BANNING THE DOG MEAT TRADE IN INDONESIA TO ACHIEVE RABIES-FREE STATUS BY 2030

Abstract

The first step to eliminating human rabies infection is by eliminating rabies infection in the dog population. One of the steps is to monitor dog traffic via strict quarantine protocols and official documentation. Dogs are smuggled from infected regions to non-infected regions inside the dog meat trade. This puts the public’s health at risk of human rabies infection. An official government circular was released in 2018, in which it stated that dog meat is not recognized as a food source and that there should be a ban on the dog meat trade. This article is a literature review of the regulations that can be enforced to stop the dog meat trade and deter those involved in it. Data collection is carried out through literature research, official government documents, and government data banks. The Law of the Republic of Indonesia No. 18 of 2009 and the Law of the Republic of Indonesia No. 41 of 2014 are often used to deter those involved in the dog meat trade. Eleven local governments have officially banned the dog meat trade, but not on dog meat consumption. The dog meat trade can be stopped through strict quarantine protocols, selective official documentation, and law enforcement. Dog meat consumption itself must be stopped through a holistic approach to permanently stop the dog meat trade.