Urge Bali Government to Call Off Cruel Dog Cull
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Authorities in Bali, Indonesia, are using strychnine poisoning – an inhumane and violent killing method – in a misguided attempt to control rabies and reduce the population of stray dogs on the island.
Strychnine poisoning is among the cruellest killing methods available because it can cause severe pain and discomfort before death. In a best-case scenario, dogs who are poisoned with strychnine start exhibiting symptoms such as nervousness and stiffness within 30 to 60 minutes of ingesting the poison. After that, dogs may become more sensitive to light, touch and sound and will suffer severe seizures – sometimes for several hours – until they die of exhaustion or suffocation. Most dogs who are baited don't ingest enough strychnine to die quickly, or they may absorb it more slowly if they eat the bait on a full stomach, meaning that symptoms last longer and the animals die more slowly.
Strychnine poisoning is condemned by animal protection and public-health organisations around the world, including the UN's World Health Organisation.
What You Can Do
Experts agree that mass vaccination of the dog population is the only effective way to control rabies outbreaks, and local groups are already working hard to vaccinate as many dogs as possible. Please use the form below to contact His Excellency Yuri Octavian Thamrin, Indonesian Ambassador to the UK, and urge him to help call off the proposed cruel culling of 90,000 dogs.
