Photo/Illutration Dogs are kept in Saitama Prefecture in September 2021 after being rescued from a breeder in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, who was arrested on animal cruelty charges. The dogs were shaved to remove the hairballs that covered their bodies when they were discovered. (Masahiko Ohta)

Police made arrests or sent papers to prosecutors in a record 170 animal cruelty cases in 2021, which the National Police Agency is attributing to increased public awareness activities by animal welfare organizations. 

The figure marks a 67 percent increase from the 102 cases in 2020, the NPA announced on April 7. The number is a record high since the agency started collecting the data in 2010. 

In the 170 cases of violations of the Animal Welfare Law, police arrested or sent papers to prosecutors on a total of 199 people, also a record. This represents around a 70 percent increase from the 117 accused in 2020.

The previous records were 105 cases and 126 people, respectively.

Of the 170 cases, cruelty toward cats accounted for the largest portion at 95, followed by dogs at 60. Reported targets of cruelty also included horses, chickens, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs and turtles.

The most common case cited was abandonment of live animals, totaling 81. This was followed by 48 cases of “abuse” of animals, meaning not feeding or keeping them in poor living conditions. The third most common case was killing or injuring animals, numbering 41.

These cases included a man residing in Chiba Prefecture who was arrested in June on allegations of killing cats by shooting them with an air gun.

Also in November, a breeder and another person residing in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, were arrested on charges of abusing 362 dogs that they had kept in inhumane conditions to produce puppies for sale.

‘ANIMALS JUST LIKE HUMANS’

An officer at the NPA attributes the increase in animal cruelty cases to the hard work by animal welfare organizations to raise awareness of animal care in society.

In the case in Matsumoto, a public interest corporation called Dobutsu Kankyo Fukushi Kyokai Eva (Animal environment and welfare association Eva) sought criminal charges against the breeder. It did so after it received a report from a whistleblower.

Aya Sugimoto, an actress and TV personality and representative director of the organization, said “Since the Animal Welfare Law was revised in 2020, people have been recognizing more clearly that animal cruelty is a crime.”

The revised law stipulates that the offense of killing or injuring an animal is punishable by imprisonment of up to five years, or a fine of at least 5 million yen ($40,300). This is much stricter than the prior penalty calling for imprisonment of at least two years or a fine of up to 2 million yen.

Sugimoto said that one of the benefits that has come from the revision of the law is the public's recognition that, “animal cruelty is something that they can report to the police.”

The increase in the arrests or sending documents on offenders to prosecutors is “the result of proper police investigations into these cases,” she said.

Sugimoto added, “Animals age, fall sick and may even need nursing care just like human beings do. Before taking in animals, people should fully understand that they will be responsible for their lives.”

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