{"id":1149,"date":"2026-09-14T00:00:05","date_gmt":"2026-09-13T15:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vextant.jp\/?p=1149"},"modified":"2026-09-13T09:27:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T00:27:12","slug":"getting-started","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vextant.jp\/en\/getting-started\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Started: What VEXTANT Wants to Address"},"content":{"rendered":"

We're starting a brand under the name \"VEXTANT.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The name comes from two words: \"V\" for Voice, and \"EXTANT\" \u2014 still existing, not extinct. It's a design-driven apparel e-commerce brand that relies on print-on-demand (POD) platforms for production and shipping. We plan to build in a mechanism to donate 5% of each item's sale to animal welfare organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, this isn't a message from an organization with a track record. The store isn't open yet, and both the collections and donation partners are still being worked out. We decided to start this blog from the position of someone about to begin, rather than someone who has already accomplished something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where We Stand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We are not animal welfare specialists. We have no veterinary training and no field experience in rescue work. If we're being honest, our actual trade is apparel and e-commerce, and our connection to this issue runs only through the donation mechanism built into that business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That's exactly why we want to say something plainly from the start. How much can someone without specialized standing actually contribute? We don't have an answer to that yet, and we want to admit that here, honestly, before we begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the Data Shows<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As for the current situation in Japan, where we're based,statistics published by the Ministry of the Environment<\/a>show that the total number of dogs and cats euthanized in fiscal year 2024 was 6,830 \u2014 1,964 dogs and 4,866 cats. Compared to 394,799 in fiscal year 2004, that's a decline of roughly 98.3% over two decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at the numbers alone, this looks like a clear, ongoing improvement. Following the ministry's year-by-year figures, this decline doesn't appear to be a one-off \u2014 it has been consistent over the long term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, this same dataset breaks the numbers down by prefecture, and it reveals significant regional disparity. Even as the national total keeps improving, this same primary data shows a structure where certain regions continue to carry a disproportionate share of the remaining cases. A better national average and an evenly improved situation on the ground might be two different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digging a little further, the picture around animal welfare turns out to be a mix \u2014 some things genuinely improving, others not moving much at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Japan, the number of dogs and cats euthanized has dropped significantly \u2014 a genuine step forward. Yet in a survey of 59 rescue organizations nationwide, 76% said the challenges they face in rescue work haven't decreased, or have even increased. Looking at the breakdown of reasons animals are taken in, \"owners unable to care for pets due to aging, hospitalization, or death\" has overtaken \"stray dogs and cats,\" which used to be the top reason. In other words, the rescue-animal problem is no longer just an animal welfare issue \u2014 it's increasingly tied to Japan's aging population and economic hardship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A similar pattern shows up in the United States. In 2025, 59% of shelter intakes were strays and 30% were owner surrenders. Adoptions rose to 4.2 million \u2014 a hopeful sign \u2014 but the rate of animals reunited with their original owners actually fell by 3%, and shelters continue to report capacity pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at the numbers alone, things seem to be improving \u2014 but that doesn't necessarily mean the burden on the ground has gotten any lighter. That gap, between the visible data and what it actually feels like on the ground, is exactly what we want to keep paying attention to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We Don't Know Yet What We Can Do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We'd rather not make the easy jump to \"so there must be something we can do.\" Without specialized knowledge or field experience, even something as indirect as a donation only means something if we keep tracking who receives it and how it's actually used \u2014 there's no other way to confirm it's genuinely helping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suspect a lot of people feel something similar \u2014 wanting to help, but unsure what someone without expertise can realistically offer, and hesitating to take the first step because of it. We're just one more person in that same position. Even so, we'd like to start by feeling our way forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About This Blog<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Going forward, we'll keep documenting statistics from public institutions and facts about animal welfare, working from primary sources wherever we can. We'll also write about our own progress as a brand under \"VEXTANT Field Notes,\" including the unfinished, unglamorous parts of getting there \u2014 not just the parts that look good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources<\/p>\n\n\n\n