Gangs are stealing and brutally killing thousands of pet and roaming dogs from Indonesian villages to sell for meat at wet markets alongside bats, cats and snakes.
Footage obtained by members of the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia (DMFI) coalition who infiltrated the gang, shows men using long metal pincers to trap the dogs, clamping down on their bodies and necks before dragging them along the floor and throwing them into cages.
The traffickers can also be seen hoisting terrified and screaming dogs from an underground pit as they are repeatedly bludgeoned across the face and head.
Other scenes at the markets show cages of dogs huddling together as nearby the lifeless bodies of other dogs are blowtorched to remove their fur for sale to customers. Some dogs being blowtorched are visibly still alive during the ordeal.
Dog and cat meat can be seen being sold alongside bush meat including bats, snakes and wild boar in scenes similar to those found at Wuhan, China where the SARS-CoV-2 virus is believed to have originated, risking public health.
The majority of Indonesia’s Muslim population do not eat dog meat but it is popular in areas like Sulawesi, where it is an inexpensive delicacy.
A dish containing dog meat can be bought at a market for around 25,000 – 35,000 IDR which is roughly $2, the same price as a cup of coffee.
Campaigners say the low price point helps to keep the cruelty going at the scale exposed by the investigation.
Deadly rabies – a zoonotic disease endemic throughout Sulawesi – has also been linked to Asia’s dog meat trade by the World Health Organisation.
Across Indonesia, an estimated one million dogs are killed for their meat annually.
While a crackdown on the trade is being seen in parts of Indonesia such as Central Java, authorities in Sulawesi – a 70,000 square mile island with a population of nearly 20million people - have failed to act.
Some dogs are trafficked from as far away as Makassar, South Sulawesi's capital, a 40-hour gruelling journey covering 1,000 miles.
An investigator for DMFI - which comprises local campaigners Jakarta Animal Aid Network and Animals Friends Jogja, and international groups Humane Society International, Four Paws and Animals Asia – infiltrated gangs who stole an estimated 4,500 pet and roaming dogs every month from villages.
They are then sold by traffickers to kill and sell for meat at local restaurants and at wet markets such as Langowan, Tomohon and Kawangkoan in the north.
Some dogs are trafficked from as far away as Makassar, South Sulawesi's capital, a 40-hour gruelling journey covering 1,000 miles.
Lola Webber, End Dog Meat campaigns director at Humane Society International, said: “This is some of the worst animal cruelty we have seen -- gangs and traders stealing and bludgeoning thousands of terrified, screaming dogs every month from villages, many beloved family companions.
“They are torn away and abused by these criminals in broad daylight, scared and helpless.
"All of this to be sold for their meat in restaurants and at wet markets on display alongside bats, snakes and wild boar.
"As shocking as our investigation is, it’s just a snapshot of the horrifying scale of this trade.
“Despite the serious public health risks associated with these markets, Sulawesi’s roughly 200 traditional markets are still operating business as usual.
"With Indonesia still in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, with its origins in wildlife wet markets in China just the same as we see in North Sulawesi, it is a matter of urgency that President Widodo take action immediately to stop this dangerous and illegal trade.”
The DMFI investigator, who is not being named for his own safety, said: “The scale of the dog meat trade was really surprising.
"Thieves are stealing dogs from all over the island before selling them to the traders who warehouse them until they have enough to take to market.
“Mentally, this was a harrowing mission because every day I could see how utterly terrified and traumatised these poor dogs were.
"All around them, they witness other dogs being dragged by the neck, beaten over the head, thrown around violently. They would tremble in fear when approached.
“Like me, the vast majority of Indonesians will be sickened by what I saw. This trade brings shame on Indonesia.”
Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo now faces fresh pressure to shut down the country’s brutal dog meat trade after sickening scenes reveals horrific animal cruelty.
After viewing the footage, Lord Goldsmith, minister for animal welfare said: "This footage is so deeply shocking. I have written to the ambassador urging the government of Indonesia to take stronger steps to stop this appalling cruelty"
The DMFI is now calling for immediate action to crack down on the trade.
In November last year campaigners joined Sukoharjo police in Java on a sting operation at an illegal dog slaughterhouse that saw more than 50 dogs rescued.
The dog meat trade: The facts
- Opinion polls show that only a small minority of Indonesia’s population (4.5%) consume dog meat and only a very small number of those involved in the trade rely on dog meat as their main source of income. Although demand for dog meat is higher in Sulawesi than the rest of Indonesia, latest opinion polling by Nielsen (2021) confirms that only 6% of Sulawesians consume dogs.
- Dog meat is mostly eaten by certain ethnic groups such as the Minahasa people of North Sulawesi where there are 24 markets collectively selling around 360 live and slaughtered dogs per day, amounting to more than 130,000 dogs every year.
- In 2018 President Joko Widodo received a letter from DMFI calling for action, and signed by more than 90 national and international celebrities including Simon Cowell, Sophia Latjuba, Yeslin Wang, Nadia Mulya, Lawrence Enzela, Cameron Diaz, Chelsea Islan, Ellen DeGeneres and Pierce Brosnan.
- Across Asia, opposition to the dog and cat meat trades is increasing, with an ever-growing number of countries and territories (Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and two major cities in mainland China) banning the trade in and slaughter, sale and consumption of dogs. In South Korea, a task force has been set up by the government to discuss a dog meat ban following a suggestion by President Moon Jae-in.
