53 Dogs Rescued From Indonesian Slaughterhouse

In some states, dog meat is seen as a delicacy and there are illicit slaughterhouses in place to contraband it. Because of this, on November 24^th, 2021, a truck was parked near one of these slaughterhouses, in Java, Indonesia.

Inside, 50 dogs were waiting to be handed over to what would be certain death. But the situation turned around when authorities intervened.

Police surrounded the vehicle, intending to catch the perpetrators. Present at the scene were volunteers with the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition. Their job was to offer medical care to the injured animals.

Lola Webber, from Humane Society International, who was present at the scene, shared that her anxiety was going through the roof as they were approaching the truck. She could hear the dogs whimpering in pain, and they were all tied up and muzzled. Many of them were even wearing collars, signaling that they were stolen pets.

This bust was part of a country-wide initiative to crackdown on the dog meat industry. They managed to arrest a man who is believed to be at the center of the business for the last 20 years. They managed to rescue 53 pets from that truck. Sadly, one passed away before he could get medical attention.

While 93% of citizens support a nationwide ban on dog meat, there are still some who believe that it is part of their culture. Around 5% of people admit to eating dog meat. But the authorities are set on bringing this trade down, hoping to avoid animal abuse cases and to lower the risk of diseases, like rabies. Rabies is a big concern in Indonesia, so the authorities are instituting a zero-tolerance approach.

Dog Meat Free Indonesia is taking action to reunite the dogs with their families, but, unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen. For now, the 53 dogs have been placed with fosters after receiving the medical attention they needed.