Police to Prosecute Dog Meat Traders In Emerging Tourist Destination In West Bali

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Police in Jembrana Regency have reprimanded meat vendors in connection with selling hundreds of dog meat skewers.

Bali Police seized over 50kg of raw dog meat and have committed to cracking down on the practice.

Bali Police have seized hundreds of skewers and 56kg of raw dog meat from vendors in Jembrana Regency in West Bali.

While the dog meat trade was formally banned in 2023, with thousands protesting against the practice in the decades prior, it is clear that the practice is still carried out behind closed doors.

The dog meat trade, unlike formal agricultural meat production practices where livestock is farmed, often involves the capture of pet, community-owned, or street dogs.

Those dogs, in most cases, experience horrific treatment in the moments before they’re killed and are killed in violent and inhumane ways before their meat is sold at market. 

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The law is regulated in Bali Regional Regulation (Perda) Number 5 of 2023 concerning the Implementation of Public Order, Public Peace, and Community Protection. Article 28 paragraph 1 letter a of the Regional Regulation contains a prohibition on the public and private businesses distributing and buying and selling dog meat. 

Since the law came into effect in 2023, engaging in the trade of dog meat comes with a prison sentence of up to three months, or an IDR 50 million fine if offenders are proven guilty.

During an investigation carried out by Bali Police in Jembrana this week, three meat vendors were found to be trading dog meat in Jembrana Regency. 

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In a press statement the Head of the Bali Public Order Agency, Dewa Nyoman Rai Dharmadi confirmed that 500 dog meat skewers had been seized, and a further 56kg of raw dog meat had been discovered  at an outlet operated by another vendor in the same areas.

Both vendors have previously received warnings from Bali Police regarding their engagement in the trade of dog meat. 

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The vendors have once again been given warnings by the police over their practices and are on their final chance to overhaul their business practices. Most communities in Bali support the ban on dog meat trade.

Dharmadi explained “We won’t suddenly take legal action, but we are giving them the chance to know the ban and why it was banned. But we will process recurrent for deterrent effect. We’re not playing around.” Two of the vendors are reportedly set to attend court in August.

Dharmadi added, “Dog meat is not food and can also potentially cause disease. Don’t believe in the superstitions that dog meat is healthy. That’s misleading.”

While the traders are not believed to have sold meat to tourist eateries, the meat in question is believed to have been served at local warungs in the area. 

Despite being illegal, dog meat is still ready traded in many parts of Bali, and with West Bali set to recieve a huge boost to tourism efforts in the coming years, police and the community will have to give assurances to tourists that not only is the ban being honoured, but that tourist eateries in the area are serving food that is prepared in a safe and hygienic manner. 

In 2017, international tourists were scammed into buying dog meat sate skewers on Bali’s most popular beaches.

As described by Lyn White from Animals Australia at the time, local dogs were being captured and killed; their meat was being sold to street food vendors who then lied to tourists about the ingredients of the beachside snacks.

Dogs killed for their meat in Bali and across Indonesia are often bludgeoned, hung, or poisoned to death.

The story shocked Bali lovers and was highly distressing for those who came to realize they may have unwittingly supported the trade and consumed dog meat without knowing. 

While the sale of cat and dog meat is still illegal in Indonesia, some provinces and cities, including Bali Province and the city of Semarang in Java, have implemented localized bans.