In July, lawmakers approved a new law aimed at removing millions of stray dogs from Turkey’s streets, citing safety concerns. Animal lovers fear that this will lead to mass culling or dogs ending up in overcrowded shelters.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that the law is necessary to address the country’s stray dog problem.
On Sunday, protesters called for the repeal of the law, waving placards reading “shelters are death camps” and “repeal the bloody law.”
The main opposition Republican People’s Party is seeking the repeal of the law in the Constitutional Court.
The government estimates that there are around four million stray dogs on Turkey’s streets and countryside. Although most of them are harmless, several people, including children, have been attacked.
The report of the Safe Streets and Right to Life Defense Association states that since 2022, 65 people have died in street dog attacks.
The new law requires municipalities to round up stray dogs and place them in shelters to have them vaccinated, neutered and sterilized before they are put up for adoption. Dogs that are in pain, terminally ill or pose a threat to human health will be euthanized. Cats were also included in the original draft of the bill, but this article was changed after public protests.
However, many question where cash-strapped municipalities will find the funds to build the additional shelters they need.
Animal rights activists are concerned that some municipalities may kill dogs under the pretext that they are sick, rather than providing funds for their shelters.
Recently, videos showing dead cats and dogs buried in ditches have gone viral on social networks. Animal rights activists claim that animals were killed indiscriminately after the law was passed.
2024-09-03 07:57:05