The once playful husky puppy has grown up, graduating from purse-sized pooch to full-grown dog. Instead of being happy with their larger bundle of joy, the owners are at a loss. The new apartment that the couple is after has a “no pets” policy, and they are growing weary of caring for their once precious pup. So, what to do? Unfortunately, they may choose to leave it behind and start their new life without him.Each year, approximately 500,000 abandoned cats and dogs are sentenced to death at municipal extermination facilities across Japan.

“Big dogs like huskies are so cute when they are little, but as they grow up there are many cases where pet owners don’t know how to handle them and desert them,” says Meiko Ogawa, director of the Japan Anti-Vivisection Association (JAVA). “Other common reasons pets are left behind are: the owners get tired of them, they move home, the animal becomes ill or gets old.”

Although procedures for dealing with stray and abandoned animals vary by prefecture, dogs and cats are often held for just a few days before being gassed to death. “The very little ones are frequently killed on the same day,” says Ogawa. “Some local governments put the abandoned cats into thick sacks… as they tend to scratch. They are left for up to two days without food or water before meeting their fate.”

JAVA is fighting against these torturous conditions, but with just 12 staff — of whom only two are paid — it’s a strenuous battle, especially as the organization is trying to do more than just stop the killing. Other activities include preventing pet abuse, opposing the killing of wild animals, stopping fur production, and abolishing animal testing (vivisection).

The organization estimates that nearly 28 million animals are used for experiments each year in Japan. “At present there is no [Japanese] law that addresses animal testing,” explains staff member Satoko Wazaki. “Experiments of this nature fall under the ‘Law Concerning Protection and Control of Animals,’ which dates to 1972. The law is self-regulating, with no government inspections, no compulsory reporting of the number of animals used, and no penalties.”

JAVA has achieved small victories, but animals continue to be tested on and killed at alarming rates. “By April 2006, all local governments stopped providing universities and institutes with abandoned cats and dogs,” says Wazaki. “But there are still many ways to get animals: researchers may buy animals from specialized distributors, and/or breed them by themselves; cats are captured by black market dealers; some zoos provide ‘surplus’ monkeys; wild monkeys are caught; and the list goes on.”

In 2005 JAVA released a cosmetics guide (in Japanese) that lists domestic manufacturers who test on animals, those who don’t — and those who never bothered to respond to the group’s questionnaire, which was used to compile the book. Over 2,000 people have signed up to receive JAVA’s quarterly newsletter, some of whom volunteer their time by giving presentations about animal abuse, or by handing out flyers at train stations. The organization also makes an appearance at a number of events throughout the year, including the main Earth Day fair held at Yoyogi Park each April.

JAVA is currently seeking volunteers for letter-writing campaigns, as well as people willing to donate their time and/or money to help the cause. To learn more see www.java-animal.org, email java@blueocn.ne.jp, or call 03-5456-9311.

This story originally appeared in Metropolis magazine (www.metropolis.co.jp).