Petition calling for an end to 'pet meat trade' has reached 16,000 signatures

Eating dogs is legal in Indonesia but citizens are appalled at their treatment

Tens of thousands killed every year to supply the country's dog meat trade

The overpowering stench of charred skin wafts through the 'meat section' of Tomohon market, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

As flies buzz around the carcasses of dogs, cats, pigs and snakes which are strewn across the blood-stained floor, two teenage girls pick out the dog they want for dinner.

The emaciated dogs cower from the lasso of a slaughterhouse worker who reaches into the metal cage they have been trapped in for days - without food or water.

Their eyes widen with fear as he yanks another pup out by its neck and clubs it over the head until it lies motionless on the ground.

The dog looks dead but dreadful footage, shot only this week, shows the animal frantically kicking out as the market worker fires up a blowtorch and burns it to death.

This dog was among the 'hundreds of thousands' of strays and pets which are inhumanely slaughtered every year to supply Indonesia's dog meat trade, animal protection groups claim.

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Inhumane: The dogs are yanked out of metal cages by their necks before they are clubbed over the head repeatedly

Burned alive: Horrifying footage and images taken this week show dogs being burned with a blowtorch while they are still alive

Burned alive: Horrifying footage and images taken this week show dogs being burned with a blowtorch while they are still alive

Which one? Secret footage showed two teenage girls picking the 'fresh' dog they wanted to be killed

Afraid: The same footage showed an emaciated dog trying to get away from the lasso a slaughterhouse stuck into the cage in an attempt to grab it

Brutal end: Slaughterhouse workers thrown the unconscious dogs to the floor and torch them while the caged dogs watch on in terror just metres away

Bound and beaten: Some dogs have their legs tied behind their backs and mouths bound shut so they can not bite, according to reports

The heartbreaking video, and equally disturbing photographs, were taken by Rupert Imhoff, a research officer at the Bob Irwin Wildlife and Conservation Foundation, who flew to northern Sulawesi after he heard that dogs were being beaten and burned to death.

He saw other domestic animals such as cats and rabbits - as well as wild bats, jungle rats, pigs and snakes - suffering the same gruesome fate.

MailOnline has even seen disturbing footage which shows market workers cutting open a cat which had two unborn kittens inside.

Many of the dogs who end up in slaughterhouses are strays and pets. Dog snatchers on motorbikes lasso them around the neck and speed off, animal rights groups have claimed.

Some dogs are captured while their owners are walking them, and a rare few are bought from poor villagers for 'a few dollars'.

Many Indonesian street dogs are accustomed to people, who feed them regularly, and do not run away from dog snatchers.

Local delicacy: Slaughterhouse workers chop off the legs of the dogs before they are sold for around £13

Innocent: Other domestic animals such as rabbits (pictured) and cats are also slaughtered and sold at the meat market

They are then tied up and crammed into wire cages which are transported to Tomohon under cover of darkness, before the market opens at 6am.

Hunters often tie the dogs legs up behind their backs - which can dislocate their shoulders - and bind their mouths shut so they cannot bite.

The animals Rupert saw were visibly distressed when they arrived at the slaughterhouse at around dawn, and many looked in dire need of food and water.

One by one, they were lassoed around the neck, dragged out of the cage and clubbed over the head while they dangled from their necks in mid-air.

With the other dogs watching in terror, the slaughterhouse worker threw the animal to the ground and torched it.

Rupert noticed some of the dogs writhing frantically as they flames scorched their bodies, but found it hard to say whether it was because they were alive or whether it was their corpse's reaction to the intense heat.

A local trader told him they are often alive - but unconscious - when they are burned alive.

The exact number of dogs and cats in the country's meat trade is unclear but the Jakarta Aid Network claims more than 200,000 are slaughtered every year.

Brutal end: Animals such as jungle rats and snakes (pictured) were also slaughtered at the market, although it is not known whether the reptiles were also torched alive

Excruciating: The market also sells bats (pictured), which are slammed against trees and have their wings cut off before they too are torched

Although dog meat consumption is legal in the country, an 'increasing number' of Indonesians are outraged at the cruel way the animals are treated.

The majority of Indonesians are Muslims, who consider the animals 'haram' - or unclean - but many of the country's minority communities eat dog as a festive dish.

Families celebrating a birthday or special occasion would go to these markets and buy a dog.

Rupert saw people of all ages, from young girls and twenty-somethings to middle-aged couples and pensioners, picking which live animals they wanted slaughtered.

The meat traders mostly sell the dogs whole for around 250,000 Indonesian rupiah, around £13, although customers can ask for a specific part.

A large section of the market is devoted to selling fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices which can be used to make special Indonesian dog dishes such as rica-rica.

The popular dish, which is even sold to holidaymakers on the tourist island of Bali, is made with ground red and green chilli peppers, shallots, garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt and sugar - cooked in coconut oil.

Ingredients: A section of the market sold fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices which can be used to make special Indonesian dog dishes such as rica-rica

Specialty: Rica rica, which is sold to holidaymakers on the tourist island of Bali, is made with ground red and green chilli peppers, shallots, garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt and sugar

Farmed: The 'meat section' of the market also housed dozens of chickens, which were killed on order

Rupert, who has spent years investigating and exposing animal cruelty around the world, described the slaughter as the one of the 'most violent acts' he has ever witnessed.

He told MailOnline: 'There was a complete lack of empathy and compassion towards the animals.

'They would scream in terror as the trader lassoed it inside the cage and continued screaming until the moment they're clubbed unconscious.

'Dogs are socially intelligent animals that crave companionship so it was disturbing to see meat traders killing the chosen ones in full view of still-caged animals metres away.'

'Of course the thought crossed my mind to buy them all and release them.

'But being by myself, running short on time, alone in the jungle with only a motorbike for transportation there would be no realistic way I could guarantee their protection.

'Without proper planning and extra help they will simply end up back in the hands of the dog meat traders.'

Eating dog meat is associated with the Minahasa culture of northern Sulawesi and the Bataks of northern Sumatra, where dog meat is reserved for special occasions such as weddings and Christmas.

A petition calling on Indonesian President Joko Widodo to ban the 'pet meat trade' altogether has reached just under 16,000 of its 25,000 target signatures.