[Yamagata Spay/Neuter Clinic] We want to eliminate the number of welfare workers who are worried about animal problems at the places we visit.
*View in browser* *Yamagata Spay/Neuter Clinic*
Press release: April 1, 2024
April Dream Project
**
I want to eliminate the number of welfare workers who are worried about animal problems at the places they visit.
*You won’t have to worry about such animal problems anymore! Our motto is “Veterinarians in the field of human welfare.” [Industry’s first] Animal hospital for welfare workers*
This press release is a dream sent out by a business operator who sympathizes with the April Dream project and wants to make April 1st a day full of dreams, hoping to make them come true.
Yamagata Spay/Neuter Clinic (Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture, Director: Tomoya Yamagata) is a veterinary hospital that strives to solve the problem of inappropriate animal husbandry, which is a problem in social welfare settings, especially home-visit and home-based social welfare services.
As a consulting veterinary hospital for welfare providers, we aim to improve the working environment for welfare workers and improve the health and welfare of pet owners through early intervention and collaboration.
Our hospital supports April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to share dreams. This press release is a dream of “Yamagata
Spay/Neuter Clinic”.
First in the industry. Proposing a new solution combining human welfare and veterinarians
*Why veterinarians are needed in human welfare settings*
In recent years, welfare issues and support needs, such as social isolation and difficulty in living, have become more diverse and complex, and there are an increasing number of cases where it is difficult for traditional welfare workers alone to solve the issues.
The term “community comprehensive care system” was first used in the 2005 revision of the Long-Term Care Insurance Act, and the
“multilayered support system development project” was created in the 2021 revision of the Social Welfare Act. When it comes to
interpersonal support provided by professionals, emphasis is placed on counseling and support for all people, so that the person and the supporter can continue to be involved.
Our hospital serves as a consultation center for welfare providers, both public and private, in order to provide comprehensive,
multi-layered support. By managing animals and improving their living environments, we contribute to improving the health and welfare of people in need of support and their animals, as well as providing a safe and secure working environment for welfare providers, allowing them to focus on their work.
Excerpt from Ministry of the Environment’s “Guidelines for
multi-animal breeding measures that address people, animals, and local communities – Towards multi-agency collaboration in social welfare and animal welfare management”
Welfare workers are often the first to discover inappropriate animal husbandry (in many cases, multiple animal husbandry). While welfare support is required to support the entire life of the person in need of support, it is extremely difficult for welfare workers alone to solve this problem, so multi-agency collaboration in both the public and private sectors is essential. In 2021, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare issued a federation notification titled “Guidelines for measures to raise multiple animals that address people, animals, and the community – Toward multi-agency collaboration in social welfare and animal welfare management.”
However, at present, there are almost no animal experts (the yellow frame at the top of the diagram above) who can deal with this problem, and most welfare providers cannot even think of someone to consult. *Problems caused by animals*
Animal problems at welfare sites have a negative impact not only on the owners but also on the welfare workers who visit them. This problem is often recognized by the public only when it is left untreated to the point where it can be called terminal. A typical example is what is reported as a “nekoyashiki”. The reported cases are clearly dire, but problems that need to be addressed have already arisen in the process of deteriorating.
4 animal issues in welfare settings
*Hospitalization refusal*
Even if the owner needs to be hospitalized or admitted to a facility, the pet may be refused because the pet is present. This leads to a decline in the health and welfare of the owner, and is a typical problem that concerns welfare personnel.
* Health damage*
In addition to direct harm such as being bitten or scratched by animals, there is an increased risk of damage from fleas and ticks, and of infectious diseases. Recently, deadly infectious diseases have been reported, and this is a problem that cannot be taken lightly. Not only the pet owner but also the person in charge of visiting the pet are at risk.
*Mental distress*
Pests that feed on leftover food, kittens that are born and die repeatedly, thin dogs and cats barely alive, and dogs that have not been vaccinated against rabies. It can’t be said that it’s good not only in terms of hygiene and risk of infection, but also in terms of mental health. Tomorrow may be the day when the person in charge complains that they are unable to endure the mental pain and are unable to continue making visits. This can lead to problems with neighbors, such as bad odors and feces and urine damage. Isolation from neighbors and relatives significantly reduces the owner’s quality of life.
*Abandoned animals*
If the owner leaves the house due to hospitalization, etc., the animal will be left behind. Animals that are tethered are in an emergency situation as they are without water or food. Even if they are not moored, they may cause trouble in the neighborhood or cause harm to people due to scavenging. It is easy to conclude that “human welfare workers are irrelevant when it comes to animals.” However, it is not pleasant to pretend that we do not know the whereabouts of animals that we see on a regular basis.
*Specific initiatives*
Image of collaboration between human welfare and veterinarians So far, we have intervened in consultation cases from municipal governments, regional comprehensive support centers, etc.
In many cases, flea and tick prevention or spaying or neutering the animal is necessary and a goal in solving the problem. Start by building a relationship of trust so that the owner will listen. We will then make suggestions based on what we can do, have repeated discussions, and guide you toward achieving your goals. Even after the goal is achieved, we will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that it does not return to the original inappropriate management. In this way, animal problems in welfare settings take time to be resolved.
Our hospital has been working on this since 2022, and there have already been four cases in which we have completed spaying and neutering in about a year and a half. We have received words of gratitude from the welfare workers who consulted us, and we are really seeing the effects.
Yamagata receives a child care support specialist power of attorney from the Mobara City child care support division manager.
https://y-snc.com/blog/welfare/1613/
Starting in 2022, we will be accepting childcare support visitors from Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture. The childcare support visit system is a system in which experts visit families who need childcare support for various reasons. In Mobara City, the project is commissioned by the mayor to experts. Up until now, I have only worked as a childcare worker, midwife, and public health nurse, but this is probably the first time I have been accepted as a veterinarian in Japan.
The impetus for this project was a case consultation from the Core Community Life Support Center (Chiba Prefecture’s unique system) and the city’s child care support division. When I visited the support site for the first time with city officials, the owners who were in need of support responded very well, and we were able to have some in-depth discussions. A city employee told me that the reason was, “It must be because a veterinarian came to talk about the cat.” Usually, it was difficult to get an appointment to visit, and even when I did, I was often turned away. However, after intervention at our hospital, the frequency of visits increased significantly. As a result, the city’s childcare support went smoothly and we were very happy. Owners are now able to properly manage their cats, and their living environment has improved. We will continue to accept childcare support visitors in 2023 and 2024.
*A future with zero slaughter*
https://www.env.go.jp/nature/dobutsu/aigo/2_data/statistics/dog-cat.html
Collaboration with welfare providers will also contribute to the field of animal welfare. In fact, currently, about half of the dogs and cats culled by local governments are kittens. The main source of these kittens is not unscrupulous breeders or pet stores, but overpopulation caused by poor management by the general public. Many of these incidents occur at sites where human welfare is involved. Unwanted breeding due to irresponsible feeding of stray cats and lack of management results in cats being euthanized.
In other words, solving animal problems in welfare settings is one of the most important elements in achieving zero animal slaughter. If human welfare and veterinarians create a virtuous cycle between owners and welfare workers, we can even see zero animal slaughter.
* Future outlook *
Yamagata talks with support recipients during a visit accompanied by a welfare provider.
Up until now, we have primarily responded to inquiries from local governments and related organizations, and we are convinced that our hospital’s efforts can be of help to welfare providers. In the future, I would like to see a wider range of private welfare providers recognize and utilize this service.
If you have been involved in welfare work for a long time, you will definitely come across problems with animals. A problem that I couldn’t do anything about even if I encountered it. In response to this, it has become common knowledge in the social welfare industry to have veterinarians as advisors, and we would like to create a system where veterinarians can be consulted immediately. We want to eliminate the number of welfare workers who are worried about animal issues. This is the dream of Yamagata Spay/Neuter Clinic.
“April Dream” is a PR event where companies send out their dreams that they would like to achieve in the future on April 1st.
This is a project by TIMES. We are seriously aiming to make this dream come true.
*About details about this release*
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