[Fuji] A post on social media reporting that a dog appearing on Mezamashi TV’s “Today’s Dog” died suddenly and mysteriously after filming has sparked a flurry of questions and slander．
2024.09.16 07:00 《It’s been so hard for me to post for such a long time, but my lovely 1-year-old daughter Hotate has passed away》 A post announcing the death of a beloved dog with a heartbreaking opening has been causing controversy on social media since September. The text, presumably written by the owner, continues as follows: “That day was the day of the filming of Today’s Dog for Fuji TV’s Mezamashi TV” (sic) “Today’s Dog,” which focuses on adorable pet dogs for about a minute, is a popular segment on the morning information program Mezamashi TV (Fuji TV). This is a long-running segment that has been on the air for 30 years since its program first began in 1994, and celebrated its 7,000th broadcast in July of this year. According to the previous post, Hotate-chan, the miniature dachshund who passed away, was photographed for the same corner on August 19th. “According to the post, the shooting appears to have taken place in the owner’s garden. It was a scorching hot day and Hotate was thirsty, so she gulped down the water from the hose. The pet’s behavior was so adorable that the staff repeatedly filmed the pet, asking, “Can I drink just one more time?” even after the owner interjected, “I can’t drink any more water.” After filming ended, Hotate-chan collapsed, and although they rushed her to the hospital, she passed away at 2 a.m. on the following day.” (TV station source) The poster not only posted the text, but also a photo of what appears to be Hotate-chan’s body lying on an altar. She also expressed her anger, saying that she “cannot forgive” the lack of an apology from Fuji TV, and concluded, “I myself am suffering from guilt for not being able to protect (my beloved dog).” The poster did not reveal the cause of death, but speculation spread on social media that it may have been water poisoning. Water intoxication occurs when too much water is consumed and the sodium level in the blood drops, causing hyponatremia. It can lead to breathing difficulties, coma and even death. “Otherwise, if you have been shooting under the hot sun for a long period of time, your physical condition could suddenly deteriorate due to heatstroke. Also, if the pet was forced to drink water against its will, it is possible that the water may have entered its lungs due to aspirating, leading to drowning and death.” (Veterinarian in Tokyo) After the post was made, the link between the popular morning show and the sudden death of a cute pet was made and spread online, sparking outrage. At the same time, questions like the following were raised. When asked if the content posted to Fuji TV was true and if he was aware that Hotate-chan had passed away after filming, he responded as follows: “I understand that the original post has already been deleted. We do not comment on posts that have been deleted by their posters.” (Corporate Communications Department) See the source for the full text.
> The cause of death has not been mentioned, so it is unclear whether it is related to the filming. However, some people seemed to feel uncomfortable with the way information was spread as if Mezamashi TV was to blame. “Did he really die because of the filming?” > Furthermore, slanderous comments were made about the owner, with people saying, “He willingly appeared on the show himself.” That’s right.
Comments