© AFP
Indonesian police have stopped a truck carrying more than 200 dogs on its way to the slaughterhouse. The authorities report this. This is a new victory for militants who fight against the consumption of animals.
The truck carrying live dogs was stopped in the city of Semarang on the island of Java on Saturday evening. Five people were arrested and will be charged with violating animal protection laws. They risk up to five years in prison.
“We received information last month, but we were only able to block the transport of 226 animals last night,” said police chief Irwan Anwar on the night from Saturday to Sunday.
Admitted
Indonesia is one of the few countries where the sale of dog and cat meat is still permitted, but protests against these practices are gaining ground. Certain cities, including Semarang, have imposed local bans on the trade for several years.
According to the first elements of the police investigation, the dogs were on their way to the neighboring city of Surakarta, where they were to be slaughtered. The meat had to be sold for consumption in the west of Java.
Action groups
Animal rights activists had reported the trade to authorities in December. “Dogs and cats are not livestock and should not be used for human consumption,” said Yosua Pale of Animals Hope Shelter Indonesia, an organization that calls for a total ban on the sale of dog and cat meat. The action groups also criticize, among other things, the cruel way in which the animals are slaughtered.
Last year, the famous Tomohon market on the island of Sulawesi, where all kinds of animals are sold, put an end to the sale of cat and dog meat under pressure from an animal rights organization.