When I travel, I'm always interested in what is the view of the given country upon the keeping of pets. And generally, how animals are treated there. The position of cats, dogs and rodents varies significantly in different countries, so there’s always something that surprises me. Today, I will share the experience from Indonesia.
Indonesia currently belongs to the countries with the highest incidence of rabies among the canine population. This concerns mainly the island of Bali, where you meet the dogs on every corner. Most locals don’t pay attention to them and in most cases, they don’t like them. The dogs are here on the bottommost rungs of the social ladder. This also corresponds to the neglected care for these Indonesian dogs.
For tourists, these are “mangy mongrels! and at the same time, they don’t pay much attention to them. In addition, you’ll read in the guide, that because of the risk of jaundice, cuddling is not recommended. Reactions of local dogs may be unpredictable due to their wild life on the street.
I was deterred from scratching them rather by fleas, which every other one (maybe ever one) of these dogs is proudly carrying in their fur. However, in comparison, for example, with Sri Lanka, where I’ve first encountered the attacking dog packs, local dogs seem calmer and even apathetic to me.
There's a sort of an unspoken agreement on mutual conciliation. I won't bite you and you're not going to beat me. Peace, however, lasts only until something happens. For example, a dog that has been starving for several days, steals an unguarded meat on a stick from a stand or polishes off a sacrificial basket. At that moment, the locals don’t go far for a stone or a slingshot.
That’s a scene that complete tears my dog lover’s heart. Still, the fighting for survival and frequent fights are their everyday reality. Besides, they still run the “bloody sport” in Indonesia, when they let the dog fight with a boar. It’s not surprising, that the dog does not play any significant role in the Indonesian tradition or culture.
Some Indonesian, specifically Balinese organisations have started vaccinating and neutering the dogs living on the street, but they’ve also started organising educational and awareness-raising activities for the public. Thanks to financial donations, the situation of Indonesian dogs is gradually improving. However, education will still be needed for some time. If someone from the locals decides to keep a dog, he usually has them tied on a short chain at their house or stand.
Yet you still pass pet stores on the street and you can’t stop wondering, for whom they might be intended. Here and there, you might meet a dog with a collar, but it’s not in a much better shape than his fellow tribesmen without a master. Not even western tourists usually bring their dogs here, due to the local bacterial environment that’s dangerous for the organism of their four-legged pets. So, the same way as I do, they seek temporary replacement for their dog loves in giving the leftovers from their lunches to stray dogs.
What is your experience with dogs when traveling abroad?
Kitten Lady describes her activities as kittens’ advocacy and humane education. This all is done by young beautiful Hannah Shaw. She’s a kitten rescuer, spreads the principles of humanity and is an unwavering advocate of animal rights. She decided to...
Several kinds of hedgehog are kept as pets. The most common one is the four-toed hedgehog or an African pygmy hedgehog in other words. This pet which is not very common but is becoming more and more popular can live up to 9 years in captivity and...
More than one artist fell in love with these creatures and looked for inspiration for work in them. One of them was Ernest Hemingway. He is the author of the well-known saying “One cat just leads to another”. He really kept a large number of cats (in...
We have an active and healthy lifestyle. Or at least we try to have. In relation to that, we don’t only think about our own food but also about our dogs’ food. The trend of barfing has already come to the Czech Republic, too. It is a method of feeding...
If you go camping for the first time, it is good to prepare for all various reactions of your furry friend. Do you travel with it by car and by public transport with no problems? Is your dog okay when not sleeping at home, e.g. in a mountain cabin? It...
As the name of this breed suggests, you can’t expect much hair on an American hairless terrier. This small or medium size muscled dog has hair only on its muzzle and eyebrows. But the interesting thing is that puppies are born with an undercoat which...
Let us get this straight, what is monoprotein food? It is wet food (i.e. cans and pouches) which contains only one type of meat, muscles and bowels. And why is it better than common wet food?
A meat bomb in a form of a dog paté or can doesn’t have to be only a reward. If you are planning to go on a long hike – to the mountains or to the valley – you can make the use of a dog meat can. Dogs in move, usually when doing any sport outside, need...
The cause of diabetes is a lack of insulin (a pancreas hormone) or the inability of the body to use it effectively (i.e. the resistance of tissues towards insulin). And it doesn’t matter if you’re a person or an animal. With diabetes, the sugar is...
Runner Dion Leonard could talk for hours about the bond which is created between a man and a dog and also about how an unknown Asian crossbreed dog becomes one of the most famous dogs on planet Earth. He bumped into a dog companion at the ultra-trial...
Even when you cannot or don’t want to take your dog on your holiday with you, you still have many options what to do with it. You can take him to your relatives, accommodate it in a dog hotel, use dog-sitting and other things. It’s not that easy with...
Cats can also be heroes and put their lives at risk to save someone from risky or life-threatening situations. The first cat hero I will introduce you to is Scarlett. She showed her heroism in the most natural form – she saved her kittens. She took...
