Indonesia: Dogs in Bali are poisoned to death, meat is sold to tourists, says report

If you are travelling to Bali in Indonesia and plans to eat meat, then beware! The meat you are eating could be of a dog.

An investigation led by Animals Australia (AA) has obtained evidence that dogs are strangled, poisoned to death and the meat is sold to unsuspecting tourists, reported ABC Australia.

The revelation has been made by an an undercover investigator for AA who posed as a documentary film-maker and infiltrated the dog trade in Bali for over four months.

The investigator told the daily that the tourists unknowingly eat the dog meat as they are misled and it is also sold in a specialty restaurants.

"I began the investigation by pinpointing and getting to know the key players in Bali's completely unregulated dog-meat industry. Eventually, they invited me to join them as their gangs stole, hunted, poisoned and killed dogs," said the investigator, who has been referred as 'Luke' to protect his identity.

The investigator also claimed that shooting is the most humane method of killing dogs.

The Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA) estimates that 70,000 dogs are slaughtered every year to supply a growing appetite for dog meat.

"We rescue them from the [dog] trader," said Bagus Ndurah, a volunteer with BAWA.

However, influential Hindu spiritual leader Gusti Ngurah Harta said that people not allowed to eat dog meat in Bali. "We were shocked when we heard that people here in Bali are eating dog meat. It means they forgot their elders' teaching," he said.