Tenants who keep pets at public housing in Mie Prefecture are facing a tough choice — whether to give up their beloved pets or vacate the property.

A prefectural ordinance bans residents in Mie's housing complexes from keeping pets, and officials claim they are just "following the rule."

However, those who have owned dogs or cats for a long time are puzzled by the decision, as they believed they had been given tacit approval to keep pets.