Turkey Is Protecting Stray Dogs

No One Left Behind TURKEY Thousands of people protested in Istanbul this week against a new bill that officials say is aimed at reducing the numbers of stray dogs in Turkey, but that animal welfare groups fear could lead to mass culling across the country, Euronews reported. Earlier this month, a parliamentary committee approved proposed legislation that would require municipalities to collect stray dogs and house them in shelters where they would be neutered and spayed. Canines that are in pain, terminally ill or pose health risks to humans are to be euthanized. The bill also requires local governments to build dog shelters or improve conditions in existing ones by 2028. Officials who fail to fulfill their responsibilities in controlling strays could face up to two years imprisonment. Meanwhile, people who abandon pets could face fines of up to $1,800, Sky News noted. But since the bill was unveiled, nearly daily demonstrations have taken place against it. Critics and animal rights advocates fear that some municipalities will use the bill as a pretext to kill dogs instead of allocating resources to shelter them. They also warned that shelters would eventually become overcrowded and neglected, leaving animals in poor conditions. The government denies that the bill would lead to widespread culling, with the justice minister stating that anyone killing strays “for no reason” would be punished. The current legislation is a watered-down version of an initial proposal that called for strays to be rounded up, housed in shelters and euthanized if not adopted within 30 days. Turkish officials estimate that around four million stray dogs roam the country’s streets and rural areas. Despite existing legislation requiring that stray dogs be caught, neutered, and returned to their original locations, poor implementation of the laws has caused the feral dog population to grow significantly. The government vowed to tackle the stray problem after a child was severely injured by dogs in the capital Ankara earlier this year. Share this story