Jakarta have now banned the trade for the consumption of rabies-transmitting animals, including dogs (Picture: Bay Ismoyo/AFP via Getty Images)
The world has had its fair share of meat scandals from horse to cat, and now Jakarta’s new dog meat ban is the latest debate dividing animal rights activists and lovers of the dishes.
Alfindo Hutagaol is sat in an empty stall in the Indonesian capital, eating some rice, green sambal and grilled dog meat – a meal that is now banned.
The capital was one of a handful of countries that still permitted the sale of dog and cat meats.
But, this week, Jakarta’s authorities announced a ban on trade for the consumption of rabies-transmitting animals, including cats, dogs, bats, monkeys and civets.
While animal rights groups celebrate the ban, locals like Alfindo are not supportive.
Alfindo said: ‘God created it to be eaten. Don’t only look for the negative side, but also look for its benefits too.’
He also argued that dog meat fans might be forced to prey on stray dogs to fulfil their tastes.
Although dog meat is not widely consumed in Indonesia, it is considered a natural remedy for dengue fever.
Dogs of all breeds are used for food dishes (Picture: Bay Ismoyo/AFP via Getty Images)
Another dog meat eater, Sunggul Sagala, said the trade ‘can’t be eliminated suddenly’ due to some traditions.
A 2018 directive issued by the agriculture ministry stated that dog meat is not categorised as food.
Merry Ferdinandez of the Dog Meat Free Indonesia (DMFI) coalition that lobbied for the ban said: ‘This is a real example and real commitment from the Jakarta government as a global city that also advances animal welfare.’
The move does not extend to other Indonesian regions where consumption remains popular, but she hopes it might in the future.
A DMFI poll in 2021 found that 93% of Indonesians rejected the dog meat trade and wanted it banned.
However, a study by the group the following year found that 9,500 dogs were brought into Jakarta for consumption that year.
Most of these dogs were wild animals caught on the streets from West Java, where rabies is common.
Jakarta is one of 11 Indonesian provinces that are rabies-free.
Hasudungan Sidabalok believes the ban will help maintain the city’s rabies-free status(Picture: Bay Ismoyo/AFP via Getty Images)
This new ban was ‘one of the efforts’ to maintain this status that the city has held since 2004, said the capital’s food resiliency, maritime and agriculture agency head Hasudungan Sidabalok.
Sidabalok said that although it is no longer common to see dog meat sold openly at markets or restaurants, there are 19 restaurants that still serve the dish.
There are also at least two slaughterhouses operating in the area, according to Sidabalok.
He said: ‘It’s not an easy step because it is a habit or perhaps a culture for certain communities, which we hope can change.
‘The act of slaughtering or consuming dog meat… is still risky as it can transmit rabies to the slaughterers or consumers.’
Those who are still selling dog meat after the ban’s six-month grace period will face sanctions ranging from written warnings to revocation of business licenses.
Dogs are often transported to slaughterhouses for their meat (Picture: Handout / DKPKP / AFP via Getty Images)
Even before this ban was put in place, the trade was effectively underground in Jakarta, with no open advertisements of dog meat dishes.
Sunggul said this has made the cost of dog meat more expensive than beef and ‘purchasing dog meat is like looking for drugs.’
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Other regions have already imposed their own bans, including the Central Javan city of Semarang which banned the trade in 2022.
Last year authorities in the city arrested five people after intercepting a truck carrying more than 200 dogs heading to a slaughterhouse.
Jakarta authorities have not announced how they will deal with animals that may no longer have buyers.
A similar ban in South Korea has caused problems for traders left with the animals that can no longer be sold and are not easy to rehome.
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