JAKARTA: The Kintamani dog from Bali has been internationally recognised by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI), an international federation of national kennel clubs.
The recognition letter was officially submitted by the Belgium-based organisation on Feb 20, signed by its executive director Yves De Clercq.
The chairman of the Indonesia Kennel Klub (IKK), Benny Kwok Wie Sioe, told journalists on Saturday that the Kintamani was the first Indonesian dog breed to be recognised internationally.
“The FCI has declared to the world that the Kintamani dog is a dog breed native to Indonesia,” Benny said, adding that the IKK had proposed the recognition years ago.
With the FCI recognition, Benny added, the breed could join international competitions and dog shows, and Kintamani birth documents could use the official FCI logo.
Benny officially handed the FCI recognition letter to Bali Governor I Wayan Koster, who expressed appreciation for the honour.
“As a Balinese, I feel very proud for the international recognition. It shows that the world recognises that Bali has high-quality native dog breeds that deserve to participate in national and international competitions,” Koster said.
Koster said the recognition should motivate all Balinese to keep preserving and developing local animals and plants.
“We have amazing nature with many animals from Bali, such as the Bali starling and Bali cow. These animals should be preserved to keep our ecosystem in Bali unique. It is also value for our economy.”
Benny said Kintamani dogs were highly intelligent and had won several competitions in the past several years.
He expressed hope that the international recognition could provide value to the community, as it could lift the price of the breed. — The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network
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