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)

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

There is no portion of the 2015 Animal Welfare Act of Malaysia that prohibits the killing dogs and cats for human consumption.  (Idris, 2019, There is no place in Malaysia for consumption of dog and cat meat)

Although most Malaysians frown upon killing dogs and cats for their meat, Vietnamese nationals openly sell dog meat to Vietnamese people living in Malaysia.  A Vietnamese couple was recently found selling dog meat in Johor, Malaysia.  Other Vietnamese nationals were found selling cat meat in Selangor, Malaysia.  (Clean Malaysia, 2018, Cats and Dogs are now on the Menu in Malaysia. This Must Stop)

Dogs are killed in a brutal manner, including having their limbs sliced off while alive.  Mr. SM Mohamed Idris, the President of the environmental group Sahabat Alam Malaysia, is calling for Malaysia to pass a statute to ban eating dogs and cats, saying “slaughtering them in a manner that is nightmarish in its brutality is not culture – it is barbarism – and that is the crux of the issue.  Tradition is no excuse for cruelty.”  (Idris, 2019, There is no place in Malaysia for consumption of dog and cat meat)

Malaysia is considered a high-risk area for rabies from dogs.  (CDC, 2021, High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies)

Humane organizations are also calling for a ban of dog and cat meat in Malaysia.  (Clean Malaysia, 2018, Cats and Dogs are now on the Menu in Malaysia. This Must Stop.)

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

Dog meat is banned in Singapore.  (Humane Society International, 2019, Dog Meat Trade)

The Animals and Birds Act of Singapore prohibits cruelty to animals.  (Singapore Statutes Online, 2020, Animals and Birds Act)

The Singapore Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) receives occasional complaints about people slaughtering dogs for human consumption in Singapore, but said it hasn’t been able to verify this actually occurs.  Singapore actor Andrew Seow filed a complaint with the AVA after receiving a message in October 2016 from a dog meat seller from Geylang, Singapore, who claimed “he was hunting dogs and cats in Taus (Singapore) and had killed eight dogs.”  The dog meat seller told Andrew Seow that he should try eating dog meat.  Andrew Seow sent a female friend to meet with the dog meat seller, who tried to sell her dog meat.  Andrew Seow then filed a complaint with the AVA and also reported the incident to police.  (Lam, 2017, AVA investigating suspected case of dog meat sale highlighted by actor Andrew Seow)

 

The dog and cat meat trade in the PHILIPPINES (Asia):

About one percent of people in the Philippines eat dog meat, amounting to approximately 1 million people.  (Animal Kingdom Foundation, 2015, End the Dog Meat Trade)  Hundreds of thousands of dogs are slaughtered for their meat each year in the Philippines.  (Animal Welfare Institute, 2019, The Dog Meat Trade)

The killing and selling of dogs for consumption was banned in the Philippines in 1998 under the national Animal Welfare Act, as well as under the Anti-rabies Act of 2007, making the trade illegal.  Law enforcement officials in the Philippines do little to enforce these laws.  (Animal Welfare Institute, 2019, The Dog Meat Trade)  Dogs are not included on the list of food animals in the Meat Inspection Code in the Philippines.  (Endrina, 2016, DA Approves New Circular to Stop the Trade of Dog Meat in the Philippines)  The transportation of dog meat for trade is in violation of the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines.  (Riguer, 2018, NMIS, AKF Seize 700kg of Dog Meat)  Under an exemption to the Philippine Animal Welfare Act of 1998, dogs can be slaughtered as part of religious rituals of established religions or sects, and as part of tribal rituals or ethnic customs in indigenous communities.  Some families in the Philippines believe they will be protected from bad luck if they slaughter and eat the family dog.  (Animal Kingdom Foundation, 2015, End the Dog Meat Trade)

The commercialization of dog meat mainly centers in the lowlands of the mountainous region of the Cordilleras in Benguet Province, north of Luzon, Philippines.  Baguio City, which is the capital city of Benguet Province, and its neighboring city of La Trinidad, sell dog meat in restaurants.  The live dogs slaughtered for their meat in the Cordilleras mainly come from livestock traders in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon, south of Luzon.  Eating dog meat is more prevalent in northern Philippines than it is in southern Philippines.  (Animal Kingdom Foundation, 2015, End the Dog Meat Trade)

Pet dogs, still wearing collars, and stray dogs are taken and shipped to Benguet province to be slaughtered for the meat trade in the Philippines.  The dog’s noses are put into steel cans and their legs are tied behind their backs.  They are shipped without food and water.  Usually half the dogs, and sometimes up to 90% of the dogs die on the trucks before they reach meat traders.  The dead dogs are still processed for their meat.  The live dogs are clubbed, their throats are slit, they are blow-torched to remove their fur, and their bodies are dismembered.  (Animal Welfare Institute, 2019, The Dog Meat Trade)

Investigators from the Animal Kingdom Foundation, based in the Philippines, gather evidence against dog meat traders, present the evidence to the Philippine National Police, and participate in raids against dog meat traders to rescue the dogs.  Investigators have seen dogs with grossly-swollen tongues because the dogs bite their tongues when dog meat dealers bind their noses with string.  Investigators have also seen multitudes of live and dead dogs piled on top of each other.  Half of the dogs are dead.  The stench at the dog meat facilities is overwhelming.  (Animal Kingdom Foundation, 2015, End the Dog Meat Trade)

Dog meat consumption puts humans at risk for infection from E. Coli 107 and salmonella, as well as for contracting anthrax, brucellosis, hepatitis, leptospirosis, and rabies.  The Philippines has a plan to eliminate rabies by 2020, but rabies kills around 350 people each year in the Philippines due to dog meat consumption.  Around 10,000 dogs die of rabies each year in the Philippines, and rabies is present in all stages of the dog meat industry.  The eradication of rabies will not be possible if the dog meat industry is allowed to continue.  (Animal Welfare Institute, 2019, The Dog Meat Trade)

The Philippines is considered a high-risk area for rabies from dogs.  (CDC, 2021, High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies)  In 2015, the Secretary for the Department of Agriculture in the Philippines signed an Administrative Circular (No. 1 s of 2016) that outlines a plan of action to eliminate the dog meat trade and eradicate rabies in the Philippines by the year 2020.  The Government claims, that with the implementation of the plan, it will address the viewpoint that it hasn’t acted to stop the dog meat trade, and has let atrocities committed against dogs go unpunished.  (Endrina, 2016, DA Approves New Circular to Stop the Trade of Dog Meat in the Philippines)

Please see the bibliography page for the citations given on this page.