Bali Dogs

[Gabby]

I’ve just returned from my third trip to Bali last weekend. I’m a freelance photographer and asked my husband if we could go for a strictly photog (no kids allowed) holiday – and he said yes!

We love Bali – the pace, the peace, the weather, the culture and the FOOD! They have the best yellow curry and the hottest little chillies!

This time around we took some out of the way tours that we wouldn’t venture with the kids including hiring scooters and riding out to Uluwatu and up to Goa Lawah. We also took a bicycle ride down Kintamani through fields and villages.

What struck me most, this time and the previous two trips, was the dogs. The Balinese don’t seem to have the same relationship with dogs as westerners do. I saw maybe 2 or 3 dogs that were clearly pets as we view the term, but most were either watch dogs or street dogs.

As a photographer I’d like to learn more about the dogs of Bali – research, photograph and follow up with local charity groups helping the dogs.

First step – research! I learnt a lot about the Balinese hindu culture on the tours regarding the relationship the Balinese have with animals like cows, pigs and sea turtles. But I was too timid to ask how they feel about dogs in case I offended someone! I would like to ask the people on this forum for their views on the subject.

I look forward to learning from you!

Cheers
Gabby

 

[Rambutmerah]

Hi,

There is an organisation named "BAWA" Bali Animal Welfare Organisation, that you might like to contact. http://www.bawabali.com. They are doing a great job.
There are also several dogpounds run by expats that are trying there best to help the poor stray dogs in Bali. You can probarbly find them by searching on Google.

No matter where you go in Indonesia, you will see dogs living on the streets tending for themself as best they can. It's very hard to see them and as an animal lover it breaks my heart.

 

[Gabby]

Thanks kucing! I hadn't seen that one! Will check them out.

Anybody have a Bali dog as a pet? I'd love to know what kind of personality they have!

 

[bolli]

You should check this out..http://www.balistreetdogs.org.au/ Also most of my friends have dogs in Bali. One has had 2 stolen, One has a weird little thing that shakes its head and pokes its tongue in and out, and one has a rottweiler that scares the bejeezuz out of me.
None of them seem to behave like my dogs back in Australia did. :cry: :lol: :lol:

 

[Gabby]

That's great bolli - didn't have that one either! It seems there's quite a few different groups already set up in Bali to help the dogs which is absolutely fantastic!

Did any of your friends have a native Balinese dog? I saw one or two different breeds while I was there but the overwhelming dog population seemed to be the old Bali street dog. The stuff I've been reading says they're mostly wild but I've seen one or two domesticated ones. The difference in their behaviour and even their facial expressions is radically different to the sad strays on the streets. I would love to know what kind of personalities they have when they have a strong relationship with an owner!

 

[offshore]

When I lived in Bali, the dogs were mostly stray but many have owners and they appear to sit outside the properties for most of the day, not really "pets". Many get run over, and this is not a major event for most as they are not fond of dogs. When I was there, a dog I passed every day got knowcked over and was bleeding- so I wanted to take it to a vets and I was ridiculed for it. It was also an insult i believe to the owners. It was most horrifying. I was basically laughed at for caring about a dog.
I was also informed that many dogs get stolen or picked up at night, and are used as food. whether this is true or not, I don't know - but it was said by locals!! I do believe some menus will have dog on them.
Hence, the dog sacturies etc that are set up by expats. I remember some dogs with owners on the beach at Sanur and they were always having pups. The poor pups were flea ridden and all sorts and most of them died before they reached full size. A friend of mine had 2 pups as his girldfriend saw their mother die outside her work place and brought the pups home. Even though they were kept in their garden they had very short life spans too. I am not sure if this was through lack of care or genetic.
I was also in a taxi once and it ran over a puppy whilst reversing, it was one of the most awful experiences of my life. The taxi driver didn't even stop the car.
Sorry if this has made you sad, it was just my reality of people's attitude towards dogs in Bali.

 

[Gabby]

It's a pretty sad plight, isn't it offshore?

I'm starting to discover more about the Balinese' attitudes to dogs. Their hindu faith believes that criminals etc get reincarnated as dogs which is why they don't really have much time for them. The Balinese don't make it a custom to eat dogs (their staple food is rice where ours is meat) but I've read that surrounding cultures do eat dogs which is one reason why they're stolen or killed. The Balinese also don't go out of their way to kill dogs as hindus believe that everything has a right to live and die of natural causes - I guess that also means natural causes by cars from your story!

But if anyone has heard or knows different please say! First hand experiences are more far more believable than what I read on the internet!

 

[Kadek]

I cannot deny that the plight of dogs in Bali is pretty terrible compared to the pampered existence they have in most Western countries. And there is a real problem!

Perhaps the majority of Balinese, although consider a dog as a ‘pet’ they don’t consider dogs or cats as equal to human and so maintain some distance. Many of the dogs roaming the streets of Bali are indeed stray dogs, but many of them also have homes that they go to to eat and sleep.

But I wouldn’t say that they are treated to the standard you find here in the west and I also think, it is asking too much if this is the standard used to judge Balinese pet owners. The owners will at the most feed their dogs scrap food of rice and something to taste and then the dogs will freely go wherever they want to. This does leave the impression that all the dogs on the streets are all stray dogs. As compared to here, we don’t see many dogs roaming the street as it is compulsory to have all dogs locked up within the owners’ yard and any stray dogs would be quickly rounded up and taken to the shelter and owners fine for neglect. If the dogs are not claimed within a certain period, they will be gently given the ‘earth treatment’. I guess this is more sanitized and humane!

Many people in Bali would have the view that westerners are so caring about a dog in the same way or better than human. In fact many do view their dogs as substitute children and family members. This is a surprise to many Balinese (especially if they struggle to keep up with daily needs) but I haven’t seen people ridicule others for caring for their pets.

But reading some postings that have come up here about dogs and pets, I am kind of under the impression that people here think Balinese people have no capacity to love animals! In my opinion and experience, this is simply not true. Just from my own personal experience, I can tell you a couple of anecdotes about this. There are people in Bali who do treat their pet dogs or cats very nicely! My nieces, they love cats and treat them nicely too.

Once, we were in the car coming back from a trip to the market, just as we entered our street, there was a Javanese guy on a bicycle with a large basket full of coloured chickens in it. My 7 year old niece Putu, was looking intently and asked if they were for sale. Soon after we arrived home, she went to her room, then grabbed her small bike and some minutes later she came back with 5 of these coloured chickens (I guess her pocket money could only purchase 5 chickens)! A bit surprised, my brother asked her, what she wants to do with these chickens, she said “I want them as my pets, they are so pretty” and then she got the support of her other sisters. So instead of returning them, that afternoon my brother had to go out and buy some chicken feed, create a house for the chicken complete with a warm light for them to stay under at night! They were still really small!

I consider my self as a person with a soft spot for animals too. I have had dogs for pets growing up in Bali and my family treats them nicely. I even had pets chickens (but mine were Balinese chickens) and also adopted some stray cats (I remember climbing a bamboo ladder to go up the roof where a stray cat had her litters. The mother wasn’t impressed with my intrusion, even though I brought them sardines, and moved her litters during the night!). I also felt a terrible sadness when I lost a pet puppy due to poison and still until now cannot forget and still a bit angry for the death of my puppy, which was given away but died from suffocation inside a car on his way to Java whilst the guy who took him was eating lunch in a restaurant. Lucky he didn’t forget about his baby in the car eh?

Well, now I have a cat here that I adopted from the RSPCA and she is just so cute. But it is so expensive to keep her (her vet bill is more expensive compared to my own doctor’s bill). :shock:

 

[offshore]

Hi Kadek,
May I firstly comment on your brilliant English! It is better than mine! I see your points about the Balinese and dogs, but I can only say what I saw when I lived there. I guess there are people in many different countries that grow up with different values for different things, having different views and ways of life. But for those of us that have been brought up with the "pampered dog" syndrome, it is quite shocking at times to see. My experience was not a one off, but over the course of several years. However, things like this make cultures and lifestyles different. If we were all the same it would be very boring. Although it would be good if we also had Arak, now I wouldn't mind that :0) And perhaps the photography will portray this aspect. Good luck with the photos Gabby.

 

[toucan]

To answer just one part of your original post Gabby, I have found if you treat a dog in Bali or Java the same as you treat a dog at home, they will behave in the same way. I have befriended quite a few four legged friends on both islands and once they get to know you they will approach with the rear end wiggle, the eyes will squint, the nuzzle of the hand, roll over for the tummy rub, nudge with the nose if you stop too soon. They also have different personalities and make beautiful companions if treated well. I see someone has also mentioned BAWA and Bali Street Dogs, these organisations do a fantastic job.

 

[Gabby]

Kadek thank you so much for your insight and response to my questions! It is most appreciated! Undoubtedly different cultures look at pet ownership differently and your post gives me a much better understanding of the Balinese relationships with dogs and that's exactly what I want to do - understand!

I agree with you Offshore that different countries have different values for things and that is what makes visiting different cultures so interesting. And while our cultural views may be different the state of the dogs' health is what is so confronting for westerners.

Thank you Toucan for your feedback regarding the personalities of the street dogs. Despite the pulls on my heart strings I refrained from patting any of the street dogs on my last trip. It seemed to me that they consider humans in the same way that humans treat them - with much indifference but only because that's the way life is for them. I felt that it didn't necessarily make them approachable. So I talked, sang and whistled to them instead!

So it seems to that while pet dogs are free to wander most of the dogs on the street are strays and homeless. Kadek do you ever worry that your pets might get sick by coming into contact with the street dogs?

I read recently that Java tried to eradicate all their dogs a few years ago and the article inferred that Bali did too. Has anyone heard if this is true or not?

 

[mimpimanis]

Hi Gabby

I too feel for the dogs not just of Bali but of Lombok - which is my home base and where they they have a much worse deal for various reasons.

But do give you a very quick and easy example - my dog in Bali has a skin condition on his face at the moment and in the last few weeks I have had 4 visits to the vet costing about Rp250,000 in all ( I have to add this is one of the cheapest vets I have ever been to in Indonesia) A lot of Balinese just dont have that sort of money to spare on an animal.

 

[Gabby]

Hi Mimpimanis. Please tell me more! What sort of problems do the dogs face there?

I understand that Lombok is a mainly muslim community. With a different belief system I am curious to know what their relationship with dogs is like. Do they keep them as pets? Do they eat dog meat?

I understand that vetinerarian services are limited in Bali as well (however I haven't heard yet what kind of prices they charge) but I've heard that there are foundations at work to try and make vets more available in Bali. Are there many vet services on Lombok?

 

[mimpimanis]

Hi Gabby

On your question of dog meat - you may like to read this fairly recent thread.

Are the Gods Color-blind?

A very serious theological question, which had baffled theologians and other religious leaders for millennia, has finally gotten a definite answer: the Gods are NOT color-blind. Praise the Lord(s) and pass the ammun ^H^H^H^H the collection plates! The latest Bali Update Edition 619 - 21...

balipod.com

 

[Gabby]

Hi Mimpimanis - thanks heaps for the link. A very interesting read indeed! And an excellent insight into not just Balinese culture, but other cultures as well. It seems to me a bit hard to point fingers when I know how the chicken in my dinner was "raised". Who am I to judge?

While I've been asking a lot about culture and customs, it's to understand the background of the situation. I would like to use my photography to help raise awareness and funds for the charities and foundations in Bali to reduce the number of homeless dogs and for treatment of the sick and hurt ones. If along the way, dogs for food or sacrifice, becomes redundant, I think I could be happy with that!

 

[tintin]

I see that one of my posts, somewhat written 'tongue in cheek' at the time, is being referred to by mimpimanis. It is not my intension to revive yet another endless discussion about the gods, their existences, their commends, etc., and yes, Gabby, you are right: what about the chickens, as an example? I will just make the following single remark, a VERY obvious remark:

This world, the "life" on this earth, is based on KILLING. At all level, one must kill to survive, from the smallest virus to the largest animal, including MAN (or woman, just be PC). Everything second that goes by, millions, no, billions of lived organisms are killed so billions of different other organisms can survived, until destroyed themselves. DON'T CHICKEN OUT AND CHANGE THE SUBJECT: THINK ABOUT IT, if you dare. So, what kind of supposedly omnipotent monster god(s) could have conceived of such a monstrous scheme? This is the GREATEST cosmological joke ever, and people still flock to the churches, temples, synagogues, you name it, asking for more. What a f*****g joke!
:twisted:

 

[Roy]

Our final and full on (don’t ask how much this is costing) Melaspas for our new compound is scheduled in three weeks.

Eri informed me yesterday that “on the menu” for animal sacrifice will be a puppy. This of course is all directed by our high priest who is in charge of such events.

“Not in my house, no way, no how!” It didn’t take me a second to think about that.

As tolerant and accepting as I’ve been in the past ten years with certain aspects of my adopted religion, I just cannot go along with this.

Well be seeing our high priest again over the coming weekend, and I’m just going to explain to her that in my culture, this is not acceptable, and we’ll just have to find another way to appease the Gods. I know this high priest very well and we get along great. I am hopeful that we can work out another alternative.

 

[Gabby]

Hi tintin. The whole subject has definitely challenged my beliefs, my tolerance and my understanding. The thread mimpimas referred me to provided insight into a lot of things I hadn't considered and everyone of them was relevant. But as I said before - who am I to judge?

As a photographer I feel the need to be accurate in my research which means listening to all sides of the story and also to direct my aim through my images. But photography is a subjective and emotional medium. I can't change the world, I can't eradicate things I don't like, but I can bring awareness and help relieve a situation that touches my heart. I love dogs. I have two fluffy white slippers of my own (as well as a menagerie of other mammals and reptiles). The hang-dog looks on the faces of Bali Street Dogs is a constant memory - if I can help in just a little way, it might also help to relieve some of the ache I feel when I see these animals.

 

[tintin]

Dog, chicken, flea, whatever Roy, what you just did is a "pimple on the universe's ass, " and yet it is also a GREAT, courageous statement of principles (it's not a theoretical one, because you are there, you live there, you are directly involved). You have my most sincere congratulations.

 

[mimpimanis]

Also rather hypocritical considering your past stance on Bali dogs.

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