The Possibility of the Public Involvement in the Animal Welfare Administration : The case study in Hyogo Pref., the institution of the animal welfare promoters

Abstract

Now, the animal welfare policy of Japan is on the turning point. The reason is the alternation of the Law of Concerning the Protection and Control of Animals in 2000. It was the first case that the public involvement-the animal welfare promoters-was established as the institution on the act.

But in Japan, there were scarcely the partnerships between government and citizens in the discipline of the animal welfare in the past.

Even though the animal welfare promoters are citizens, they are not completely private sectors. They are semipublic. They do not have the inspection authorities based on the act and they are only talents for enlightenment.

This application of the institution of the animal welfare promoters in Hyogo Pref. is the first model case in Japan. The author takes part in its application as the collaboration coordinator. The author’s stance is a neutral position between the local government and animal welfare promoters. The author also designed the process for creating local society.

The author explains about the public involvement in the animal welfare administration in Japan through the results and the subjects of this model case. The results are to promoting the consciousness improvement in government and citizens through the collaboration-type application, creating scenarios in collaboration to solve subjects in the local society, the important functions of the collaboration coordinator and conquering sectionalism in government based on citizens’ viewpoints.

The subjects are correspondence to various public involvement levels.

The author presents the necessity of moving from the agent-type public involvement to the collaboration-type public involvement, using collaboration coordinator and rebuilding of the ethical meanings of the animal welfare as the conclusion of this paper.