PETITION TARGET: Government Officials and Lawmakers of North Sulawesi
Dogs with seeping wounds packed tightly into rusty cages—trembling, emaciated, and forced to watch as others were bludgeoned with iron bars and blowtorched directly in front of them: this is the nightmare seen in the live animal markets of North Sulawesi, Indonesia, as documented in a Lady Freethinker’s investigation.
Every single animal endured unthinkable suffering.
Investigators witnessed heartbreaking cruelty: dogs prodded with long metal rods, whimpering and crying out in pain. Blood and brain matter were everywhere, and the odor of burnt hair and flesh filled the air as the bodies of dogs, cats, bats, wild boars, and snakes were openly displayed on market tables.
A Journey of Horror
By the time the dogs arrive at the market, they have already endured unimaginable suffering. Many have been stolen from the streets or even from people’s homes – often taken from provinces far away. They are held in makeshift holding pits until they are trafficked to markets and slaughterhouses in North Sulawesi.
After surviving the grueling journey – often lasting days without food, water, or rest – the dogs’ suffering only gets worse at the markets. Many appear to have given up hope, whimpering softly and hiding behind their cage-mates.
The air is thick with the suffocating stench of suffering and fear. It is heartbreaking to witness the dogs’ fear and pain.
An Animal Welfare and Public Health Crisis
Despite the existence of national laws that – if properly enforced – could restrict or even eliminate the dog and cat meat trade, and despite the fact that 93% of Indonesians support a national ban, these brutal operations continue to function openly and with impunity.
Beyond the undeniable cruelty, live animal markets pose a serious public health risk – particularly through the spread of rabies. The dogs caught up in the trade are typically unvaccinated, and the large-scale, unregulated movement of dogs across districts and provincial borders severely undermines rabies control efforts. This mass trade not only facilitates the transmission of the deadly virus but also disrupts coordinated vaccination campaigns across the island.
This threat is especially urgent in North Sulawesi, which continues to report the highest number of human rabies deaths in the country.
As long as the trade persists, North Sulawesi – the epicenter of the dog and cat meat trade on Sulawesi island, driving the trafficking and slaughter of thousands of dogs and cats each month – will remain at high risk, with preventable human deaths continuing to occur.
No animal deserves this.
It’s time to stop the cruelty and protect human health. Sign our petition urging the government of North Sulawesi to ban the dog and cat meat trades and the sale and slaughter of all animals in markets urgently.
