The following is an excerpt from a document discussing Japan’s hokensho (dog pound) in 1973 – 1974.

Document #1: NISHINOMIYA HOKENSHO (dog pound) - LIVE INCINERATION

Inside an incinerator, similar to what Hokensho dogs, ALIVE and FULLY CONSCIOUS were put into, to be incinerated alive. Click photo to view enlarged.

On 13th October, 1973, Miss (name withheld) was informed by one of the Imazu Port incinerator workers that of the 80 – 100 dogs being delivered to the incinerator weekly by the Hokensho (dog pound), a large number appeared to be only stunned, and others fully conscious at the time of incineration.

The workers complained that the dogs leapt around in the flames, screaming, but that there was no way to retrieve them, and that on that day dogs had been burnt alive.

Miss (name withheld) and Dr. (name withheld) immediately visited the Hokensho (dog pound) and spoke with Vice Director, Ueno, who admitted to knowing that animals were being incinerated alive, and agreed to try and stop the practice.

On 30th October, Mrs (name withheld) and Miss (name withheld) noticed several half burnt dogs in the poorly burning fire and were told that they were from the Hokensho and that among them were dogs FULLY ALIVE and CONSCIOUS.

Inside an incinerator, same type of conditions fully conscious dogs were thrown into and burned alive, for an unknown amount of years. Click on photo to view enlarged.

One of the workers complained that they did not wish to continue incinerating live animals and asked the foreign welfare workers to complain.

On 1st November, a lengthy article with photographs appeared in the Japanese “Sankei” newspaper, and the Director of the Hokensho, Dr. Masami Miyamoto admitted in an interview that as 80 – 100 dogs were too many to kill at a time it was likely that dogs were incinerated alive, but that in future he would inspect each animal before incineration.

Live incineration is due to the faulty decompression chamber, which is kept outside, in the open, and neither regularly inspected nor serviced.

It was reported to be malfunctioning two years ago, and it continues to be the current method of destruction.

My Comment

I was handed 30 years of ORIGINAL and SIGNED documents in June 2012,  discussing Japan’s hokenshos (dog pounds), animal experiment laboratories as well as Japan’s dismal  animal welfare situation, from mid 1960s to mid 1990s. One of the people in the documents decided the information needed to be revealed and asked for them to be made public. The documents were handed to me with that request.

Sadly, very little has changed. In june 2012 I know someone who witnessed horrific cruelty inside a hokensho, the same type of atrocities as back in 1968! In 2012 gas chambers are still used in every hokensho, except Kumamoto. (2012: gas chambers are still used in over 32 states within the USA.)

The following is part of the original document:

Japan document #1: Live Incineration, 1973 -1974. Click on photo to view enlarged.

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