An Australian man has ignited a firestorm of controversy after a video emerged depicting him beating a puppy to death and subsequently eating it on an island near Bali. Robert Knight, who goes by the name Robby Wirramanda, was reportedly celebrating his wedding festivities in West Nusa Tenggara when the incident occurred.
The video, shared widely online, shows Wirramanda, 53, dressed in traditional Indonesian attire, beating a black puppy with a stick. The footage appears to show the dog being killed quickly, with his new bride, Rensi Ana, present. In a subsequent video, Wirramanda, originally from Mildura, Victoria, described killing the dog and a pig as part of his wedding celebrations, noting that locals might have been surprised a foreigner would partake in such acts. He stated he had been hunting and killing his own meat since childhood.
Wirramanda, a former Australian prison inmate with a history of drug offenses, also made comments about potentially eating another dog later, sparking further anger among viewers. Appalled expatriates in Bali shared the video, leading to widespread condemnation on social media. Some commented on his online profiles, expressing shock and disgust.
Wirramanda defended his actions, stating that animals are part of traditional ceremonies and food in the region and that he respects the local culture. He issued a statement clarifying that he does not take pleasure in hurting or killing animals for entertainment and that killing for food, particularly within a traditional context, is different from animal cruelty. He also mentioned that he and his wife, Rensi Ana, a local shopkeeper, met at church and that he has found sincerity and love from his new in-laws.
Wirramanda also has a history of making headlines, including in 2019 when he posted videos of neighbors questioning his Aboriginality and attempting to remove an Aboriginal flag from his property. At the time, he was serving as deputy chair of the First Peoples of Millewa-Mallee and advocated against racism towards Indigenous people.