Learn about the history of the Bali Dogs and experience first-hand encounter with this ancient dog breed while helping the rehabilitation process of these beautiful souls at a rescue facility.

Anyone who has been to Bali must have seen local dogs running around in the village and on the streets. Bali dogs have been roaming the island for centuries. This indigenous breed is known to be a tough breed, able to survive the harshest conditions on the street without the veterinarian care required by western breeds. A university in the USA tested blood samples taken from Bali dogs and the result said that it is the oldest dog breed known to man. Although the Bali dog breed looks similar to the Australian dingo, its DNA is a mixture of Dingo, Chow-Chow from the northern China and Akita, a very loyal dog breed that lives in the mountains of Japan. People that keep Bali dogs as pets say that they are very good guard dogs. If not adopted from puppy, may take a while to warm up to human’s touch but once they are close to someone or a family, the loyalty to their human(s) is second to none.

Unfortunately, this indigenous breed is misunderstood and under-valued in their own island as most people are not aware of the Bali dog’s history. In 2004, the provincial government allowed imported dog breeds to enter Bali (this was previously prohibited by law). While this brought joy to those who moved to live in Bali bringing along their imported breed pets, this has decreased the popularity of Bali dogs quite substantially. They are regarded as street dogs of less value. Many are abandoned as people prefer buying imported breed puppies for prestige. The existence of pure breed Bali dogs is now threatened by crossbreeding, not to mention mass culling and the horrible dog meat trade.

A few rescue centers were founded to fight for the Bali dogs’ welfare and existence. These facilities take-in abandoned dogs from the streets prioritizing those with critical conditions or injuries. The rescued dogs then go through a rehabilitation process where medical attention and daily care are provided through sponsorships and volunteer works. Dogs with traumatic experience are gradually re-introduced to contacts with humans. They can use as many hugs and touches from different people to establish or restore the trust in human they once lost. It is always so touching and relieving to see how dogs with even the worst trauma can warm up to the tenderness, love and care from the keepers and volunteers as if they are saying ‘thank you’ or ‘I forgive you human’. This process is very important as it will make them adoptable and find their forever home.

Be a part of this process to give Bali Dogs a second chance to live and to have families that love them.