Red Room Where the Writers Are

While I was in the U.S., a friend of mine and her daughter bought a puppy.  I wished it wasn't a miniature dash hound because it seemed everywhere in Japan.   As I walked through my town, I was concerned about over-breeding pets and consumers' behaviors.  When I was small, spitz was the most popular dog here.  Spitz is a mid-size dog, has white fluffy hair, and barks in a high pitch tone.  But at that time, our environment was different.  I think I saw one animal hospital on the way to the harbor. 

Today, pet grooming shops and hospitals are operated like Starbucks.  Dogs wear colorful outfits, and they often wear raincoats.  In hot and humid summer, sometimes, I want to dart into a police box and report abuses. 

Needless to say, I was surprised to see a miniature dash hound when C-ko showed me to a dog play pen.  But the puppy was so cute and vibrant.  I worry too much sometimes.  They named the dog Anne after "Anne of Green Gables."  I held her in my arms, massaged her tummy, and tossed her ball.  If I no longer go back and forth between two countries, I'd like to have a beagle, I thought.  I forgot my concern.  The dog peed a bit on my pant, and her hair was all over me.  But I was happy.  We were going to meet again on Friday.  

Then C-ko began talking about her friend who lost a similar pet.  The pet had a birth defect, but because of it, she couldn't return it to the pet shop.  Her son said, "You know what will happen to the dog."  Yes, even children know our reality.  Pets end up getting killed.  So C-ko's friend kept it.  The dog endured for almost ten years because of the family's love and many visits to animal hospitals.  C-ko said,

"She told me what the dog taught the family was a lot."

"I'm sure," I said.  "But the pet business has that in mind."  

"It isn't money," C-ko said with nods, "Money cannot buy..."  She looked away.

"I'm saying the business is making money off that assumption," I said, "Everyone knows pets can be returned.  But how many will return?  That's exactly the point."

"It isn't money...precious experience...," C-ko said in a small voice. 

"Once I told my mother," I said, "that Japanese consumers were being cheated!"

I'm angry with the horrible part of pet business.  There must be many debates and laws. But we tend to avoid seeing reality, I thought.  Pets are products in shops, but once they depart shops, they're like children. 

It was getting dark.  C-ko walked back with me to a main street.  Before waving goodbye, I said,

"So, what time on Friday?  I have a Sanskrit class, so..."

"Oh, I can't on Friday, I have something...," she said.

"Oh?  I thought...  Well, then I see you next Sunday," I said.

I thought I probably shocked C-ko with my words.  Maybe, this has been quite common happenings among pets, but I've been unaware of it.  I don't know for sure.  On Sunday, we went to a Body Poetry workshop in Tokyo.  The workshop is like a dance.  C-ko said her daughter's been working overtime to pay for the dog's education, an obedience school.  Because her daughter took the dog to a clinic, we had dinner together.  Hmm.  Clinics are open on Sunday?  She said when pets are young, regular shots and check-ups were required like children.  Besides Anne has a minor ear problem.