This is the first time the Tokyo District Court has handled an animal medical malpractice case at its No. 30 civil affairs department, which specializes in human medical malpractice cases.

It is also the first case in which the amount claimed for a pet has been calculated on the basis of compensation awarded for children who die in traffic accidents.

Mami and Hiromitsu Takada of Tokyo's Ota Ward sued three veterinarians at the Chuma Jyuika Byouin animal hospital in the ward last July. They claimed the January 2003 death of their 9-year-old spitz bitch, Maiko, was caused by their failure to treat the animal for diabetes.

The court ruled that there was a clear connection between the dog's death and the fact that it was not given insulin.

The Japan Times Weekly: May 15, 2004
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