Actress and animal welfare advocate Carla Abellana took to Instagram to express her gratitude over the closure of the dog and cat meat trade in Tomohon Extreme Market in Indonesia.
Abellana issued a “TRIGGER WARNING” for her recent post as it contained delicate videos showing cats and dogs in a slaughterhouse.
“Posted @withregram • @hsiglobal THANK YOU. Because of your generous, enthusiastic support, not only is the dog and cat meat trade BANNED at ‘Tomohon Extreme Market,’ the surviving dogs and cats have been rescued,” her post said.
“Once destined for someone’s dinner, these sweet animals have bright futures ahead of them. They are learning what love is, getting food and medical care, and will eventually be adopted into loving homes. Special thanks to Animal Friends Manado Indonesia (AFMI), who is caring for the animals and was instrumental in this historic win,” the post added.
“We could NOT do this without you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Please join us in celebrating this incredible victory as we keep fighting to end the dog and cat meat trade EVERYWHERE,” the post further said.
In the short video, Lola Webber of Humane Society International recounted, ”We were told that markets like this could never close. They had been around too long. And we were told it would never be possible.”
Dog and cat trafficking, Webber stressed, is not an issue of culture as it also encompasses health issues.
“The first time you see the cages of the dogs and cats piled on top of each other, and people selecting animals for slaughter and feeling so powerless – as a campaign, you sometimes don’t know where to start. This isn’t an issue of culture, it’s an issue of cruelty, and it’s an issue of huge risk as well. We know here in Indonesia, in North Sulawesi, it’s a huge rabies problem, and these poor dogs and cats are being trafficked, sometimes in journeys lasting for days, to come to places like this,” she said.
Victoriously, Webber said, the campaign to stop animal cruelty in Indonesia ended on the 21st of July 2023.
“By coming back and with our local partners – opening those dialogues, not only with the government but also with those involved in the trade – we’ve managed to secure not only a ban on the sale and slaughter of dogs and cats in Tomohon Extreme Market, but we’ve also closed down an entire network of suppliers,” she said.
Dr. Piyush Patel of Humane Society International reported that “HS/I India has come to support this rescue operation. Twenty five dogs and three cats have been rescured and transferred to this sanctuary.”
“Many of these dogs are really in bad shape and require intense veterinary care. We are going to be spending the next few days treating and helping these dogs to help them recover from the mental and physical trauma they have gone through. And it was created by this cruel practice,” Patel said.
The closure of the Tomohon Extreme Market’s slaughterhouse for dogs and cats, Patel said, is something to rejoice about.
“At the slaughterhouse closure, and coming back here to the temporary shelter, the animal-loving community celebrate this incredible moment with us. As proud members of the Dog Meat Free Indonesia Coalition, we’ll continue to work to make Indonesia dog and cat meat-free,” he said. /ra