PodcastTurkey's stray dogs rehomed overseas following new street clearance law
Former Istanbul street dogs, Dali and Deezi, now live a comfortable life in the Netherlands after spending years in a shelter in the Turkish city. Meanwhile, other stray dogs in the country face the risk of being captured under a new law aimed at removing them from the streets and killed.
Reuters
Former Istanbul street dogs Dali and Deezi now live in the Netherlands, enjoying a pampered home life after years in a shelter in the Turkish city, and as other strays face being rounded up under a new law to clear them from the streets.
Dog Deezi from an Istanbul shelter lies on the grass during a walk with its owners Caroline and Meike in Haarlem, Netherlands September 3, 2024. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
Turkey's parliament passed a law in July ordering the impounding of the country's estimated four million stray dogs, despite protests by animal lovers and the opposition, who fear it will lead to many being put down.
A stray dog Sayko is seen inside a vehicle at an animal shelter in Istanbul, Turkey August 22, 2024. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya
The legislation, motivated by concerns about attacks by dogs, road accidents and rabies, aims to place all strays in municipal shelters by 2028. It says that any dogs showing aggressive behavior or with untreatable disease will be euthanized.
Animal rights activists Bengisu Komurcu and Nilgul Sayar stroll with stray dogs, three-legged Dali and Sayko, at an animal shelter in Istanbul, Turkey August 22, 2024. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya
Animal rights activist Nilgul Sayar, who runs an NGO shelter for dogs near Istanbul, has sent hundreds of dogs abroad for adoption but says demand has jumped since the law passed.
"We have around 20-25 dogs ready to fly," she said. "People continue to reach out to us (for adoption). I hope we will send more dogs soon. They will all have good homes."
Stray dogs Dali and Sayko are escorted by animal rights activists Bengisu Komurcu and Nilgul Sayar at Istanbul Airport before travelling to Netherlands via Brussels, in Istanbul, Turkey August 24, 2024. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya