Indonesia Closes 21 Dog-Meat Stalls, Saving 2,000 Dogs from Slaughter Every Month 

This month, the Karanganyar district became the first region in Indonesia to pledge its support of ending the dog-meat trade. Karanganyar District Head H. Juliyatmono agreed to close all 21 of the district’s dog-meat stalls, effectively saving 2,000 dogs per month from slaughter. “In order to prevent various diseases caused by dog ​​meat, we will close all dog-meat stalls in Karanganyar, effective immediately,” H. Juliyatmono said. According to officials, each stand sells approximately two to three dogs per day, which are often captured in other regions, transported to Karanganyar, and beaten mercilessly—a practice vendors believe produces the best meat. “Human survival must be the focus of our development. People have to live in harmony with God and fellow living beings, including all animals.” Juliyatmono plans to work with the vendors to transition their business to selling foods that do not contain dog meat. Local animal-rights organization Dog Meat Free Indonesia (DMFI) launched a campaign in 2017 to raise awareness of the trade—which violates several Indonesian laws, including the 2012 Law on Food which does not consider dogs as a food source. DMFI will work to intercept illegal deliveries of dog meat to the region, particularly those coming from Java where the organization estimates 13,400 dogs are captured monthly. Next month, the Busan-based Gupo market—one of South Korea’s largest dog-meat markets—will cease operations and begin its transition into a public park.