Help Turkish animal protectionists stop the government death plan to remove, poison or starve community street dogs
For several years, animal protectionists in Turkey have made progress for street animals by successfully introducing humane alteration and rabies vaccination for street animals. Most communities have embraced the compassionate treatment of street animals, as a result of humane education and increasing awareness of the benefits of alteration and vaccination, instead of poisoning and other brutal methods of killing. But, the Turkish government has been slow to understand that spay/neuter and vaccination is the most effective and kindest way to control overpopulation. It has not provided adequate veterinary training or implemented basic anti-cruelty laws. Now, instead of continuing to progress, the government wants to return to the old brutal methods of capturing stray dogs, poisoning them, or starving them to death by shipping them to remote places where dogs cannot survive.
The local government “shelters” in Turkey are death camps where dogs are allowed to starve or suffer mistreatment by untrained staff. Evidence of the horrific conditions at municipal shelters has been well-documented by investigations. Most Turkish municipalities have no budget for veterinary services, have no trained staff, and have no plans for the actual care of animals. In reality, the government plan to deport street dogs to a “natural life park,” is a cruel hoax; in reality, there are no “natural life parks.” The real plan is that the government will dump the dogs in remote places where they will die. The real plan, as it has been done in the past, is that the street dogs who are comfortable with people – the most gentle, well-socialized, and trusting animals – will be taken by public workers and poisoned or dumped, or both. The friendliest dogs, who have experienced the kindness of local residents who feed them, and care for them as part of the community, will be the easiest targets of this cruel deception.
The kind people of Turkey who understand what this means – an unnecessary and cruel death sentence for hundreds of thousands of street dogs – will organize and march in protest.
Please help stand up for the protection of stray animals by petitioning against this misguided decision by the government. Stop the death sentence against community dogs in Turkey.
