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?
This summer, same as last year, favoured domestic travels thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. And while for holidays abroad pet owners arranged dog sitting, here in Czech they learnt to take them along. This group of dog owners was targeted by...
Crates or transport boxes provide your pet with safety and comfort not only during car journeys. You can see them more and more often in households with dogs. What can be the reasons for buying a crate for a dog living in a flat? What doesn't belong...
Recent estimates indicate that every third dog in the world is homeless. Some estimates go even further and state that it's half of all dogs. It is a relatively high number but the situation varies in different continents. This is one of the reasons...
The world of technology does not forget pets and their care. Now, developers have come up with a new app that will help you recognize your cat’s mood.
Many of us are under the influence of the need to fulfill a dream of getting an unconventional pet, which the minipig certainly is. This trend has been present in the Czech Republic for about ten years. But don’t be fooled by those cute snouts, taking...
Pseudogravidity, also known as false pregnancy. The condition in which the female dog’s body is preparing for giving birth, even though the dog is not pregnant. False pregnancy occurs after heat and can last up to several months. What causes it, how...
Summer is a time of joy. The warm weather encourages trips and having fun in the water. However, summer may not be as great for our dogs as it may seem. We fur may sometimes do more harm than good. How to take care of wet fur and how to prevent any...
Cats scratch, everybody knows that. But have you ever wondered why that is? If you have a feline companion at home, you might have thought it would be a good idea to break her habit of scratching. Especially if your cat has ruined your furniture with...
Some love it, some hardly tolerate it. We are, of course, talking about summer and the hot weather that comes with it. Hot weather can become rather unpleasant for our canine companions. While cats usually tolerate heat without any major problems,...
Pet owners know that summer doesn't only bring warmth, sunshine and late sunsets. It's also the time of ticks, who know how to torment our four-legged friends. Unfortunately, it's very difficult, or even almost impossible, to prevent our pet from...
The summer season calls for hair cuts. And not only yours but also your pets'. But a shorter coat doesn't always mean lower body temperature. On the contrary, sometimes it could be the other way round. How and when to clip our four-legged friends'...
The fact that our mental well-being benefits from the presence of animals - namely dogs - has been mentioned here several times. Canis therapy is a highly effective therapeutic process where, to a certain degree, a dog interacts with a patient or...
