Buying A Pet In Japan

When you’re a foreign resident in Japan or anywhere else in the world, it’s inevitable to have some apprehension about a lot of things. As for me (and my husband), I thought it would be beyond our privilege to buy and own a pet because I know for a fact that foreigners have limitations here, but I was totally wrong.

If you have the right visa and residence status (permanent resident), buying a pet isn’t much of a snag. All of you have to take into consideration is a breed of dog/cat that’s appropriate for you and your environment. Some pet shop staff won’t bother to ask why you opt for that breed. They’ll definitely assume that you know why.

So last Saturday, we went to a pet shop located one station away from our place. It wasn’t our first time. Our first visit to the place was when we were in search of a small breed of dog. An adorable and cheerful pup captured our hearts. We came back last Saturday to finally take her home.

The first thing that we did was approaching one of the employers to inquire about the whole process. Much to my surprise, he didn’t ask us anything (like documents or something). Instead, he gave us an hour of a lecture of sorts. Generally, he talked about the best food, grooming products, a little information about taking care of a puppy, our puppy’s health status and the like. Just so you know, the pup that we picked is a Jack Russell Terrier girl. We named her Sushi. If you know something or a lot about pets, this dog breed isn’t really recommended for novice pet owners. Didn’t know about this until we had Sushi at home. My husband once had a dog but it was some years ago. My family had one as well but only for a very short period of time. So I must say that Danny and I still belong in the complete novice category.

And guess what? The employer never discouraged us. He ended the lecture by offering us different types of pet insurance. This surprised me. Never even thought this is a thing.  After one good hour, we got hands on our very own freshly-washed little canine in a box.

Say hi to our hyperactive Sushi!

Expect that there will be posts about pet stuff (product reviews, stories, and tips) here soon! Now tell us about your experience of buying a pet!