Jakarta bans cat and dog meat to curb rabies risk

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s capital Jakarta has banned the sale and consumption of dog, cat and bat meat to curb the spread of rabies, the city’s governor said on Tuesday (Nov 25), marking a major victory for animal-rights advocates.

Governor Pramono Anung said he had signed the regulation on Monday, following a pledge made last month, and that it bans the sale of “rabies-transmitting animals” for food. A six-month grace period will apply before enforcement begins, according to a document seen by AFP.

Violations could result in sanctions ranging from written warnings to business-licence revocation. The ban applies to live animals, meat and all raw or processed products, and prohibits any activities involving these species for food purposes.

ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUPS PRAISE MOVE

Indonesia is among the few countries that still allow dog and cat meat sales, though opposition has grown and several cities have enacted local bans.

Advocacy group Dog Meat Free Indonesia welcomed the move, saying the policy “aligns with the mandate of the constitution to protect all Indonesian people and to become a just and civilised nation”.

The World Health Organization says several dozen Indonesians die from rabies each year. Indonesia’s health ministry recorded 25 rabies deaths between January and March 2025.

Dogs are generally seen as unclean in Muslim-majority Indonesia and are seldom kept as pets, but their meat remains a delicacy in some communities. Dog meat also remains a cheap protein source in a number of other Asian countries.