In 2016, the number of domestic dogs was estimated be approximately 9,878,000 in Japan. Until 2004 or 2005, dogs were usually kept outdoors. Now, more than half of all companion dogs are kept indoors. The number of condominiums that allow residents to keep dogs has increased to: 93.8% of condominiums recently completed and 42.5% of condominiums overall, have rules that allow residents to keep dogs in their apartments. Due to the rapid increase in the number of dogs in urban areas, dog-related issues have escalated. The top three social problems related to dogs are barking, odors, and dog feces left in public and private areas. However, in Japan there is no legislation to control these problems at a national level. Several local municipalities have developed legislation and enforced regulations relating to dog feces, but barking and odors cannot be legislated. In contrast, in the U.K., barking is categorized as “noise” and “odor” as “nuisance” and both are regulated by the “Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.” The act also includes regulations for dog feces.
To provide support for dog owners and to allow them to conform to regulations, it is necessary to improve the Japanese legal system. In this paper, the differences between the U.K. and Japan are analyzed.
The results of a comparison between the regulations and support provided in the U.K. and Japan can make the issues in Japan clearer and provide pathways to overcome these problems.
JEL Classifications: Z18, Z19
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