- Title: Japan dog retirement homes care for elderly canines
- Date: 1st March 2016
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (RECENT) (REUTERS) DOG OWNER, AKIKO HOSHINO, CARRYING SHIBA INU "NENE" DOWN PARK PATH WAY WITH FRIEND HOSHINO AND FRIEND CARRYING NENE DOWN A ROAD FRIEND USES HANDKERCHIEF TO WIPE DOG'S MUZZLE (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) DOG OWNER, AKIKO HOSHINO, SAYING: "You can't say this is the end to dogs, or any animals, who are trying to keep on living." HOSHINO HOLDING DOG HOSHINO PETTING DOG (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) DOG OWNER 66-YEAR-OLD, AKIKO HOSHINO, SAYING: "There are those that put down dogs, but I am totally against that. So I was looking for a better solution." HOSHINO CARRYING DOG INTO "ROKEN HONPO" CENTRE FOR ELDERLY DOGS HEAD OF "ROKEN HONPO", MIE KAWAGUCHI, LOOKING AT A CORGI DOG LAYING ON ITS SIDE CORGI DOG, NANA, LOOKING UP AT KAWAGUCHI WORKER HOLDING NENE NENE EATING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) HEAD OF "ROKEN HONPO", MIE KAWAGUCHI, SAYING: "Simply put: I found out that there were many people were going through this problem, so I thought I would do something about it. " NENE ASLEEP (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) HEAD OF "ROKEN HONPO", MIE KAWAGUCHI, SAYING: "Having people and animals interact in this sort of form is good for humans but also for the animals." ANOTHER SHIBA DOG DRINKING WATER EMPLOYEE HOLDING AND HELPING THE SHIBA DOG TO DRINK KAWAGUCHI RUBBING DOG WHICH THEN TRIES TO HOWL STAFF MEMBER PETTING CORGI DOG, NANA MORE OF THE ELDERLY CORGI DOG BEING PETTED STAFF AND VETERINARIAN LOOKING AT VARIOUS DOGS BOWL WITH NEEDLE STAFF TREATING A 15 YEAR OLD SHIBA DOG DOG BARKING AS KAWAGUCHI HOLDS OTHER DOGS DURING MEDICAL CHECK UP VETERINARIAN CHECKING ON DOG DOG MAKING NOISES AS IT LAYS ON SIDE DOCTOR TAKING BLOOD SAMPLE FROM DOG STAFF LOOKING DOWN AND SMILING DOG BARKING
- Embargoed: 16th March 2016 06:50
- Keywords: Japan Tokyo dogs retirement elderly dogs dying sick
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Human Interest/Brights/Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001473HP3T
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Akiko Hoshino's 17-year-old female Shiba Inu, named "Nene", is so old in dog years that she can no longer walk by herself.
On the rare days she is out on the streets of Tokyo, Hoshino has to carry Nene everywhere, occasionally a friend helps her wipe the drool from Nene's open mouth.
Depending on how you calculate dog years, Nene is around 84 years old in human terms.
"You can't say this is the end to dogs, or any animals, who are trying to keep on living," said Hoshino.
Very much like Japan's growing and aging population, the nation is also facing a large number of aging pets.
Already Japan has more registered pets than children. Some 20 million in comparison to the 16 million children under 15.
When they get too old or sick, while many opt to put their pets to sleep, more and more are choosing to spend money keeping their pets alive until their final days. Some, like Hoshino, have even opted to put their dogs in a special retirement home.
"There are those that put down dogs, but I am totally against that. So I was looking for a better solution," Hoshino added.
At Roken Honpo, which can be roughly translated as "Old Dog Head Office", an average of 10 elderly dogs are taken care of by Mie Kawaguchi and her team.
Kawaguchi said she began this business because she saw too many people such as Hoshino struggling to care for their elderly dogs and not willing to put them to sleep.
"Simply put: I found out that there were many people were going through this problem, so I thought I would do something about it," she said.
Kawaguchi's staff have their hands full with canine versions of all sorts of gerontologic ailments - from Alzheimers to bone and joint diseases, digestive problems and failing eyesight.
A local veterinarian regularly checks up on the dogs who are provided with loving care in this centre in their final days.
"Having people and animals interact in this sort of form is good for humans but also for the animals," Kawaguchi added, saying that human care for senior dogs is important.
While the cost of putting your dog in such a home would depend on the dog's size, a mid-sized pouch would set back the owners by 75,000 yen (660 USD) a month. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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