Dog and Cat Meat and Fur Trades Indonesia

The dog and cat meat trade in INDONESIA (Asia):

There are millions of dogs killed for consumption in Indonesia.  (Dog Meat Free Indonesia, 2017, The Dog Meat Trade in Indonesia: A Cruel and Dangerous Trade)  Even though the Indonesian Food Law does not list dog and cat meat as consumable meat, the dog and cat meat trade is prolific in some parts of Indonesia.  The consumption of dog meat is considered a tradition among some ethnic and cultural groups in Indonesia.  In 2018, it was estimated that over 18 million people in Indonesia ate dog meat.  Some people in Indonesia are opposed to an actual ban on dog meat consumption, citing that eating dog meat is a part of Indonesia’s culture, and that people should just “be discreet about it.”  (Tisnadibrata, 2018, Paws up: Indonesia tackles the dog meat trade) 

Under the Indonesian Penal Code, Chapter XIV, Article 302, the maltreatment of animals is prohibited.  (Indonesian Penal Code, 2020, Crime Against Decency)  Although this law exists, the Indonesian society has a “low awareness and lack of concern towards animal welfare.”  The enforcement of animal welfare laws in Indonesia is poor.  (Indonesia Society for Animal Welfare, n.d., Regulations concerning animal welfare in Indonesia)

Many of the dogs slaughtered for the meat trade in Indonesia are stolen family pets.  (Dog Meat Free Indonesia, 2017, The Dog Meat Trade in Indonesia: A Cruel and Dangerous Trade)  Pet dogs, especially mixed breeds, are targeted because the supply of dogs for the meat trade in Indonesia does not meet the demand for dog meat.  (Tisnadibrata, 2018, Paws up: Indonesia tackles the dog meat trade)  Pets are stolen from their owners by thieves armed with rocks, arrows, and machetes.  Thieves sometimes feed cyanide to the dogs before capturing them.  Pet owners are attacked and threatened with revenge if they try to intervene to save their dogs.  Law enforcement officials do little to nothing about the theft of pets.  (News.com.au, 2018, Tourists warned of danger in Indonesia)  It is estimated that around 90% of the dogs at North Sulawesi meat markets are stolen pets.  (Dog Meat Free Indonesia, 2019, Close down Indonesia’s “extreme” live animal markets)

Dogs destined for the meat trade travel for days before reaching supply markets, slaughterhouses, and restaurants.  The dogs are crammed into cages and sacks piled on top of each other.  They can barely move.  Their mouths are bound shut.  Once they reach their destination, they are brutally killed in front of each other.   (Dog Meat Free Indonesia, 2019, Close down Indonesia’s “extreme” live animal markets)

Indonesia is considered a high-risk area for rabies from dogs.  (CDC, 2021, High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies)  Indonesia has 34 provinces, and rabies is common in 25 of those provinces.  There are no laws or regulations specifically prohibiting the distribution of dog meat between regions in Indonesia.  (Tisnadibrata, 2018, Paws up: Indonesia tackles the dog meat trade)  Dogs that are infected with rabies are being moved throughout Indonesia, and into areas that are considered “rabies free,” including highly-populated cities such as Jakarta (capital city of Indonesia).  Indonesia has pledged to eliminate rabies by 2020, but this will require urgent action by the Indonesian government and Indonesian society.  (Dog Meat Free Indonesia, 2017, The Dog Meat Trade in Indonesia: A Cruel and Dangerous Trade)  Published studies have shown a high rate of dogs with rabies being sold in markets in Indonesia and across Asia.  There are over 200 markets in North Sulawesi alone that sell dog and cat meat.  Rabies is an increasing problem because of the sheer size of the sale of dog and cat meat there.  (News.com.au, 2018, Tourists warned of danger in Indonesia)  It is estimated that 80% of the dogs and cats killed at markets in North Sulawesi are brought in from outside that province, which is prohibited by Indonesia’s strict anti-rabies law.  (Dog Meat Free Indonesia, 2019, Close down Indonesia’s “extreme” live animal markets)

Tourists are unknowingly eating dog and cat meat in Bali, Indonesia, with thousands of dogs being killed to feed the tourists.  The street vendors deny the meat is from dogs.  Some of the dog meat contains cyanide which was used to kill the dogs.  The cyanide remains in the dog’s body, even after cooking.  Cyanide can cause organ and nerve damage, and even death.  Restaurants in Bali, Indonesia, also serve dog meat.  (News.com.au, 2018, Tourists warned of danger in Indonesia)  Restaurants in Jakarta put the characters “B1” on signage to indicate dog meat is served there.  (Tisnadibrata, 2018, Paws up: Indonesia tackles the dog meat trade)

Tourists in Indonesia are encouraged to visit the Tomohon, North Sulawesi, “extreme” live animal market where they torture and slaughter animals, including dogs and cats, for tourists.  These animal markets are also involved in the illegal capture and trade of wildlife.  (Change for Animals Foundation, 2020, Closing Down Indonesia’s “Extreme” Live Animal Markets)  Dog Meat Free Indonesia described the Tomohon Market as “walking through hell.”  The Tomohon Market was listed as a tourist destination by Trip Advisor, but was removed after Dog Meat Free Indonesia exposed the activities at the market.  (Dog Meat Free Indonesia, 2018, Campaigners rejoice as Indonesian Government pledges to ban dog and cat meat trade) 

In early August 2018, the Indonesian Directorate of Veterinary Public Health held a “National Coordination of Animal Welfare” meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia.  The meeting was attended by national and regional representatives within the Indonesian government.  Humane organizations presented the results of a nationwide investigation into the suffering of dogs and cats in the meat trade in Indonesia.  The investigation revealed the extreme cruelty prevalent throughout the trade, to include videos showing dogs and cats being bludgeoned to death and blowtorched alive, as well as the routine theft of pet dogs, and the risk of rabies transmission.  At the conclusion of the meeting, the national representatives pledged to ban the dog and cat meat trade in Indonesia, as well as to prohibit veterinary health certifications from being issued for dogs and cats bound for human consumption in Indonesia.  Mr. Syamsul Ma’arif, the Indonesian Director of Veterinary Public Health, called the treatment of the dogs and cats in the meat trade as the “torture of animals.”  Mr. Ma’arif said that tourists will avoid traveling to countries with low standards of animal welfare, and the dog and cat meat trade is bad for Indonesia’s tourism industry.  On October 4, 2018, the Indonesian government sent an official letter to provincial governments urging officials to take action to stop the dog and cat meat trade in Indonesia.  (Dog Meat Free Indonesia, 2018, Campaigners rejoice as Indonesian Government pledges to ban dog and cat meat trade)

In June 2019, the Karanganyar Regency on the island of Java in Indonesia pledged to end the dog meat trade.  (Humane Society International, 2019, Central Java’s Karanganyar Regency announces action plan to end the dog meat trade)  The eradication of the dog meat trade in the regency of Karanganyar should save around 2,000 dogs a month from slaughter and human consumption.  Provincial authorities are working with dog meat sellers to find other ways of making a living.  Authorities in Bali, Indonesia, said they will increase efforts to take action against people who trade in and sell dog meat.  Seventy-seven dog meat trade stalls have been closed in Bali.  The Head of Animal Health in Bali said that “dog meat is not considered food,” and that dog meat production could spread rabies.  (Dog Meat Free Indonesia, 2019, Impactful Actions to End the Dog Meat Trade are Finally Being Taken in Indonesia)

Although the Indonesian Director of Veterinary Public Health, Mr. Syamsul Ma’arif, pledged to end the dog and cat meat trade in Indonesia, “extreme” markets in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, continue to torture, slaughter and sell thousands of dogs and cats for human consumption every week.  (Dog Meat Free Indonesia, 2020, Media Pack for Tomohon Markets Defying Indonesia’s Pledge)