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Celebrities call on Jokowi to ban dog meat trade
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Although only a minority of Indonesians consume dog meat, the demand has caused illegal pet thefts. (Shutterstock/File)
More than 700,000 people have signed a petition calling on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to ban the dog meat trade.
The petition was released by the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia Coalition, a joint effort by Animal Friends Jogja, Change for Animals Foundation, Humane Society International, Jakarta Animal Aid Network and Four Paws.
The cause has also received support from around 90 local and international celebrities, including Keely & Pierce Brosnan, Cameron Diaz, Ellen DeGeneres, Simon Cowell, Kate Beckinsale, Elizabeth Hurley, Ricky Gervais, Moby, Leona Lewis, Courteney Cox, Anggun Cipta Sasmi, Ariel ‘Noah’, Cakra Khan, Dimas Beck, Gamaliel Tapiheru, Melanie Subono, Nina Tamam and more.
In a video titled “I didn’t know”, some of the celebrities highlighted the brutality of the dog meat trade in Indonesia.
Read also: Dog meat farmers protest for survival rights in Seoul
Dog Meat-Free Indonesia writes on the website that only a minority of Indonesians consume dog meat, but the demand has caused illegal pet thefts.
It is also revealed that the dog meat trade threatens the majority of the population as it contributes to the spread of rabies in Indonesia.
“The dog meat trade is the only trade known to encourage the large-scale, illegal movement of dogs of unknown disease and vaccination status between regencies [and islands], disrupting herd immunity to rabies achieved through mass vaccination programs,” said Dog Meat-Free Indonesia.
Jakarta Animal Aid Network director Karin Franken explained, “Most people in Indonesia don’t eat dog or cat meat. In fact, many Indonesians are highly critical of the trade because of the growing concern for animal welfare, the high incidence of dog theft and the fear created by gangs who steal dogs from the streets and people’s homes.” (jes/wng)
