An official from Bali Province’s Livestock and Animal Health Agency told local media that a recent monitoring operation revealed at least 10 food stalls in Buleleng regency still selling dog meat, prompting them to step up enforcement of the dog meat trade ban on the island.
According to a report from Bali Post, the agency has issued official warning letters to owners of those food stalls, several of whom have notably received it more than once.
“The sales of dog meat is prohibited, because dogs are pets. In terms of health, dog meat is not for consumption. We have been monitoring between May and August, and we found most violations here in Buleleng, so we are going to focus here first,” I Made Angga Prayoga from the agency was quoted as saying.
The dog meat trade has been banned in Bali since 2017, but the sales of “RW,” as the illegal meat is referred to on the island, can still be found across the island.
Bali’s Animal Health Agency said in July that a total of 77 RW food stalls have been closed since 2018. However, a monitoring operation from earlier this year did find that some stalls still sold RW.
For the time being, Bali’s Livestock and Animal Health Agency is coordinating with the Buleleng Police to continue monitoring the ban. Prayoga said that the agency also plans on providing both training and compensation for those affected by the ban.
“Later we will focus on socializing the issue and [giving] compensation. We want to provide a solution before we cut their means of livelihood. But we are still discussing what sort of compensation [to give],” Prayoga told Tribun-Bali.
The official explained that dog meat is fairly easy to procure, as residents would just hand over dogs to traders. This happens in cases of wild canines that might roam around freely and bother farm animals in villages, Prayoga said.
“This is why it’s difficult to stop the sale of dog meat, because they don’t even need that much money for it, and the demand [for RW] is aplenty.”
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