The Ubud Police arrested an Australian man in his mid-30s for pushing a local man from his motorbike after the latter allegedly ran over the former’s dog. Thankfully, according to the police, the dog appears to be unharmed.
CCTV footage went viral over the weekend depicting the foreigner – JE, 36 – pushing MAS, 28, until he fell to the side of his motorbike on a narrow paved alley. JE then stood over MAS and gave him an earful for an earlier incident, in which MAS appeared to run over a dog that came out of nowhere to cross the alley, as captured in another CCTV footage.
Bystanders came to MAS’ rescue while JE walked away. The clips did not specifically show the dog’s condition, but it did show the canine fleeing the site right after the supposed impact with MAS’ motorbike.
Speaking to Coconuts Bali today, Ubud Police Chief Gusti Ngurah Yudistira confirmed that JE was arrested yesterday afternoon. The incident, according to him, happened on Saturday morning in Sayan village.
“We are still investigating the case thoroughly,” he said.
The chief added that MAS did not see the small dog crossing the road, and that the foreigner chased him, grabbed him by his right shoulder, and pushed his head until he lost balance and fell.
JE was arrested the day after at his villa, where he admitted that he had pushed MAS. Yudistira said that JE was feeding the dog when officers showed up at his residence.
“[This means] that the dog is still healthy and still alive,” he said.
Yudistira said that JE has not been detained while investigation into the case continues. Deportation has not been ruled out as a possible outcome for JE, as Yudistira said that the police have already been in touch with immigriation authorities.
Under Indonesian law, JE may be sentenced to a maximum of 2 years and 8 months’ imprisonment for assault.
The Island of Gods is not exactly the friendliest location for dogs, with a rabies problem leading to canines being culled, while dogs are being poisoned and abducted allegedly to feed an illicit dog meat trade. These may explain why pet owners might feel overly protective toward their furry friends.
When asked about this, Yudistira said that the police are focusing on the assault case and not the animal cruelty element, while stressing that there was no animal abuse in this case as MAS did not see the roaming dog, which is JE’s responsibility.
“He [JE] brings the dog and, under his watch, the dog is loose. The road is a public road, so the traffic road user could be in danger as well,” he said, adding that MAS did not intentionally harm the dog.
“If [MAS] was aware of the dog, he would have stopped.”
Contacted separately, Bali Animal Welfare (BAWA) founder Janice Girardi said that the group opposes cruelty to animals in any form, but stressed that “violence is never a good answer.”
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