video transcript

Dogs doing human tricks - it's all a ploy to educate these kids about responsible pet ownership. The Wow Wow Dog Circus wants to encourage people to get dogs from shelters, rather than pet stores. Dog trainer, Kayo Takeda says Japan lags behind in terms of adopting abandoned pets. SOUNDBITE: Kayo Takeda, dog trainer at Wow Wow Dog Circus, saying (Japanese): "Compared to a country like Germany the number is way too low. We need a system (for adopting abandoned dogs). The sales at pet shops are very high, but overseas the choice to adopt a dog is much more prevalent. I'd like to hope that Japan will move forward in that direction." And the kids at this school seem to have got the message out. SOUNDBITE: Tokutaro Takahashi, 12-year-old school student, saying (Japanese): "I really feel people that abandon their dogs and don't take responsibility for them, that's not a good thing." SOUNDBITE: Keito Aoki, 12-year-old school student, saying (Japanese): "For me it is unforgivable! From the moment you buy one, until it dies, that is your obligation." One hundred thousand dogs are abandoned and destroyed every year in Japan. And by staying on the ball, the Wow Wow Circus hopes to lower that number.