DENPASAR: A Bali birthday party with dog meat on the menu has shocked Indonesians on social media and caught police attention.
Law enforcement officers and an animal welfare group raided the party in the Tabanan regency of the island.
The Bali Dog Guardians (BDG) group said they found a cooked dog at the location.
Its chairperson, Yanti Rosmiati, on Monday (Sep 9) told local online news platform Detik that the raid was carried out on Saturday night, after previously receiving information from a resident regarding a party with dog meat on the menu.
“In the afternoon we received a report from residents, and in the evening the BDG team and I immediately went to the location,” she said.
Tabanan police and BDG found remains of flesh, bones and pieces of a dog’s skull.
“Initially, they said the dog meat was gone. I asked about the remaining bones. They denied it, saying it was all gone,” said Ms Yanti.
The party attendees admitted to acquiring the dog and killing it by hitting its head.
Ms Yanti and the police had a discussion with the party attendees who asked for a peaceful resolution, but she said the incident would still be processed as an alleged animal abuse case.
Tabanan police chief I Nyoman Sumantara confirmed the incident and said the case was still being investigated for the alleged crime, which carries a sentence of three months or a fine of 4,500 rupiah (US$0.29).
“There were 15 people who were questioned. According to their statements, the dog meat they consumed was obtained from residents because the dogs were fierce and often chased (them),” he said on Tuesday.
“We are still investigating the report of this dog abuse. Information from the crime scene is being collected,” he added.
A video recording of the commotion was also posted by BDG on its Instagram account, sparking angry comments from netizens.
“I am really astonished by such humans. It’s as if there is no other food to eat. Hopefully those who have eaten (the dog meat) will soon get their bad karma,” said an Instagram user with the handle @novi_1590.
Another user @gegclumsy said: “The illegal consumption of dog meat which is still rampant in Bali must be eradicated with no excuses.
