LFT REVEALS SHOCKING CRUELTY IN N. SULAWESI’S DOG MEAT AND LIVE ANIMAL MARKETS
Lady Freethinker Investigation/Aaron Gekoski
A Lady Freethinker (LFT) investigation has exposed devastating cruelty and filthy, dangerous conditions at live animal markets in N. Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Dogs with visible wounds were packed so tightly into small cages that some struggled to move a single paw. Many couldn’t sit or lie down. We documented dogs emaciated, trembling, and suffering from untreated injuries and labored breathing.
Dogs were killed by bludgeoning and blowtorching in front of other live animals. Some cowered in fear as they helplessly awaited their turn.
“Every single dog endured unthinkable suffering,” said Lady Freethinker President Nina Jackel. “After surviving a grueling journey that can last days from Gorontalo—where we know 90% of dogs are sourced—they sat in filthy cages, shaking as their cage-mates were killed one by one. Blood and brain matter were everywhere. The cruelty is unbearable, and the risk to public health is potentially catastrophic.”
Lady Freethinker Investigation/Ben Jackel
Major health risks are a concern due to the unsanitary and violent conditions. In all six provinces of Sulawesi and North Sulawesi, rabies is endemic, consistently reporting the highest number of human rabies deaths across the nation. The lack of vaccination or medical screening makes the trade a serious rabies risk for handlers and the public.
“As long as these markets remain open and the cross-provincial trafficking of unvaccinated dogs continues, Indonesia’s rabies elimination pledge is destined to fail. The dog meat trade and rabies elimination efforts are fundamentally incompatible. And the only way to eliminate human deaths from rabies is by controlling the disease in dogs through mass vaccination” said Lady Freethinker’s International Campaigns Director, Lola Webber. “This is a public health emergency shielded from adequate scrutiny and concern as a cultural practice. But it’s time to act.”
Lady Freethinker Investigation/Aaron Gekoski
In addition to the bodies of dogs, the corpses of bats, cats, pythons, wild boars, and other animals littered the grimy, blood-stained tables. The horrific display was in full public view, as individuals walked through the bustling marketplace.
Lady Freethinker Investigation/Aaron Gekoski
Despite 93% of Indonesians supporting a ban on this trade, these horrific slaughter facilities continue to operate out in the open and in broad daylight. The evidence is overwhelming: this cruel and deadly industry must end.
Lady Freethinker is calling on the government of N. Sulawesi to:
- Ban the sale, transport, and slaughter of cats and dogs in meat markets across the region
- Enforce penalties for violators
- Implement rabies control policies and enforce existing movement laws
You can help today. Please sign the petition to tell the government that you want the cruelty to end:
SIGN: End the Horrific Dog and Cat Meat Trade and Live Animal Markets in North Sulawesi, Indonesia
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