Whether you’re strolling through the streets of Istanbul or wandering the picturesque beaches of Antalya, one of the things you will notice is the large population of stray dogs in Turkey.
With an estimated 4 million stray dogs scattered across the country, the issue of stray canines has become a defining feature of Turkey’s landscape. In Istanbul alone, there is a population of 400,000 to 600,000 stray dogs
While many developing countries harbor high numbers of stray dogs as a result of neglect, Turkey’s problem is a little different. Sadly, some pet owners do discard dogs in Turkey. It’s easier to adopt a dog in Turkey than in many other nations.
Dogs can be bought from pet shops in Turkey and puppies that are bought at the beginning of summer can sometimes be dumped by the end of the season when they no longer serve their purpose. However, Turks of all cultural and political affinities seem to adore animals and are notoriously compassionate toward stray dogs and cats, but why hasn’t this necessarily helped with overpopulation.
various organizations doing their best to control populations of stray dogs in Turkey. The people of Turkey were once misdirected in their treatment of the street animals and neutered street dogs that’s the primary reason for the street dogs overpopulation.
Kind locals feed and nurture stray dogs, and even build elaborate street side shelters for cats and dogs where food scraps and water are supplied to the animals on a daily basis.
As revealed by a recent survey from Turkey’s Interior Ministry, the majority of people in Turkey do not find stray animals to be a threat and much of the Turkish population expresses compassion toward their street dogs. Turkish animals are protected by Turkish law and there are even cafés and metros where stray dogs are welcomed and cared for.
Thanks to widespread campaigns, backed by the public, prominent figures, and popular news outlets, 2004 saw the Turkish government pass a law requiring local officials to rehabilitate rather than annihilate stray dogs. The Animal Protection Law No. 5199 states a no kill, no capture policy, and unlawful euthanization are prosecutable offenses.
Turks, and especially residents of bustling Istanbul, have seen street dogs as fellow citizens ever since, but far more needs to be done to protect the livelihood of stray animals and slow population growth.
On a public level, Turks are known to do all they can to prevent stray animals from going hungry, and this was actually demanded by the Turkish Interior Ministry in the wake of Covid-19 outbreaks in 2020. Water and food scraps are put out all over the cities to cater to the large populations of stray cats and dogs, while animal welfare organizations work on a wider scale to sterilize strays.
Vaccines, as well as emergency and advanced care for injured stray animals, are also widely available, especially in Istanbul, where they operate a designated program for overseeing the large populations. You’ll notice many stray dogs have ear tags, which indicate that they’ve been vaccinated and neutered and, in turn, encourages people to be more comfortable with feeding and caring for them. However, incidents like stray dog attacks threaten the protection of these animals and rehoming efforts are also vital.
The Municipality of Konya in the Anatolian heartland sets a fine example for other Turkish cities, and countries struggling around the world from soaring populations of stray dogs, by paying out a monthly allowance to people who have adopted dogs from their shelters. The “Friends of Animals’ initiative was launched in 2017 and has seen almost 7,000 stray animals find homes in just five years.
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