Agricom.id, JAKARTA – The government assumed that there are many violations in the dog trade and slaughtering for consumption namely about the welfare of animal. The regional government should protect the animal by publishing the regulation.

In the webinar of Pengawasan Lalu Lintas Perdagangan Anjing Jawa – Sumatera held by Forum Wartawan Pertanian (Forwatan), Jakarta, Sunday (8/11/2020), Director of Veterinary Public Health, General Directorate of Animal Livestock and Animal Health, Syamsul Maarif said that, the dog flesh trade is illegal and the officers should monitor and do action.

But considering the custom, ethnic, culture, religion, race, and groups, he hoped that the regional governments could do something by making regulation, such as, in District of Karanganyar. “The case in Karanganyar was supported by the regent but the mayor of Solo does not do the same,” he said in the webinar where Agricom.id did join.

He thought that there are some reasons why the people consume dogs, such as, culture, myths, medicine, and also custom, such as in North Sulawesi, Maluku, Yogyakarta, Solo, and North Sumatera. “The people in other countries also consume dogs, such as, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Korea,” he said.

He also noticed that dog trades have violence, such as, the welfare of the dogs, the transportation, and the slaughtering. These impacted to the zoonosis of the dogs and the food security.

He admitted that the dog trade raised protests from the animal lovers. They directly sent documents to the president and minister. By the protests, it seems that the government does not try to block the trade and consumption. “In the other countries, the protests happened for the animal welfare when being slaughtered,” he said.

Head of Central for Animal Quarantine and Animal Biosafety, Agus Sunanto said that the dog trade is the profitable business because many need it. Data from Badan Karantina Pertanian, the dog trade from Java to Sumatera reached 2.000 dog per month.

“The job of quarantine is to prevent the animal trade from the rabies regions to the free rabies regions. We could not block the dog trade as long as from the free rabies regions,” he said.

He thought that in the animal trade, there are conditions in the quarantine, such as, complete the animal’s health certificate from the original place, the status and situation of the original place, which cover free of rabies, fulfill the quarantine technics, the check of document, and the monitoring. “From the quarantine perspective, if the animal trade does not fit the condition, we would reject or even vanish it,” he said.

Mery of JAAN (Jakarta Animal Aid Network) urged the government to sue everyone if breaking the dog trade. From the investigation, it was revealed that there are many illegal trade of dog namely for consumption.

“In every single day, about 500 dogs were transported to Solo without monitoring. About 13.400 dogs were slaughtered in Solo by 83 dog sellers. This is massive and that is why it needs the regulation and action,” she said.

West Java which is in the rabies pandemic is the main supplier of dog trade to Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Central Java, and East Java. She is afraid that the illegal trade would expand to others.

Mery also hoped that the government is serious to solve the dog trade. “I do agree with what District of Karanganyar does by forbidding to make dog food (house) and we also encourage the  dog sterilization,” she emphasized.

Not part of food

In the chance, Syamsul also explained that seen from the food definition, based on the Laws No. 18 / 2012 about Food, flesh of dog is not part of food product because it is not categorized as the forestry and livestock sectors. But animal welfare is regulated in Laws No. 18/2009 Juncto Laws No. 41/2014, and in the Government’s Regulation No. 95/2012 about Veterinary Public Health and Animal Welfare. Based on the Laws No  41/2014, the violence is in the Chapter 91B and Chapter 302 of Criminal Law Code about the process of slaughtering of dog by hurting or torture. The person(s) could be put in jail for 1 - 6 months and fined Rp 1 - 5 million,” he said.

From the zoonosis and food security aspects, he mentioned that the people have myths about health by consuming dogs. But he reminded that consuming dogs could be risky to carry rabies, e. coli, salmonella spp, Cholera and Trichinellosis.

Seen from the control and animal disease eradication, he told that the dog trade issue could be solved by educating/approaching the person(s) in phase. “The issue to face is that the dog is traded illegally and no supervision,” he said.

The Laws UU No. 18/2009 mentioned that everyone is forbidden to carry and/or put animal products and/or media that may take other animal disease from the infected regions or suspect region to the free regions. Those who break it would be put in jail for 1 - 5 years and fine Rp 150 million to 1 billion.

“From the survey, 82,2 percent of the actors know the legal but they do not want to improve. That is why the key is how to chance the behavior of the people themselves,” he said. (A2)