Indonesia: Dog slaughterer sentenced to prison
In Indonesia, a dog slaughterer has been sentenced to prison for the first time. A milestone in the fight against the dog meat trade.
The owner of a dog slaughterhouse in Sukoharjo, Indonesia, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and a fine of USD 10,000.
More than 50 terrified dogs were rescued last year during a police operation on his property and cared for by activists. The dogs had been transported from West Java on an exhausting long journey, tied up in sacks with many of them having their muzzles bound shut.
In the indictment read out by the prosecution, it was proven, among other things, that the defendant had committed the offence of transporting dogs into a rabies-free area.
The rescue of the dogs at the Sukoharjo shelter was carried out in compliance with COVID-19 health and safety regulations, and a veterinarian was present throughout. At the shelter, the dogs were vaccinated against rabies, DHPP, coronavirus, distemper and parvo. The dogs were also placed in quarantine for at least 30 days and will undergo a further health check before being transported overseas.
Animal welfare advocates are now preparing to fly the dogs to Canada for adoption and to help them leave behind the trauma of the Indonesian dog meat trade.
Suseno, the slaughterhouse owner, was also found guilty of violating the law on animal health and husbandry. The trade in which he operated involves stealing pet dogs and stray dogs from the streets of West Java to meet demand in the dog meat consumption hotspots of Central Java. One such hotspot is the city of Solo, the birthplace of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, where an estimated 13’700 dogs are killed for consumption every month.
This is the third conviction of a dog meat trader in Indonesia since the Indonesian government's declaration in 2018 that «dogs are not food.»
Nationwide opinion polls show that only a small minority of Indonesians (4.5%) have ever consumed dog meat, and 93% of all Indonesians support a ban. Nevertheless, more than one million dogs are still stolen, traded, slaughtered, and sold for human consumption in Indonesia every year, undermining efforts to combat rabies and posing a significant public health risk. Rabies is endemic throughout most of Indonesia, with only eight provinces holding "rabies-free" status. Since dogs are routinely stolen from rabies-affected areas and smuggled into rabies-free areas, the dog meat trade is actively undermining efforts to combat the deadly disease.
Prosecutors hope the case will serve as a lesson and a deterrent so that people stop smuggling dogs for consumption.
Facts about the dog meat trade
The theft of dogs for the meat trade is a serious problem in Indonesia. Despite the obvious legal violations, these thefts are rarely taken seriously by law enforcement, meaning thieves often go unpunished.
The trade in dog meat is banned in 17 cities and regencies across Indonesia: Karanganyar, Sukoharjo, Salatiga City, Malang, Semarang City, Semarang Regency, Blora Regency, Brebes Regency, Purbalingga Regency, Magelang City, Jepara, Blitar City, Mojokerto City, Mojokerto Regency, Temanggung, Magelang Regency, and Medan City.
Across Asia, opposition to the dog and cat meat trade is growing, with an increasing number of countries and territories (Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand, and two major cities on the Chinese mainland) banning the trade, slaughter, sale, and consumption of dogs. In September 2021, then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in suggested it might be time to consider a ban on dog meat, and a government-initiated working group is currently addressing the issue. President Yoon Suk-yeol has stated that he would not oppose a ban on dog meat, provided there is a social consensus.
