Pet vendors in Menteng offer bargains<\/p>\n
By Fitriyanti Djoni<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A luxury sedan slows down to a halt right in
\nfront of some cages of puppies for sale on Jl. Latuharhary, in
\nthe Menteng area of Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
A smartly dressed man gets out and dives right into bargaining
\nwith a seller for a spotlessly white two-month-old poodle. The
\nseller starts with a price of Rp 250,000 (US$33) but after some
\nhaggling agrees to let go of the puppy for Rp 200,000.<\/p>\n
The buyer, Irwan, says that he has a collection of various
\npets, including several dogs that he has bought either on Jl.
\nLatuharhary or Jl. Cimahi, also in Menteng.<\/p>\n
\"You can buy a dog here at almost half the price offered in a
\npet shop,\" he tells The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He says the dogs that he has bought in these areas five years
\nago are still in good health. \"Once every six months I take them
\nto a vet for a shot,\" he adds.<\/p>\n
According to him, only a certificate of pet ownership is the
\ndistinguishing factor between buying a pet in a pet shop and
\npurchasing it from a roadside vendor.<\/p>\n
\"The certificate is only for formality's sake. You can easily
\nhave a certificate giving the genealogy of the dog made,\" he says
\nchuckling.<\/p>\n
Chu Ang, 36, who has been selling dogs on Jl. Latuharhari
\nsince 1979, concurs with Irwan. The puppies he sells are pure
\nbreeds -- poodles, dalmatians, boomers and even German shepherds.<\/p>\n
He says that most buyers cannot be fooled. They can easily see
\nwhether a puppy is a pure breed or not.<\/p>\n
\"There is a marked difference between a pure breed and a mixed
\nbreed. And I never want to disappoint my regular customers,\" he
\nsays to the Post.<\/p>\n
He usually buys puppies once a week directly from a breeder in
\nSemarang, Central Java.<\/p>\n
\"A puppy of about one to two months old can cost between Rp
\n25,000 and Rp 50,000. The breeder usually has already had the
\npuppy vaccinated. A single vaccination costs Rp 12,000,\" he says.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, he says he can sell one puppy for between Rp
\n150,000 and Rp 350,000.<\/p>\n
According to him, puppies usually sell easily. Within three
\ndays the puppies he buys in Semarang will have a new owner. It is
\nrare if it takes as much as two weeks for a newly arrived puppy
\nto be sold.<\/p>\n
\"German shepherds usually take longer to sell because I get
\nthem older (about five to six months) and they are more expensive
\n(about Rp 600,000 per head),\" he explains.<\/p>\n
He budgets Rp 150,000 a month to feed his stock of 10 puppies.
\nSome of the puppies get special dog food mixed with cooked rice.<\/p>\n
Although he has been selling dogs for close to two decades,
\nAng still cannot afford to own a pet shop.<\/p>\n
\"The profit is not very big. I can survive because I can sell
\npuppies on a routine basis. A new puppy will take only 3 days
\nbefore it changes hands. I have four assistants now on a profit-
\nsharing basis. Every day they earn an average of Rp 12,500 and I
\nmyself take a profit of between Rp 25,000 and Rp 50,000,\" says
\nAng, a father of two.<\/p>\n
Ang never buys dogs that have been illegally sold or stolen.<\/p>\n
\"Usually if someone comes here to offer me his dog or puppy, I
\nwill ask to see his resident identity card as a guarantee against
\nif it is a stolen one,\" he adds.<\/p>\n
His customers include both ordinary people and high-ranking
\nofficials. \"Mr. Cokropranolo, the former governor of Jakarta,
\nonce bought a dog from me. Other famous people I have sold to
\ninclude Siswono Yudohusodo (while he was the minister of public
\nhousing), actress Enny Beatrice, comedian Dono Warkop and
\nbadminton star Lius Pongoh,\" he says.<\/p>\n
Up to now, he has never received a complaint from any of his
\ncustomers.<\/p>\n
Stolen<\/p>\n
Oyek, 25, tells another story. He sells puppies on Jl. Cimahi,
\nalso in Menteng. He started in the business when he was just 14.<\/p>\n
Oyek works for Ah Yong, who rarely sees to the business
\nhimself. Six assistants sell and take care of the puppies.<\/p>\n
\"This puppy is expensive and doesn't take heat well,\" he says
\nwhile moving one of the cages to a shadier place.<\/p>\n
Each iron cage measures 50 cm x 50 cm, and is occupied by
\nthree to five puppies, ranging from one to three months old.<\/p>\n
These puppies come from either Semarang, or Ciloto, West Java.<\/p>\n
Unlike Ang, who never wants to sell stolen puppies, Oyek buys
\nand sells stolen dogs to earn additional income without his boss
\nknowing it.<\/p>\n
\"I often sell stolen puppies. Why shouldn't I? My daily income
\nis just enough to make ends meet. But, of course, my boss knows
\nnothing about this,\" he says.<\/p>\n
Once he bought a stolen dog. When the owner walked by looking
\nfor his pet, the dog barked after recognizing his master. Oyek
\ncould not give any excuses.<\/p>\n
But since he had bought the dog instead of actually stealing
\nit, the owner had to buy back the dog at a price 20 percent
\nhigher than what Oyek had paid for it.<\/p>\n
\"Once the son of a high-ranking official stole his father's
\nfavorite pet because he was both frustrated and addicted to
\ndrugs. He sold the dog to me. A few days later, the father came
\nto this place and recognized his dog.<\/p>\n
\"I was taken to a police station. I told him the whole truth.
\nLuckily, he bought my story. I convinced him that his own son had
\nstolen and sold me the dog. I even gave him a description of his
\nson. Finally he bought back the dog,\" he says.<\/p>\n
\"Some dog owners bring their dogs here and ask us to sell
\nthem. These dogs usually sell easily because most of them were
\nwell taken care of,\" he adds.<\/p>\n
Oyek usually sells German shepherds priced between Rp 500,000
\nand Rp 600,000. He used to sell Angora, Siamese and other breeds
\nof cats as well.<\/p>\n
\"Cats don't sell easily, so now we only sell dogs,\" he says.<\/p>\n
He also says that they are often subject to raids by police.<\/p>\n
\"We sell animals, but we are often chased like animals if a
\nraid takes place. We pay a (unofficial) levy of Rp 3,000 a day,
\nthough,\" he says, adding that the amount would be just enough for
\na packet of cigarettes.<\/p>",
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