Pejaten Animal Shelter: Do Not Abandon Dogs, Seek Alternative Solutions
Jakarta – Dr Susana Somali of Pejaten Shelter has urged the public not to abandon dogs and to seek safer alternative solutions.
This appeal comes after Pejaten Shelter received a dog that was abandoned on the Depok-Antasari Toll Road (Desari) near GT Brigif on Tuesday, 17 February 2026.
“We are already attempting to minimise animal abandonment. We receive many calls at Pejaten Shelter, though it is difficult to answer all of them because there are so many incoming calls. Please do not abandon dogs,” Susana said when contacted by Kompas.com on Thursday, 26 February 2026.
This approach is believed to help reduce animal abandonment cases, as residents could continue to keep animals without worrying about uncontrolled breeding.
Residents can instead seek or offer other safer solutions for animals beyond abandonment.
“Shelters are not the only solution. We already assist with vaccinations and sterilisation. So please do not abandon dogs, and we ask for support for those already at Pejaten Shelter in terms of food provision,” Susana explained.
Most abandonment reports occur on toll roads, which makes it difficult for the animal shelter to conduct rescue operations.
Meanwhile, the number of adoptions at Pejaten Shelter occurs only once per month.
This figure is disproportionate to the number of incoming animals, so shelter capacity has already exceeded its limits.
“We receive approximately one report every day. That means in 365 days a year, we would take in 365 animals. And that is just from one report per day,” Susana clarified.
Because of this, Pejaten Shelter has identified the need for new land outside Jakarta that could be used as a facility for stray dogs.
“We need another location, ideally outside Jakarta but still affiliated with us, and within budget. We have to start from scratch because we built the kennels ourselves through trial and error,” Susana said.
Despite these challenges, Susana confirmed that the shelter has received the dog that was reported abandoned on the Depok-Antasari Toll Road near GT Brigif.