Tourists visiting the exotic island of Bali might be sickened and shocked to discover that the satay chicken they’d eaten was actually dog meat.
They might also be horrified to learn that the dogs were brutally tortured, beaten, poisoned, and butchered for their flesh, as a new undercover investigation by Animals Australia reveals.
“When we embarked on this investigation,” said Lyn white of Animals Australia, “we didn’t have any idea that we would be documenting that dog meat is entering into tourist areas.”
The hidden camera footage shows vendors approaching Australian tourists at the Double Six Beach and telling them, “Just one dollar…satay chicken…not dog.”
“As long as it’s not dog,” replies one tourist.
Investigators later approached the man and asked what he was selling, to which he replied, “dog satay.”
The horrifying footage shows dogs being tied up by all four paws, with their jaws wrapped shut, before being being viciously murdered to be sold as meat for human consumption.
“Aside from the cruelty, the greatest shock was to discover that tourists are unwittingly eating dog meat.
“A group of Aussie tourists enjoyed the dog meat satays so much they went back for seconds. Yet had they known the origin of the meat they would have been sickened.”
According to Luke, the dogs were often hung by their necks, left to die of asphyxiation or having poisoned forcefully shoved down their throats.
Ms. White of Animals Australia emphasized the obvious public health concerns for humans consuming the dog meat:
“Incredibly poisoned meat is entering the food trade through the dog meat trade.
“This is a profoundly distressing situation. Not only is the suffering of the dogs horrifying, tourists are unwittingly fueling the trade.
“Most tourists have no idea that the letters RW on the outside of popular street food stalls in Bali indicates that dog meat is being served.
“In addition, mobile dog meat vendors are deliberately targeting tourists on beaches and are prepared to lie about the origin of the meat to get a sale.”
In Bali, it is not uncommon for locals to attribute health benefits to the consumption of dog meat.
“We have based Animal’s Australia’s Director in Bali as part of our offer to partner with the Bali government to create animal welfare improvements on the island,” said White.
“This is not about condemning a culture,” she added, “it is about addressing unnecessary cruelty and seeking to transform a situation of unimaginable suffering into a positive outcome.”
Sources:
Daily Mail / ABC
