Animal rights activists managed to rescue 21 dogs and three cats from a slaughterhouse in Tomohon, North Sulawesi Province.

Footage from July 21 shows activists from the Humane Society International (HSI) and the Animal Friend Manado Indonesia (AFMI) removing the caged animals from the slaughterhouse.

The pets were then transferred to an AFMI shelter where they will be treated and tested for rabies.

The city's secretary Edwin Roring said: "So after the regional regulation was issued in 2017, now we have followed up with the mayor's instructions. Because we have issued regulations, we can carry them out together with the community and also for traders in the Tomohon City market."

Tomohon has banned the sale of dogs and cats for consumption in the city's markets.

Frank Delanu Manus of AFMI said: "I am personally representing an organization, we are very happy. And thank the government of Tomohon City for taking this step.

"Although indeed the rules do not specifically regulate the prohibition of consuming dog meat and of course if we want to prohibit people from consuming dogs, there must be a basic rule.

"Even to be at this point is a big step. But the most important thing is because of the desire of the Tomohon City government to protect the community, the public from rabies, and other synoptic diseases and urge people to consume healthier things."

21 dogs and three cats were rescued from a slaughterhouse before entering the market for sale and consumption in Tomohon City, North Sulawesi Province, July 21 2023.

This rescue was carried out by the Humane Society International (HSI) together with Animal Friend Manado Indonesia (AFMI).

The city of Tomohon in North Sulawesi eventually banned the sale of dogs and cats for consumption in the city's markets, a policy hailed as a triumph by animal protection activists.

The animal market in Tomohon is known for trading in exotic animals and pets for human consumption, and animal welfare activists have been critical of how dogs and cats are being cruelly killed there.

Secretary of the City of Tomohon, Edwin Roring, said dog and cat meat were leftover food from the ancestors of the Minahasa people, who are the largest ethnic group in North Sulawesi. However, since the outbreak of rabies cases and the high international public scrutiny, the government finally issued a policy to ban the sale of dogs and cats for consumption.

Frank Delanu Manus, Animal Friends Manado Indonesia (AFMI) activist, which is a local organization that focuses on protecting animals, welcomed the mayor's instructions.
AFMI has found evidence in Tomohon and Minahasa of cruelty and crimes in the dog and cat trade, ranging from pet theft, illegal transportation of animals between provinces, to the sale of dogs that are positive for rabies, said Frank.

Despite the various challenges, AFMI and animal welfare advocacy groups such as the Humane Society International (HSI) continue to campaign for a ban on dog consumption and trade. This includes rescuing dogs and cats at markets and a number of pet slaughterhouses in North Sulawesi.

Frank explained that the number of dogs and cats that had been rescued by AFMI was only a small portion of the dog and cat population that traders had already traded in markets in North Sulawesi.

After being rescued, the dogs and cats were taken to the AFMI shelter to undergo treatment and be vaccinated against rabies.

From the data collection results found in Indonesia, HSI estimates that around 1 million dogs and hundreds of thousands of cats are killed for consumption in Indonesia every year.

With the biggest consumption hotspots in Solo, Central Java, Medan, North Sumatra, and in Minahasa, North Sulawesi.

Meanwhile in Asia, HSI estimates that around 30 million dogs are killed each year.


Source 1: Tomohon City Secretary, Edwin Roring

"So after the regional regulation was issued in 2017, now we have followed up with the mayor's instructions. So the hope is that in the future, because we have issued regulations, we can carry them out together with the community and also for traders in the Tomohon City market,"


Source 2: Animal Friends Manado Indonesia (AFMI), Frank Delanu Manus

"I am personally or representing an organization, we are very happy. And thank the government of Tomohon City for taking this step. Although indeed the rules do not specifically regulate the prohibition of consuming dog meat and of course if we want to prohibit people from consuming dogs, there must be a basic rule. Even to be at this point, from us this organization is a big step. But the most important thing is because of the desire of the Tomohon City government to protect the community, the public from rabies, other synotic diseases and urge people to consume healthier things, "


Video : Taufan Bustan / Opn Images Indonesia



The Government of Tomohon, Indonesia Prohibits the Trade in Dogs and Cats for Food