Itami, Hyogo Prefecture, pointed out the lack of whistleblowing in the pet shop industry.

"Employees fear retaliation, such as being fired or having their wages cut. As a result, there is often insufficient evidence to prove mistreatment," he said.

According to Kishimoto, even when abuse is reported, local authorities often lack the staff and budget to investigate thoroughly, leading to delayed or overlooked cases.

Some pet shops and breeders treat dogs and cats as mere "products" and unsold animals as "inventory." Kishimoto warns that this mindset enables animal abuse. He said, "There is a widespread belief that as long as the problem doesn't become too big, they won't get caught, leading to discoveries of cases across Japan where dogs and cats have suffered in appalling conditions. If the government identifies problematic pet businesses, they should take appropriate and decisive action, including revoking their licenses if they don't improve their practice."

(Japanese original by Ayane Matsuyama, Digital News Group)