Animal cruelty law in Indonesia: Article 337 of the new KUHP

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Key points

The new Criminal Code (KUHP, Law 1/2023) took effect on 2 January 2026 and repealed the law that gave force to the old code. Animal cruelty now falls under Article 337.
Article 337(1): up to 1 year in prison or a category II fine (Rp10 million). Article 337(2): up to 1 year 6 months or a category III fine (Rp50 million) if the animal is sick for over a week, disabled, seriously injured or dies.
Article 338 covers using animals beyond their natural capacity, giving them harmful substances, and using animal organs for improper purposes.
In the new code, Article 302 deals with offences against religious life, not animals.
Breaching Article 66A of Law 41/2014 now carries a fine of up to category II, after Law 1/2026 removed short-term detention and minimum penalties.
An individual who kills or injures a protected wild animal faces up to 15 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category VII (Rp5 billion).

In this guide (10)

Start with these steps

Do not confront the suspected abuser or enter someone else's property without permission.
If the abuse is happening now or people are in danger, call the police on 110.
Note the date, time, place, the animal's condition and any witnesses; keep original photos or videos taken from a safe place.
Make a report at the SPKT desk of the nearest police station.
Report neglect or other welfare breaches to the district or city agency responsible for animal health.
If the victim is a protected wild animal, also report it through the Forestry Law Enforcement (Gakkum) complaints app.

Which article of the new Criminal Code covers animal cruelty?

Law 1/2023 on the Criminal Code (the new KUHP) was promulgated on 2 January 2023 and took effect three years later, on 2 January 2026. Animal cruelty is covered by Article 337, in the part on disturbing animals, careless keeping and cruelty to animals.

Article 337(1) punishes anyone who hurts or injures an animal or harms its health excessively or without proper purpose, or who has sexual contact with an animal, with up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to category II. Under Article 337(2), if the act leaves the animal sick for more than a week, disabled, seriously injured or dead, the maximum is 1 year 6 months in prison or a fine of up to category III. Article 337(3) allows an offender's own animal to be confiscated and placed somewhere suitable.

Article 79 of the code sets the fine categories: category II is up to Rp10 million and category III up to Rp50 million. Law 1/2026 on Criminal Penalty Adjustment amended a number of articles of the code, but Articles 336, 337 and 338 are not among them. The table below summarises the penalties in force in 2026.

Criminal penalties for offences against animals in force in 2026
Provision	Offence	Maximum penalty
Criminal Code Art. 337(1)	Hurting or injuring an animal or harming its health excessively or without proper purpose; sexual acts with an animal	Up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to category II (Rp10 million)
Criminal Code Art. 337(2)	An Art. 337(1) act that leaves the animal sick for more than a week, disabled, seriously injured or dead	Up to 1 year 6 months in prison or a fine of up to category III (Rp50 million)
Criminal Code Art. 338(1)	Using an animal beyond its natural capacity; giving substances or drugs that endanger its health; using its organs for improper purposes	Up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to category II (Rp10 million)
Criminal Code Art. 336	Among other things, failing to stop an animal in one's care from attacking people or animals; keeping a dangerous wild animal without reporting it	Up to 6 months in prison or a fine of up to category II (Rp10 million)
Law 41/2014 Art. 91B(1) (as adjusted by Law 1/2026)	Breaching Art. 66A(1): abusing or misusing an animal so that it is disabled or unproductive	Fine of up to category II (Rp10 million)
Law 41/2014 Art. 91B(2) (as adjusted by Law 1/2026)	Knowing of an Art. 66A(1) act and not reporting it	Fine of up to category II (Rp10 million)
Law 5/1990 as amended by Law 32/2024, Art. 40A(1) (as adjusted by Law 1/2026)	An individual who, among other things, hunts, catches, injures, kills, keeps or trades a protected animal	Up to 15 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category VII (Rp5 billion)

Evidence: JDIH BPK — UU No. 1 Tahun 2023 tentang Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana (tanggal berlaku 2 Januari 2026) ↗ · JDIH BPK — UU 1/2023 (KUHP), teks lengkap dan penjelasan (PDF; Pasal 79, 336, 337, 338, 622, 624) ↗ · JDIH BPK — UU 1/2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana, teks dan Lampiran I (PDF; Pasal I, II, IX; Lampiran no. 115 dan 183) ↗ · JDIH BPK — UU 41/2014, teks lengkap (PDF; Pasal 66A dan 91B) ↗ · JDIH BPK — UU 32/2024, teks lengkap (PDF; Pasal 21 dan 40A) ↗

What do Article 338 and the other animal articles say?

Article 338(1) carries up to 1 year in prison or a category II fine for anyone who uses an animal beyond its natural capacity in a way that can damage its health, threaten its safety or kill it; gives an animal substances or drugs that can endanger its health; or uses an animal's body parts or organs for improper purposes. The official elucidation says the article is not meant to punish acts carried out for cultural or customary, religious or belief-based activities.

Article 336 deals with careless keeping. It carries up to 6 months in prison or a category II fine for anyone who, among other things, fails to stop an animal in their care from attacking people or animals, fails to guard a wild animal in their care properly, or keeps a dangerous wild animal without reporting it to the authorities.

What happened to Article 302 of the old Code?

Article 622 of the new code repealed Law 1/1946 on Criminal Law Regulations, the law that gave force to the old Criminal Code. The general elucidation of the new code says it is intended to replace the Wetboek van Strafrecht, the old Criminal Code.

Under the old code, Article 302 punished minor cruelty to animals with up to three months in prison, including deliberately not feeding a pet. The maximum rose to nine months if the animal was sick for over a week, disabled, seriously injured or died.

In the new code, the number 302 is used for an offence against religious life or belief. So since 2 January 2026 the article that applies to animal cruelty is Article 337, not Article 302.

Evidence: JDIH BPK — UU 1/2023 (KUHP), teks lengkap dan penjelasan (PDF; Pasal 79, 336, 337, 338, 622, 624) ↗ · JDIH BPK — UU No. 1 Tahun 2023 tentang Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana (tanggal berlaku 2 Januari 2026) ↗ · Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan DIY — Hari Hewan Sedunia (Oktober 2021; ringkasan Pasal 302 KUHP lama) ↗

What penalties does the animal husbandry and health law set?

Article 66A(1) of Law 41/2014, which amended Law 18/2009 on Animal Husbandry and Animal Health, bans anyone from abusing and/or misusing animals in ways that leave them disabled and/or unproductive. Article 66A(2) obliges anyone who knows of such an act to report it to the authorities.

Originally, Article 91B punished a breach of Article 66A(1) with 1 to 6 months' detention and a fine of Rp1 million to Rp5 million, and failure to report with 1 to 3 months' detention and a fine of Rp1 million to Rp3 million. Law 1/2026 on Criminal Penalty Adjustment, in force since 2 January 2026, changed both to a fine of up to category II, or Rp10 million.

This follows the general rules of Law 1/2026. Special minimum penalties in laws outside the Criminal Code were removed, except in laws on gross human rights offences, terrorism, corruption and money laundering. Where a provision set detention and a fine together, the detention was removed and the fine adjusted.

Evidence: JDIH BPK — UU No. 41 Tahun 2014 tentang Perubahan atas UU 18/2009 tentang Peternakan dan Kesehatan Hewan ↗ · JDIH BPK — UU 41/2014, teks lengkap (PDF; Pasal 66A dan 91B) ↗ · JDIH BPK — UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (berlaku 2 Januari 2026) ↗ · JDIH BPK — UU 1/2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana, teks dan Lampiran I (PDF; Pasal I, II, IX; Lampiran no. 115 dan 183) ↗ · JDIH BPK — UU 1/2023 (KUHP), teks lengkap dan penjelasan (PDF; Pasal 79, 336, 337, 338, 622, 624) ↗

What if the victim is a protected wild animal?

Article 21(2) of Law 5/1990 as amended by Law 32/2024 bans anyone from hunting, catching, injuring, killing, storing, owning, keeping, transporting and/or trading protected animals alive. As adjusted by Law 1/2026, an individual who breaches that ban faces, under Article 40A(1), up to 15 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category VII, which is Rp5 billion.

That is far heavier than Article 337 of the Criminal Code. Reports about protected wildlife can be made through the Forestry Law Enforcement (Gakkum) complaints app as well as to the police.

Evidence: JDIH BPK — UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU 5/1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya ↗ · JDIH BPK — UU 32/2024, teks lengkap (PDF; Pasal 21 dan 40A) ↗ · JDIH BPK — UU 1/2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana, teks dan Lampiran I (PDF; Pasal I, II, IX; Lampiran no. 115 dan 183) ↗ · JDIH BPK — UU 1/2023 (KUHP), teks lengkap dan penjelasan (PDF; Pasal 79, 336, 337, 338, 622, 624) ↗ · Gakkum Kehutanan — Pengaduan Penegakan Hukum Kehutanan ↗

How does this relate to Regulation 32/2025?

Regulation 32/2025 on the Implementation of Animal Welfare sets standards of care, such as the duty of dog and cat owners not to leave or abandon their animals. The regulation itself sets no criminal penalties. It is supervised by central and local government, and the district or city agency follows up public reports of welfare breaches.

So neglect that breaches the regulation's standards can be reported to the agency, while acts that may amount to an offence under Article 337 or 338 of the Criminal Code are reported to the police. Whether an offence was committed is for investigators and the courts to decide, not the person reporting.

Evidence: Kementerian Pertanian — Permentan 32/2025 tentang Penyelenggaraan Kesejahteraan Hewan, teks lengkap (PDF) ↗ · JDIH Kementan — Peraturan Menteri Pertanian Nomor 32 Tahun 2025 tentang Penyelenggaraan Kesejahteraan Hewan (status: Berlaku) ↗

How do you report animal cruelty?

Criminal reports go to the police's integrated service desk (SPKT). According to the police, the SPKT provides integrated police services for public reports and complaints. For something happening now, the police call centre on 110 is free and takes complaints about, among other things, violence.

Neglect and other breaches of welfare standards can be reported to the district or city agency responsible for livestock and animal health. For protected wildlife, the Gakkum complaints app asks for a description of the incident, a map location and evidence such as photos or documents. Prepare notes of the date, time, place and the animal's condition, and do not confront the person yourself.

Evidence: Polri — Sentra Pelayanan Kepolisian Terpadu (SPKT) ↗ · Polri — Call Center 110 ↗ · Kementerian Pertanian — Permentan 32/2025 tentang Penyelenggaraan Kesejahteraan Hewan, teks lengkap (PDF) ↗ · Gakkum Kehutanan — Pengaduan Penegakan Hukum Kehutanan ↗

Sources & references

References can change. Check dates and context in the original source.

Cite this page

PanduanHewan. (2026, 1 October). Animal cruelty law in Indonesia: Article 337 of the new KUHP. PanduanHewan.org. https://panduanhewan.org/en/guides/indonesia-animal-cruelty-law-article-337/

Animal cruelty law in Indonesia: Article 337 of the new KUHP

Key points

Start with these steps

Which article of the new Criminal Code covers animal cruelty?

What do Article 338 and the other animal articles say?

What happened to Article 302 of the old Code?

What penalties does the animal husbandry and health law set?

What if the victim is a protected wild animal?

How does this relate to Regulation 32/2025?

How do you report animal cruelty?

Sources & references

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