*This article was inspired by an act happened in February 2015, where Bali Dog mass culling was heavily protested (and still be protested) by animal activists. Most local (especially Balinesse) think that this cruelty is acceptable, that stray dogs are dirty, threatened Bali tourism, that the dogs are just animal, and the dogs culled was just ugly Bali Dog.
So, it is okay for you that the dogs were beaten till death, poisoned, drowned, which are evidence that the dogs were died in man’s hand (and not by nature)?
You think it is okay because the dogs were stray, sick, and importantly, they can’t speak?
You forgot that human kind was not living alone on Earth. We need those things you called as ‘another creature’. Even the ever disgusting cocroach has its own rule and value.
Animal lovers won’t care about the price, value, or heredity of their rescued animal. But ordinary person who has no knowledge about the animal will not even bats their eyelid. So, let me open the first door for you with a brief history of Bali Dog.
Bali Dog considered as the oldest breed on Earth whith valuable and unique genes. Bali Dog is not a breed without history, are neither mutts nor mongrels, but the purest proto-canine. Its lineage goes all the way back to the first proto-dogs evolved from the wolves. Bali Dog old history is equal as Australian Dingo – but in reality, Bali Dog history is longer than Dingo. To be able to coexist and live together with human, they no longer hunt to eat but rather eat from remnants of human food.
There is another Bali own breed called Kintamani, but Kintamani is more secure than Bali Dog after the breed has been acknowledge in 2006. As such, I will focus about Bali Dog – the breed which has not own a name and called as Anjing Liar (stray dog) by Balinesse. This is sad, knowing that the renowned Kintamani is mix from Bali Dog and Chow-chow.
Where is Bali Dog originate from? Dr. Lawrence Blair, a British anthropology who spent more than 25 years living in Indonesia saw thousands of dogs when he came to Bali circa 1965. To him, Bali Dog is special because it is easier to track the origin because of it’s purity, unlike the other dog which is mix from various breed. Bali Dog have been living on the island virtually unaltered for at least 5,000 years, whereas ‘breed’ dogs are only a couple of centuries old. Genetic research further reveals that the ancestry of the Bali Dog can be traced back some 15,000 years to before the last ice age.
In an article from January 2015, Bali Governor gave instruction for (stray) Bali Dog mass elimination because of rabies and over population. And this instruction already spreading in public from 2014. I really disagree to this ‘instruction’. Mass elimination is not 100% correct answer to rabies. We can not eliminate just any dog, but we must know which dog is the carrier. To eliminate any (stray) dog, is injustice, and just an easy exit of the problem. Easy, and irresponsible. Furthermore, they ‘easily’ grouping the dogs found in the street as ‘stray’, even some of the dogs are pets who just want to take a stroll, or play outside their homes.
And unlike the brutal way to mass eliminate the stray dogs, there is a gentler way to put sleep to those rabies carrier. We feed or inject anesthetic, euthanased the dogs while they were sleeping, and burn the carcass. Not by hitting, poisoned, drowned, or shoot them. The only reason why Bali government do this is because they want this to be fast, and as cheap as possible. They spent no time to select the carrier, and do mass elimination in barbaric way. In a way we, the animal lover, screamed in protest. Many of them voiced their disagreement through change.org, Facebook, Kaskus, and Kompasiana.
I would like to give you some interesting facts about the Bali Dog.
* Bali Dog is not ‘stray’. They eat from leftovers or given food, and won’t go far from a house who treats them well. They even help guarding the house. You can called Bali Dog as outdoor pet.
* Bali Dog is not agressive. The dog whisperer Caesar Milan said that dog malice behaviour is not because of the breed, but because of their psychological condition.
* Who said Bali Dog cannot be tamed? They are sweet! They give love to whoever loved them. See point number 1 above!
* Not all dogs on the street are stray. Some of them are, but some of them are pets who play or stroll on the street. Small of them are lost dogs, or dogs trown away by the owner.
* Bali Dog population is not overpopulated. If you know Bali in the 90es, you will know the difference. Bali in 1990 is safer, and creepy. Sacred places are sacred, while Bali Dogs roaming and guarding the neighbourhood with their howl. That’s the creepy part, if you know what I mean. When the dogs howling, I curled on my bed, and only the bravest thief will came to steal the house.
Update : The Governor said : ”I didn’t instucted to killed the stray dogs, but to educate the people”. Now Mr. Governor, that is denying.
Well, so far do you have any question after you’ve read this article?
I am sure you will ask me about this: what is rule and value of a roach? Well, cockroach if full with protein and it is edible. Cockroach help medical scientiest to develop a new types of antibiotics. Cockroach also inspire Indian scientist to develop an artificial heart by using cockroaches heart as a model, 13 blood pumping chambers inside the heart of the cockroach is expected to provide an upgrade to artificial heart technology.
See the article in Bahasa Indonesia here. This article is written by me.
Link sources:
* I only put couple of links which help me write this articles. The other important sources is deleted due to accident. Thanks
- http://baliadvertiser.biz/celebration/
- http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/06/27/stray-dogs-must-be-culled-bali-governor-says.html
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