Like a lot of Japanese cities, Izumisano, in Osaka Prefecture, has a problem with dog doo. People aren't properly cleaning up after their pets, and last year the city government passed an ordinance that would levy an immediate ¥1,000 fine on people who didn't. The ordinance has gone into effect but there's one problem: No staff to patrol and issue the summonses. So far not one fine has been levied much less collected. Obviously, the city needs to hire people to carry out the patrols, but like almost every other municipality in the country, Izumisano is short of funds, so the mayor proposed a tax on dog owners to pay for the patrol. The idea was met with overwhelming support from the citizens.
No one bothered to break this support down into people who own dogs and those who don't, but according to the magazine Aera, these days almost any tax proposal is met with automatic opposition, even from those it doesn't target. But everybody in Izuminosano thinks this tax is a good idea, including animal welfare groups, which would conceivably shoulder an extra financial burden if the tax is carried out unless it specifically excluded organizations such as private shelters. One such group told Aera that it's important to enlighten people to the responsibility attendant on dog ownership, especially with regard to a dog's impact on the environment and public sanitation. The group thinks that a dog tax would be a good way to raise such awareness, in addition to collecting money that can be used for animal welfare.