Episode 25. The Dark Side of Japanese Pet Shops

In Japan, there are still a high number of pet shops. Most of these shops offer purebred dogs and cats at astronomical prices. Some go as high as 2 million yen. These animals go through stringent DNA testing and very selective breeding. Ones that don’t make the cut, go out. While there have been laws enacted to protect the rights of these poor animals, pet shop businesses have found ways around it. As a result, animals continue to be killed for profit. One of the most common questions when it comes to pet shop industry is… what happens to the unsold animals? Where do they go?  The short answer is, they get sold elsewhere, mostly to breeders to be used as breeding dogs and cats. According to Japanese law, if the dog or cat is over 9 months old, they can give birth. Therefore, it's legal for them to be used as breeding machines. If you are interested in adopting animals, please check out these websites: https://www.pet-home.jp/ https://jmty.jp/all/pet