Dog Meat Free Indonesia Applauds Jakarta Governor for Landmark Ban on Dog and Cat Meat Trade

Added on Friday, 28 November 2025
Governor Regulation No. 36/2025 Officially Enacted, Positioning Jakarta as a National Leader

Jakarta, Indonesia — 25 November 2025 — Dog Meat Free Indonesia (DMFI) today commends the Governor of Jakarta for officially enacting Governor Regulation (Pergub) No. 36 of 2025, which prohibits the commercial trade and slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption across the Special Capital Region of Jakarta.

This historic milestone marks the first time a provincial government in Indonesia has enacted binding legislation explicitly banning the dog and cat meat trade, reflecting global best practices in public health protection, animal welfare, and zoonotic disease prevention.

“This is a historic step for Indonesia,” said Karin Franken, National Director of Dog Meat Free Indonesia. “Jakarta has demonstrated moral leadership and a courageous commitment to protecting animals and communities. We hope this sets a standard for all other regions across the country.”

A Pioneering Public Health and Animal Welfare Measure

Pergub No. 36/2025 introduces strict provisions that include:

• A ban on the buying and selling of rabies-transmitting animals (including dogs and cats) for human consumption
• A ban on slaughtering or killing dogs and cats for food
• Firm administrative sanctions, including written warnings, seizure of animals and products, business closure, and license revocation

Implementation and enforcement have been mandated to the Food Security, Marine and Agriculture Agency (KPKP) together with Public Order Police (Satpol PP) and other relevant departments.

The regulation strengthens Indonesia’s national rabies elimination efforts and advances the One Health approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

Outcome of Collaboration and Evidence-Based Advocacy

The regulation follows a formal policy meeting held on 13 October 2025 between DMFI and the Governor of Jakarta, supported by Charles Honoris, Deputy Chair of Commission IX of the House of Representatives; leading Indonesian animal welfare expert Drh. Wiwiek Bagja; and Francine Widjojo, Member of Commission B of the Jakarta Regional Parliament.

DMFI presented extensive scientific evidence and legal analysis demonstrating not only the extreme public health risks associated with the dog and cat meat trade — including rabies transmission — but also its conflict with humanitarian and animal welfare principles.

A Call for National Replication

DMFI urges provincial and district governments across Indonesia to adopt similar policies and supports national lawmakers in accelerating the passage of the Bill on Animal Protection and Welfare (RUU Linkesrawan) to ensure a unified legal framework.

“Jakarta has opened the path,” Franken said. “This is a defining moment for a healthier, more humane Indonesia. We encourage every region to follow this bold example and help end the dog and cat meat trade nationwide.”

Media Contact

Dog Meat Free Indonesia (DMFI)
Email: merry@jaandomestic.com

LinkedIn

In Bobby’s Honour

We found Bobby sitting in a wire cage in a busy dog meat market in North Sulawesi whilst we were conducting investigations in December 2017. He was surrounded by scenes from a horror movie, and the terror in his eyes was haunting. We knew we couldn’t leave him.

It breaks our heart that he left this world too soon, but he left having known love and with a name. And in his name, we will never give up until the dog and cat meat trades end throughout Indonesia.

Continue Reading

Hero’s Story

The Dog Meat Free-Indonesia coalition spent many long and heartbreaking months investigating the inner-workings of the dog meat trade throughout Indonesia. As people who do what we do because we care so passionately about animals, doing investigations never gets any easier. It is soul-destroying and heart-breaking, but essential in documenting the reality of the trade so that we are best-positioned to fight it, and to ultimately realise our goal of ending the dog meat trade.

But we always save those we can…

On one particular day, we had the chance to save a dog who we named 'Hero'.

Change is coming in Indonesia and throughout Asia… Never before has the dog meat trade or the consumption of dog meat been questioned the way it is now. People are turning their backs on a trade and a practice that can no longer hide behind a defense of ‘culture’ or ‘tradition’.