Dear Friend,

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Right now authorities on the island of Bali, Indonesia, are killing dogs in the street. In a kneejerk reaction to six suspected human rabies fatalities, the government has started culling dogs in a misguided attempt to stop the spread of the disease.

So far over 1,000 dogs have died - many are being poisoned with strychnine, which leaves the animals fully conscious while they suffer convulsions and eventually suffocate.
 
As a tourist hot spot Bali cannot afford to lose its 'rabies-free' status. However, the Balinese government's response to this suspected outbreak is ineffective as well as inhumane - a dog cull does not attack the root cause of the disease and cannot safeguard human health.

Take Action - Sign an online letter to the Balinese governor, asking him to end the cull and adopt a humane approach to rabies prevention that will protect both animals and people.

Thank you for taking action to stop this terrible cruelty.

Bali’s dogs are dying.

In a kneejerk reaction to six suspected human rabies fatalities, the island’s authorities have killed over 1,000 dogs. This number could rise dramatically.   

The animal suffering is acute. Strychnine is being used to poison some of the dogs, leaving them conscious and convulsing until they eventually suffocate.

People are suffering too – the vast majority of victims are pets that are allowed to roam freely.

Stop the cull, prevent rabies

Reliant on tourism, Bali must prevent the spread of rabies. But a dog cull does not attack the root cause and cannot safeguard human health.

The World Health Organization recognizes that the most effective way to eradicate this fatal disease is mass vaccination of dogs alongside rabies prevention education.

This has been proven to eradicate rabies in many countries; mass killing has consistently failed.

The Bali Rabies Forum, a coalition of animal welfare groups including WSPA, has developed recommendations on humane, effective rabies prevention for Bali. But this cannot work without the commitment of the authorities.

Sincerely,

 
Dena Jones
U.S. Programs Director

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