Indonesia’s Special Region of Yogyakarta is set to ban the trade of dog meat and other rabies-transmitting animals for human consumption after the provincial government and regional legislature approved a new food safety bill.
The regulation, agreed during a meeting on August 4, prohibits the sale of dogs, cats, monkeys, bats, civets, and other animals classified as rabies carriers for food.
The chairman of the special committee behind the bill, Sri Muslimatun, said the ban was introduced following extensive studies and consultations with various stakeholders, including Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture.
She said the move is aimed at protecting public health, ensuring food safety, and preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
According to Sri Muslimatun, the committee also received reports from Dog Meat Free Indonesia (DMFI) claiming that around 126 dogs are slaughtered every day in Yogyakarta for the meat trade.
“Clear legal regulations are needed because dogs are not animals intended for human consumption, and the trade also poses a potential rabies risk,” she said.
Under the new law, the Yogyakarta provincial government will establish a special task force through a governor’s regulation to oversee enforcement, monitoring, and administrative penalties for violators.
Lawmakers hope the implementing regulation will be introduced within six months after the bylaw is officially enacted to ensure effective enforcement.
Meanwhile, Yogyakarta Deputy Governor KGPAA Paku Alam X described the legislation as an important legal foundation for strengthening food safety standards involving animal-based products across the province.
He said the regulation is expected to improve food safety monitoring throughout the supply chain, provide legal certainty for businesses, protect consumers, and strengthen efforts to prevent zoonotic diseases through a coordinated One Health approach.
The provincial government hopes the new regulation will improve public health, strengthen food security, and support sustainable economic growth while ensuring safer animal-based food products for consumers.
