The Welfare and Management of Animals Law was revised Sept. 1 in an attempt to reduce the number of abandoned dogs and cats.

Unless they are adopted by new owners, abandoned pets are usually destroyed in animal shelters after a certain number of days have passed. There are roughly 20 million dogs and cats in Japan, almost the same as the number of children.

The revision allows animal centers to refuse pets from owners who are trying to dump them simply because they've grown tired of the animals. There are also plans to implant microchips into pets to identify their owners to prevent abandonment.