Indonesian police probe alleged sexual abuse of dog at Jakarta pet café
Police in North Jakarta are investigating a 22-year-old man after allegations that he sexually abused a Pomeranian dog at a crowded pet café and daycare facility. The dog’s caretakers say the animal later displayed signs of distress and behavioural changes.
- Police are investigating allegations that a man sexually abused a dog at a North Jakarta pet café.
- Staff members say they witnessed the incident and submitted video evidence to police.
- Veterinarians reportedly observed behavioural changes and weight loss in the dog afterward.
Indonesian police are investigating a 22-year-old man identified by his initials OWL after he allegedly sexually abused a Pomeranian dog at a pet café and daycare facility earlier this month.
The incident occurred on 1 June at Dogs Ministry, a pet daycare, grooming facility and café in the Penjaringan district of North Jakarta. According to the facility’s management, the venue was crowded with visitors at the time.
Police have received a formal complaint and are continuing to gather evidence while questioning witnesses. The reported individual has been interviewed but remains a witness as the investigation continues.
“We have questioned the victim’s handlers, witnesses, and the reported individual. At this stage he is still being treated as a witness while the investigation continues,” Sampson Sosa Hutapea, head of the criminal investigation unit at Penjaringan Police, said.
“If necessary, we will conduct a psychiatric examination of the individual concerned.”
Police said the case is the first alleged animal sexual abuse investigation handled by Penjaringan Police.
Incident at crowded pet café
According to Yuliana Monica Petronela, operations manager at Dogs Ministry, the alleged incident involved a four-year-old Pomeranian named Sissy and a regular visitor known to staff members.
“It happened on 1 June 2026, only about two weeks ago,” Monica told Kumparan.
She said the man had initially been in the facility’s lounge area before moving to the café section. Dogs Ministry has two main dog interaction areas — a lounge located behind a glass door and a café area situated near the cashier.
Monica said the visitor spent time playing with Sissy and hugging the dog in the café area.
Staff members then alerted management after noticing suspicious behaviour.
According to Monica, employees reported that the man had exposed his genitals and forced Sissy to lick them.
Monica said she found the allegation particularly shocking because the incident occurred while the café was crowded during a public holiday.
“It was extremely busy that day. It was a public holiday, so the café was packed with visitors,” she said.
Video evidence and police report
Monica said she initially reviewed CCTV footage but found it did not clearly capture the alleged act. She then went to a mezzanine level on the second floor of the facility, where she said she was able to see the incident directly.
“From upstairs I could clearly see what he was doing,” Monica said.
She said she began recording video footage after witnessing the alleged abuse and immediately separated Sissy from the visitor.
When confronted, Monica said the man initially denied wrongdoing.
“We asked him, ‘What were you doing?’ He denied it and said, ‘I wasn’t doing anything.’ Then I showed him the video, and he became silent,” she said.
Monica said the man was unable to provide identification documents when requested.
She subsequently accompanied him to Penjaringan Police Station, where a formal complaint was filed.
“We immediately took him to Penjaringan Police Station. Thankfully, the police assisted us straight away and accepted the report,” she said.
According to Monica, the man did not resist or attempt to flee.
Dog reportedly suffered behavioural changes
Dogs Ministry said Sissy showed signs of distress shortly after the incident and was examined by veterinarians.
Monica said the dog underwent a medical examination immediately following the alleged abuse.
“On the first night she already showed behavioural changes according to the examination results,” she said.
According to Dogs Ministry, Sissy, previously known as an active and friendly dog, became noticeably withdrawn after the incident.
“She used to run around everywhere, very active, friendly and sweet. After the incident she became much quieter and spent most of her time lying down,” Monica said.
The facility said Sissy’s condition worsened over the following days.
“Three days later she was weighed and had lost 800 grams, which is a lot for a small dog. She was also diagnosed with anaemia because she refused to eat,” Monica said.
Yuliana said Sissy experienced severe psychological distress despite showing no physical injuries.
“Physically the dog is okay, but psychologically there is trauma and behavioural changes after the incident,” she said.
“She became stressed, refused to eat, and appeared withdrawn. Three days later we took her to a clinic for follow-up treatment, and doctors found that her weight had dropped by 800 grams and she was experiencing anaemia.”
Veterinary examinations
Monica said veterinarians also conducted blood tests because staff were concerned about the possibility of infections or diseases.
She said employees became particularly worried after hearing claims that similar behaviour may have occurred previously involving other dogs.
“We wanted to know whether there were any diseases because we were worried about viruses or bacteria. We also heard that it may not have happened only to Sissy but also to a neighbour’s dog,” she said.
The blood test did not reveal any additional illnesses, she added.
Monica said staff believed the behavioural changes were linked to the way Sissy’s head was allegedly forced during the incident.
Dogs Ministry has not relocated the dog during recovery, opting instead to keep her in familiar surroundings while limiting interactions with customers when the facility becomes crowded.
“We want her to stay in a place she knows because we’re worried moving her to a new environment could cause additional stress,” Monica said.
Family raises issue of special needs condition
In statements posted on Instagram, Dogs Ministry said the family of the reported individual informed management during mediation discussions that the man was a person with special needs.
The family also reportedly said similar behaviour had occurred previously.
Dogs Ministry said the information raised broader questions regarding supervision and prevention.
“If such behaviour was known to have occurred before, how should supervision and prevention responsibilities be carried out so that no other parties are affected?” the company wrote.
The facility said its immediate focus remains monitoring Sissy’s condition and supporting her recovery.
“We are deeply shaken,” Dogs Ministry said in an earlier statement announcing the incident.
“Actions like this must not be considered normal, must not be considered a joke, and must not be considered trivial.”
“The owner has not yet met directly with the family concerned because emotions are still running high. Our focus right now is on monitoring Sissy’s condition under veterinary guidance.”
The statement concluded with the message: “They can’t speak, we must.”
