Balinese Government Killing Dogs With Strychnine

The following is a post from PETA Asia’s blog, Hot & Sour Scoop.

UPDATE: On the 21st September 2010 the Balinese government signed an agreement to work with BAWA to conduct a island wide vaccination of Bali’s dogs against rabies. This campaign is funded by WSPA.

This agreement means that the government has agreed to use vaccination to control & eliminate rabies, thereby ending the culling of Bali’s dogs. Humane euthanasia will be used for dogs already infected with the rabies virus, the others will be vaccinated.

When I think of Bali, I imagine an island heaven: surf, sun and miles and miles of beach! Recently, however, we received some horrible news – and there’s definitely trouble in paradise.

In a misguided effort to control a rising rabies epidemic on the island, Indonesian authorities have been using strychnine to cull the local stray dog population! Strychnine is a well-known poison, and its victims suffer for hours from seemingly endless convulsions, excruciating pain and anguish before finally succumbing to exhaustion or suffocation. The use of strychnine poisoning on animals has been condemned by animal protection and public health groups throughout the world.

The only effective and humane way to control rabies outbreaks is through vaccination, and the group Bali Animal Welfare Association has been working tirelessly for mass vaccination of dogs throughout the island.

AusAID, Australia’s international development funding agency, donates to the Balinese government’s rabies-control programs. While AusAID has assured us that it only contributes to vaccination programs, giving the Balinese government any money simply allows it to direct more funds towards cruel killing methods.

By Jason Baker