Turks Divided Over Fate of Stray Dogs: Rescue or Euthanization?

Stray Dogs and the Divided Public Opinion in Turkey

In Turkey, an estimated four million stray dogs roam the streets. This has led to a debate on whether the dogs should be looked after and loved or whether more drastic measures like euthanasia should be taken by the government. This article explores the issue from the perspectives of different stakeholders and examines potential solutions.

Gokcen Yildiz: Street Dog Advocate

Gokcen Yildiz is a secondary school physics teacher and a street dog advocate. She has collected 160 dogs on her 15,000 sq m property on the outskirts of Turkey’s capital city, Ankara. Her dogs are a small fraction of the estimated four million that make up the country’s street-dog population. Ms Yildiz looks after elderly and disabled dogs, and those with psychological or behavioral issues. She is anxious about finances and worries about what would happen to the dogs if she doesn’t collect them.

Turkish Government’s Proposed Solutions

Lawmakers from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) are working on a new bill to get dogs off the streets. The bill could require municipalities to collect stray dogs, shelter them for around 30 days, and if the animals are not adopted in that time, euthanize them. Although this provision has outraged animal rights activists and Turkey’s dog lovers, like Ms Yildiz, nearly 80% of respondents in a recent opinion poll supported measures to take dogs off the street and provide them with shelters. Less than 3% of respondents believed that collected dogs should be euthanized.

Facilities Issues

Existing facilities across the country could struggle with additional responsibilities if this bill becomes law. Only about one third of the nation’s provincial and district municipalities have shelters, according to Doctor Murat Arslan, president of the Turkish Veterinary Medical Association. This had been one of the problems with an existing law, which requires dogs to be sterilized and then returned to the streets where they lived. Dr Arslan suggested that if the law, enacted 20 years ago, had been enforced, the street-dog population wouldn’t be so large today. Animal abandonment, overbreeding, and selling of dogs had also contributed to the increase in the street-dog population.

Safe Streets Association’s Campaign

Campaign groups like Safe Streets Association argue that a solution is needed to take dogs permanently off the street. Attorney Meltem Zorba is a volunteer for Safe Streets. She works with families that have been victims of stray-dog attacks, and points to government statistics that show over the past five years, street dogs have contributed to 55 deaths. Additionally, more than 5,000 injuries and 3,500 traffic accidents have been attributed to street-dog populations. She’s calling for a legal requirement to take dogs off the streets for good and believes that euthanasia should be a last resort and a result of an animal being deemed too sick or posing a risk to society. Ms Zorba also says the dogs pose other concerns, including rabies and public health issues arising from dog faeces in public places like parks and playgrounds.

Solutions Proposed by Stakeholders

Both Ms Zorba and Ms Yildiz support a government solution that would allow dogs to be taken off the streets, collected in newly-built shelters around the country, sterilized, and looked after through the end of their lives, if not adopted. To implement any new law on stray dogs, ministers plan to provide local authorities with fresh funds. However, it’s unclear whether the government has the resources available for such a solution, already dealing with an economic crisis that’s seen inflation hit 75% this year.

Conclusion

The stray dog problem in Turkey is complicated and has deeply divided public opinion. While some advocate for the humane treatment of stray dogs, others see them as a threat to public safety and public health. The proposed bill is a step towards solving this problem but relies on adequate funding and sufficient facilities. The debate on what to do with the street-dog population in Turkey is ongoing, and a solution that works for all stakeholders is still elusive.

Originally Post From https://www.aol.com/rescue-street-dogs-euthanise-them-235201977.html