Jakarta has banned the sale and consumption of dog, cat and bat meat after Governor Pramono Anung signed a regulation targeting rabies-transmitting animals, calling it a move to protect public health and safety.
Indonesia’s capital Jakarta has formally banned the selling and consumption of dog, cat and bat meat after Governor Pramono Anung announced, “I have signed the regulation… which prohibits the sale of rabies-transmitting animals for food purposes,” granting a six-month grace period before enforcement.
The new rule applies to “live animals, meat, or other products, either raw or processed,” and imposes sanctions ranging from warnings to business license revocation. Jakarta joins several Indonesian cities that have restricted the trade, which animal rights groups welcomed, with Dog Meat Free Indonesia saying the policy “aligns with the mandate of the constitution to protect all Indonesian people and to become a just and civilised nation.”
The decision comes amid ongoing concerns about rabies, with Indonesia’s health ministry reporting 25 deaths between January and March 2025.