Illegal snares used to capture dogs in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, have sparked suspicions of an "underground dog meat chain."

A 2018 investigation by the World Dog Alliance (WDA) found over 100 restaurants in Japan serving dog meat dishes.

Japan is renowned for its animal welfare, and its pet industry is among the largest in Asia. However, the World Dog Alliance (WDA), in response to recent illegal hunting incidents in Ibaraki Prefecture, is gradually uncovering a disturbing truth behind this civilized nation: not only do dog meat restaurants exist in Japan, but suspicions of illegal hunting of stray dogs for consumption and even sale are also surfacing with the emergence of "lasso traps."

The truth behind the data: Imports decreased, but restaurants remained the same.

In 2018, the World Dog Alliance (WDA) conducted an in-depth investigation and found that there were more than 100 restaurants and shops in Japan that served dog meat dishes, and that more than 450 tons of dog meat, equivalent to 100,000 dogs, had been imported over the past decade. Although official Japanese data showed that dog meat imports were zero after 2019, the WDA found that some restaurants still served dog meat during field visits to Tokyo, Osaka and other places. Even some high-end Chinese restaurants told customers that they could be served dog meat dishes if they made a reservation the day before.

Genlin, founder of the WDA, pointed out that with the disruption of imported meat sources but the increase in market demand, it is reasonable to suspect that the source of dog meat in Japan has shifted to illegal domestic acquisition . This means that stray dogs and abandoned pets in Japan may have become targets of the underground supply chain.

Legal blind spots: Unpredictable illegal "lasso traps"

Seiichi Kushida, a member of the House of Councillors hailed as Japan's leading animal protector, learned during an animal survey in Ibaraki Prefecture on December 21, 2025, that stray dogs were falling into "kukuri traps" and that underground sewers were frequently clogged with animal hair. He also noted that many foreigners worked for large companies in the area, suggesting that they were using these traps to catch stray dogs for food.

Like the Japanese, Taiwanese people generally do not eat dog meat. However, since 2010, a large influx of Vietnamese laborers into Taiwan has led to the capture and killing of many stray dogs for food, with some dog meat restaurants even operating openly. These inhumane practices have sparked public outrage in Taiwan, with tens of thousands of people marching and demonstrating, calling on the Legislative Yuan to enact legislation banning the consumption of dogs and cats. Against this backdrop, Taiwan officially passed the Animal Protection Act, banning the consumption of dogs and cats, on April 11, 2017.

Japan permits the use of "rope traps" made of slipknotted steel cables to capture "harmful birds and animals" causing agricultural damage, including wild deer, but strict regulations exist to prevent animals from suffering prolonged pain or having their limbs severed.

The noose trap is currently the most commonly used legal hunting tool in Japan for controlling harmful birds and animals. It is not made of hemp rope, but rather of steel cable with a slipknot. When an animal steps into it, an internal spring mechanism is triggered and quickly tightens, securing the animal's leg. Because of its high lethality, it is used by some to catch dogs and cats. However, Japan currently does not have a law banning the consumption of dog meat, and complaints to the police or relevant departments are often ignored.

Japanese animal protection groups report that those who use snare traps are often highly mobile criminal gangs that not only hunt dogs and cats but also steal livestock such as pigs and cattle. These illegal foreign groups exploit loopholes in the "post-capture disposal" regulations to slaughter animals on the spot.

A paradoxical phenomenon: Stray dogs vs. Stray dogs

Japanese society exhibits contradictory attitudes towards dogs and cats, a topic of ongoing discussion. Regarding dogs, while some breeds are showered with affection by their owners, others are abandoned when pets become less appealing or their owners grow old and can no longer care for them. Stray dogs roaming the mountains are often treated as wild dogs when it's difficult to determine if they are truly abandoned. However, Japanese law treats wild dogs and stray dogs very differently. Wild dogs are considered harmful animals and can be captured and disposed of with permission, while stray dogs are protected under the Animal Welfare and Management Law (Animal Welfare Law) and should be taken in after capture. Criminals often use deceptive tactics, misrepresenting "stray dogs" that roam near residential areas or rural areas as aggressive "wild dogs" and using this as a pretext to set traps to kill them, thus evading the strict protection of abandoned dogs under the Animal Welfare Act.

Japanese law clearly defines "wild dogs" and "stray dogs." The former prey on wild animals, while stray dogs are mostly abandoned animals. Unscrupulous groups exploit legal loopholes, blurring the lines between the two, and arbitrarily killing stray dogs.

Ibaraki Case: A Tug-of-War Between Police and Criminal Groups

Ibaraki Prefecture, along with Ehime, Kagawa, Tokushima, and other prefectures, are areas in Japan with a serious stray dog problem and have become hotspots for illegal snare traps in recent years.

In mid-2024, NHK, Ibaraki Shimbun, and Yomiuri Shimbun all reported on the "Livestock Theft and Illegal Carcass Case in Ibaraki and Gunma Prefectures." This case involved a joint operation by police from Ibaraki and Gunma prefectures that uncovered an "illegal carcass operation" located within an abandoned factory. The group consisted of several Vietnamese students who stole pigs from farms at night and used traps to capture stray dogs for illegal slaughter. The ringleader was indicted for violating the Animal Protection Law and theft. The court ultimately sentenced the main suspect to two years and six months in prison.

Taiwan's experience: Legislating a ban on eating dogs and cats is the only solution.

Drawing on Taiwan's animal protection experience, the Animal Protection Act explicitly prohibited the slaughter of dogs and cats and the sale of their carcasses as early as 2001. However, after the influx of Vietnamese migrant workers into Taiwan, the hunting and consumption of stray dogs and cats became a focal point of social order and conflict. Therefore, the law was amended in 2017 to prohibit the consumption of dogs and cats, hoping to achieve the goal of "no consumption, no killing." In addition to imposing fines of NT$50,000 to NT$250,000 on those who consume the animals, the penalties for slaughtering dogs and cats have been increased: imprisonment for up to two years or detention, and a fine of NT$200,000 to NT$2,000,000. For serious offenses or repeat offenders, the penalty can be increased to one to five years imprisonment. Imprisonment for up to one year, and a fine of between NT$500,000 and NT$5,000,000. There is also a more severe penalty of revocation of employment permit, immediate deportation, and permanent ban from working in Taiwan.

It is clear that Japan is currently experiencing a situation similar to Taiwan's in the past. If it only punishes illegal activities with the Bird and Beast Protection Law and the Animal Welfare Law without holding those who buy and eat the animals accountable, it is tantamount to opening up a lawless zone, which will never be able to stop the evil deeds. Therefore, the only good solution is to respond to the WDA's call for "explicit legislation to ban the consumption of dogs and cats." Otherwise, Japan's dogs may be plunged into an unprecedented survival crisis, and Japan, which prides itself on being an advanced animal protection country, will be tarnished.

References:

Two missing Vietnamese migrant workers suspected of selling dog meat? Animal protection agency se... - YouTube

Next TV · 615 views

This video provides a detailed report on the recent case in which Taiwanese police and animal protection agencies intercepted Vietnamese migrant workers illegally transporting dog meat. It can serve as a key law enforcement and social observation reference for Japan when dealing with similar cases of foreigners catching dogs.