F

ollowing a circular issued by the Agriculture Ministry stating that dog meat is not food, the Jakarta administration has issued an instruction restricting the meat’s distribution and sale.

Dog lovers had pushed for a ban but an official said on Tuesday that there were no legal foundations for a ban as yet. Thus Jakarta only has the instruction issued on Oct. 12 by the Jakarta Maritime, Fisheries and Food Security Agency.

Sri Hartarti, the agency’s head of livestock and animal health said an outright ban was not an option yet.

“It takes time and funds. Certainly, we need to involve experts on all aspects, be they cultural or economic. If we drafted [a ban] based on one aspect, it would be useless,” she said.

The agency’s instruction states no veterinary certificate will be issued for dog meat for consumption, nor will any recommendation letter be issued allowing dog meat to enter the food market in the city.

The instruction further states the agency will only issue veterinary certificates along with laboratory test results as requirements for the traffic of live dogs and recommendation letters for the entry of live dogs into the city “citing the origin, destination and the use” of the dogs, as pets or hunting dogs.

Dog meat consumption is popular among people of Batak and Manado descent, respectively from North Sumatra and North Sulawesi. As a melting pot, Jakarta is home to scores of lapo, food outlets serving Batak cuisine, offering dog meat on the menu.

Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) has estimated that 7,500 dogs are consumed in Jakarta per month.

Karin Franken, the cofounder of JAAN, noted that the biggest problems regarding lapo were the lack of permits and hygiene standards in their “cruel” food preparation processes.

She claimed dogs were frequently beaten until unconscious and stabbed to drain the blood from the carcass.

The leftovers are then thrown into the gutter to be eaten by rats and cats, which could possibly transmit diseases.

“Given the unhygienic process, people who slaughter and consume dog meat are vulnerable to diseases, such as rabies and worms. These diseases can also spread to the neighborhood as the slaughterhouses don’t manage the leftovers,” Franken said.

Dog meat supply in Jakarta mainly comes from two slaughterhouses in Cianjur and Sukabumi, West Java, which are not free from rabies according to JAAN investigators.

The ill-treatment of animals destined for human consumption is prohibited in the 2014 law on animal husbandry and animal health.

“Jakarta has been rabies-free for a long time now, but because of these activities, it is only a matter of time before Jakarta is no longer rabies-free,” Franken said.

Jakarta residents have mixed opinions on the demands for a ban on dog meat consumption.

Nathania Tambunan, 25, of Bekasi, West Java, said she was a bit worried by diseases that might be carried by dogs, but believed they were safe for consumption. She said she had eaten dog meat, which someone told her could cure dengue fever by increasing thrombocyte levels.

“I don’t think the city administration has to ban people from eating dog meat. I believe dog consumption in Jakarta is lower than in other regions, such as Medan [North Sumatra] and Ambon in Maluku, Nathania added.

Jhon Kaban, 28, from East Jakarta who is from a Batak family, said he supported the city’s efforts to reduce dog meat consumption because he said people should understand that dogs are pets, not food.

He also believed that consuming dog meat was not a part of his culture, but only a habit of some people.

Meanwhile, the municipality has attempted to prevent the spread of rabies by holding mass vaccinations for dogs. This year the food security agency is set to vaccinate 30,000 dogs in the capital.

Sri said the agency also routinely monitored neighborhoods in the city to round up stray dogs.(mai)