https://www.haytap.org/tr/what-is-happening-exterminating-millions-of-dogs-in-turkey
What Is Happening exterminating millions of dogs in Turkey ? 2024 July
The Turkish government has drawn up legislation to capture and sterilise stray dogs, before putting them down if they are not adopted within 30 days. This plan is backed-up by a government sponsored propaganda campaign, showing aggressive dogs and victims with rabies.
Why is this happening?
The reasons the Turkish government give for exterminating millions of dogs are:
* To curb the number of stray dogs
* To stop them attacking people
* To reduce the number of road accidents caused by strays
* Civilised countries don’t have high numbers of stray dogs
When is this happening?
The government has not communicated publicly when they will pass the new legislation. It could happen any day.
Fact or Fiction?
• The Turkish government states that there are 4 million stray dogs. However, most stray dogs do not have a microchip, so there is no official data to support the actual number of stray dogs in Turkey.
• The Turkish government states that civilised countries don’t have high numbers of stray dogs. As example The Netherlands is mentioned. Although there are no stray dogs in the Netherlands, there are thousands in other civilised countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece.
Our position
Turkish animal rights organisation Haytap and believe that every animal is a sentient being and has the right to live and fully express its natural behaviour. It is our responsibility to minimise any form of harm to the animals we share our planet with. At the same time we acknowledge and agree that also people should be safe from harm from animals.
We are against the mass killing of dogs in Turkey because of two reasons:
1. Exterminating millions of dogs is barbaric and an act of inhumanity;
2. The mass-killing of dogs will not solve the problem.
Why mass-killing of dogs won’t work
The Turkish government has already tried mass-killing of dogs in the past, and failed.
During the ottoman empire, the government was faced with the problem of having too many stray dogs. They feared the animals could bring disease. Government officials physically moved 100.000 dogs from the city of Istanbul and placed them on an island without food and without water. The dogs started to eat each other and 100.000 dogs died on that island. Yet, 5 years later, the population of dogs had grown back. This proofs that the mass-killing of stray animals is not an effective solution of population management.
Sterilisation programmes have failed
Both the Turkish government as well as Haytap have many years of experience in Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (CNVR) programmes in Turkey. Despite many efforts, none of these programmes have been successful on the long term.
Why sterilisation programmes have been unsuccessful?
Turkey is a large country and sterilisation programmes have mostly been executed in cities scattered around the country. Even though dog populations decreased for a few years following sterilisation efforts in cities, dogs from surrounding villages were not sterilised and subsequently moved to the cities, which caused the dog population to grow again.
Our proposed solution
1. To set up a Pilot Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release project in the west black sea area ( covering Zonguldak Bartın Karabük cities and their outskirts territory ) Because the zone is isolated thanks to geographical boundaries. In 5 years we can see the result of the project and if successful, the solution would be to start other similar programmes, not only targeting cities, but also surrounding villages;
2. To introduce legislation that makes the purchasing and selling of dogs on on-line platforms illegal;
3. Introduce legislation to stop the import of dogs into Turkey and to put measures in place to enforce that law;
4. To teach children in schools how to behave around dogs and how to prevent aggression.
5. Prisoning those animals in shelters is not a solution. Socialazed stray dogs should continue to live with public. If the puppy mills are not closed down or if the dog trading still goes on none of those solution including putting them down or prisoning them in shelters will not solve the problem
By sending a letter is much better than signing cyber things. It is more efficient. It is solid. That’s what we have been doing for months.signing electronic things is not taking seriously in Turkey
Check these links as well :
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=HaytapEnglish...
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8cGOujMJfn/?img_index=1
For more information ( in english ) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfzO7jf81LU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6NFXifFPyw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G6ftoJONl4
https://www.haytap.org/tr/trap-neuter-return
https://www.haytap.org/tr/commodity-or-a-living-thing
https://www.haytap.tv/trap-neuter-release-project-of...
more :
https://www.haytap.tv/browse-english-videos-1-date.html
Regards
Yours sincerly
Ahmet Kemal Şenpolat
Attorney at Law
President of Haytap – Animal Rights Federation in Turkey
