The hoarding of pets, which results in dog and cat owners becoming unable to care for an overwhelming number of animals, continues to plague communities across the country, leading local authorities to tighten the rules on ownership.
In the city of Sagamihara in Kanagawa Prefecture, seven cases of hoarding were confirmed between fiscal years 2021 and 2023. In one high-profile incident in September last year, city officials investigated after neighbors complained of foul odors.
They discovered a man in his 60s who kept around 70 cats in a residence soiled with feces and urine. One of the cats had gone blind due to an infection.
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