BALI, INDONESIA — A shocking report from Australian broadcaster ABC, has revealed dogs are being killed for their meat, and passed off to unsuspecting foreign tourists as street snacks on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali. Undercover animal rights activists from Australia provided the ABC with disturbing video.
The Animals Australia investigation discovered local villagers are catching mostly stray dogs and selling them to unscrupulous dealers who trade in R.W., a code word for dog meat. The dealers are paying villagers up to 100,000 rupiah, or US$8, for a healthy adult.
The dogs are horribly mistreated. They’re caught in wire nooses, have their muzzles tied with rope and are hanged by their legs or necks before being beaten to death.
Distressing video aired by the ABC also shows one dog catcher use a rifle to shoot a stray resting metres away.
Though the sale and consumption of dog meat is legal in Indonesia, the country has laws against the abuse of animals. People found guilty of cruelty are subject to prison terms of up to nine months. Many of the routine practices recorded by Animals Australia are illegal, but the law is poorly enforced.
Freelance catchers are also using food scraps laced with cheap and widely available cyanide to kill dogs. Traces of the toxin remains in the animal's’ meat, which poses a danger to humans.
Disturbingly, beach vendors have been recorded selling dog meat on sticks, to locals and visitors alike. Not everyone knows what they’re buying.
Demand is strong. The Bali Animal Welfare Association estimates around 70,000 thousand dogs are killed on the island each year for the meat trade.
The organization says it’s documented some 70 restaurants in Bali selling dog meat, mostly in rural areas and mostly to other Indonesians.
Yet the Animals Australia investigation aired by the ABC clearly shows dog meat sellers deliberately misleading tourists into buying and eating the meat.
If the cruelty inflicted on man’s best friend doesn’t motivate authorities on Bali to stamp out this ugly trade, perhaps the risk to the tourist economy will.
It’s not time yet to boycott Bali, but think long and hard before you go for that cheap and tasty street meat skewer. You may just be buying the stray you saw last night.
The Animals Australia investigation discovered local villagers are catching mostly stray dogs and selling them to unscrupulous dealers who trade in R.W., a code word for dog meat. The dealers are paying villagers up to 100,000 rupiah, or US$8, for a healthy adult.
The dogs are horribly mistreated. They’re caught in wire nooses, have their muzzles tied with rope and are hanged by their legs or necks before being beaten to death.
Distressing video aired by the ABC also shows one dog catcher use a rifle to shoot a stray resting metres away.
Though the sale and consumption of dog meat is legal in Indonesia, the country has laws against the abuse of animals. People found guilty of cruelty are subject to prison terms of up to nine months. Many of the routine practices recorded by Animals Australia are illegal, but the law is poorly enforced.
Freelance catchers are also using food scraps laced with cheap and widely available cyanide to kill dogs. Traces of the toxin remains in the animal's’ meat, which poses a danger to humans.
Disturbingly, beach vendors have been recorded selling dog meat on sticks, to locals and visitors alike. Not everyone knows what they’re buying.
Demand is strong. The Bali Animal Welfare Association estimates around 70,000 thousand dogs are killed on the island each year for the meat trade.
The organization says it’s documented some 70 restaurants in Bali selling dog meat, mostly in rural areas and mostly to other Indonesians.
Yet the Animals Australia investigation aired by the ABC clearly shows dog meat sellers deliberately misleading tourists into buying and eating the meat.
If the cruelty inflicted on man’s best friend doesn’t motivate authorities on Bali to stamp out this ugly trade, perhaps the risk to the tourist economy will.
It’s not time yet to boycott Bali, but think long and hard before you go for that cheap and tasty street meat skewer. You may just be buying the stray you saw last night.
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