Local Dog Meat Sales Banned but Still Smuggled
Poisoned with Cyanide Before Slaughter, Deadly to Humans Too
It has been revealed that the chicken skewers sold on Bali Island, a popular Indonesian resort destination among Koreans, were actually made from 'dog meat,' causing shock. Although Bali Island banned the sale of dog meat last year, some vendors still smuggle cheap dogs and make skewers from them.
On the 10th (local time), the Japanese magazine 'President' cited a report from the French AFP news agency, stating that some street foods sold on Bali Island were made from dog meat. The Bali regional authorities banned dog meat trade last year, and violators face up to three months in prison or a fine of $4,100. However, some vendors continue to make skewers from dog meat and sell them to foreign tourists.
According to the media, Bali regional authorities caught three sellers violating the dog meat ban in July. One of them was a first-time offender and received only a warning, while the other two were repeat offenders and were prosecuted.
Balinese skewers. The letters RW stand for dog meat. [Image source=Captured from the Australian animal organization website]
The dog meat issue on Bali Island is not new. It is a popular tourist destination not only for the US and Europe but also for Korea and Japan, and controversy has arisen over feeding tourists skewers made from dogs. Australia's ABC broadcast focused on victims who were deceived into eating dog meat thinking it was chicken skewers in 2017. Animal protection groups also strongly condemned this.
In fact, Indonesia permits the sale of dog and cat meat. However, Bali, which has a high proportion of tourists, is reportedly conducting its own crackdown banning dog meat.
President also shared a 'tip' on how to distinguish dog meat from other meats in Bali street food. Dog meat handled in Indonesia is marked with the letters 'RW MOBIL,' where RW means dog meat. It is said to be an abbreviation of the Central Indonesian term Rintek Wuuk (soft fur).
Meanwhile, controversy is growing over the production methods of dog meat handled in Indonesia. Some local slaughterers reportedly believe the superstition that 'the more pain a dog suffers, the more tender the meat becomes.'
Because of this, live dogs are cruelly abused before processing the dog meat. An animal organization revealed that after analyzing the working methods of dog meat sellers, it is common to mutilate or cripple the bodies of dogs intended for consumption. It is even reported that some sellers 'poison' dogs with cyanide before slaughtering them.
Dewa Nyoman La Darmadi, head of Bali's public order agency, warned, "People should not believe the superstition that dog meat is good for health. Such superstitions cause many misunderstandings in Indonesia," adding, "Cyanide is not destroyed even after cooking, so consuming poisoned dogs is fatal to people."
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