Captured dogs bound in hessian sacks arrive on a motorbike at a
slaughterhouse in Indonesia. Source: Humane Society International
LAST year, more than 1 million dogs were killed across Indonesia – the world’s largest Muslim nation.
While Indonesian Muslims largely believe that dogs are haram or
forbidden under Islam, these killings were not undertaken by religious
fanatics but rather members of an unregulated trade in the animals’
meat.
Incredible numbers of dogs are rounded up annually from streets across
the Southeast Asian nation – including many private pets – and
slaughtered primarily in residential areas, according to animal rights
organisations.
A dog meat butchery in Indonesia. Source: Humane Society International
Last week, several local and international activist groups launched the
Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition, aiming to stamp out the butchering
and consumption of canine meat in the archipelago forever.
Spearheaded by the Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN), Change for Animals
Foundation (CFAF), Animal Friends Jogja (AFJ) and the Humane Society
International (HSI), the campaign aims to raise awareness of the cruelty
involved in the dog meat trade as well as the public health risks posed
to the broader population.
“There is an ever-growing opposition to the dog meat trade in Indonesia
and globally,” said Lola Webber of the CFAF. Indeed, this campaign has
even attracted the support of British comedian Ricky Gervais.
“We are committed to working with the government to identify solutions
to ensure the protection of animal welfare and public health and safety,
which are gravely compromised by the trade,” Webber added.
Who eats dog?
Only 7 percent of Indonesia’s population eats dog, but its consumption
by various cultural groups is considered traditional cuisine. Many
believe that it holds special health benefits, including making men
stronger or more sexually proficient.
In Solo, Central Java, dog meat stalls promote their products as being traditional Javanese jamu medicine.
Rangga* from Yogyakarta told Asian Correspondent he
ate his first dog meat in junior high school at a family cultural event
held by the local Toraja community, who originate from South Sulawesi
and are predominantly Christian.
“I ate it because my friends said it was tasty and good for warming your
body,” he said, stating that dog meat is available at some street
stalls in various locations across the city.
“So in college, I often ate it because it tasted good. But that was before I had a pet dog at home.”
A rescued dog with his owner in Indonesia. Source: Humane Society International
Now the proud owner of a dog he calls his “angel”, Rangga said that he
was influenced by people campaigning that “dogs are not food” to refuse
when his friends ask him to eat dog with them. “I think the way that
they kill and process dogs into food is quite sadistic.”
Animal activists agree. Marc Ching, the founder of the Los Angeles-based
Animal Hope and Wellness foundation which saves dogs from slaughter,
has said that treatment of dogs in Indonesia is the “most sadistic” of
anywhere else they are killed for their meat.
Public health risk
The Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition seeks to highlight the public
health risk posed by the dog meat trade – particularly that involving
the spread of rabies.
“Indonesia’s dog meat trade is as brutal as it is unsafe, threatening to
undo all of Indonesia’s hard work towards achieving rabies-free status
by 2020,” said Kelly O’Meara, a spokesperson for Humane Society
International.
It is illegal under Indonesian law to transport animals into officially
“rabies-free” areas including the capital Jakarta, but such bans are
virtually impossible to police.
The coalition claimed that dogs are often transported from places like
Cianjur, West Java into urban centres – posing a major public health
risk. Rabies disproportionately affects the poor and young people, with a
high proportion of cases among 5 to 15-year-olds.
Captured dog chained to a tree as it awaits collection by dog meat traders in Indonesia. Source: Humane Society International
Back in July, the Governor Pastika of Bali ordered a crackdown against the trade, after an ABC News report exposed brutal treatment of dogs and the serving of dog meat to unknowing tourists as satay.
Other Asian countries including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and
Singapore have already imposed regulations on their dog meat industries.
Dog-Meat Free in Indonesia is calling for an outright ban of its trade
and consumption altogether.
“Only a tiny fraction of society are reliant on it as a primary source
of income [but] the dog meat trade threatens the health and safety of
the entire nation,” said Karin Franken of the Jakarta Animal Aid
Network.
“If Indonesia is to achieve its goal to eliminate rabies by 2020, urgent
action is required by the government and all sectors of society.”
