Turkish ministry orders for collection of stray dogs classified as 'dangerous'
Turkey's Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry has sent a circular to local authorities asking them to capture street dogs classified as “dangerous” and take them to shelters.
Turkey's Environment, Urbanization Ministry and Climate Change Ministry has sent a circular to the 81 provinces' governorates and municipalities, asking them to round up certain types of stray dogs that are considered as “dangerous” as per the Animal Law.
According to the Law No. 7332 on the Amending the Animal Protection Law and the Turkish Penal Code, dogs breeds of American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, American Pitbull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Japanese Tosa breeds are classified as “dangerous.”
The circular asked the authorities to conduct regular inspections to determine these dogs on the streets, to round up the unattended ones and take them to the shelters.
Once in the shelters, the circular called for the “rehabilitation” of these animals, such as “parasite treatment, inoculation, sterilization and entry of their data in the digital platform.” It is only once municipalities employ these “rehabilitation” methods that they can place the animals back on the streets, the circular said.
The circular was issued after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stirred controversy on Dec. 25, by calling on what he said “White Turks” to look after their dogs. Erdoğan ordered authorities to capture “dangerous” dogs and place them in shelters.
The president's remarks came after two pitbulls attacked a 4-year-old child in the southeastern province of Antep last week. The child, Asiye Ateş, was heavily injured and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.
Erdoğan however used the incident to call for the streets to be free of animals. Since his order, authorities all around the county have been busy capturing dogs illegally and taking them to shelters.
The issue became a trending topic on Twitter and thousands of people slammed Erdoğan's remarks. While many pointed to the fact that pitbulls are not intrinsically violent and that their owners raise these animals to be such, others asked why the incident became a tool to target stray animals.
Animal rights defenders fear for dogs' lives after Erdoğan targets stray dogs
Animal rights defenders have started to fear for stray dogs' safety after President Erdoğan targeted the animals. Erdoğan on Dec. 25 ordered municipalities to remove stray dogs from the streets and place them in shelters, which effectively means death for the animals.
Duvar English
Animal rights defenders in Turkey are concerned for the lives of stray dogs after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan targeted the animals following an incident involving a pitbull.
Erdoğan on Dec. 25 ordered municipalities to remove stray dogs from the streets and place them in shelters, which effectively means death for the animals since shelters are in horrendous conditions in Turkey.
The president's remarks came after two pitbulls attacked a 4-year-old child in the southeastern province of Antep this week. The child, Asiye Ateş, was heavily injured and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.
In a speech on Dec. 25, Erdoğan also stirred controversy by calling on "White Turks" to look after their dogs, saying that breeds such as pitbulls are owned by wealthy people.
Despite the pitbulls not being stray, Erdoğan used the incident to call for the streets to be free of animals. Later in the day, he said that it would be a significant service to remove stray dogs from the streets and place them in "clean and safe environments." He also called on municipalities to act on the issue urgently.
Although Erdoğan deemed shelters "clean and safe environments," this is almost never the case. Pictures and videos frequently shared by animal rights activists reveal the abhorrent conditions animals are forced to live in. In many cases, animals die of hunger and diseases in tiny and filthy cages, while at other times municipality employees kill them as soon as they collect them from the streets.
The issue became a trending topic on Twitter and thousands of people slammed Erdoğan's remarks. While many pointed to the fact that pitbulls are not intrinsically violent and that their owners raise these animals to be such, others asked why the incident became a tool to target stray animals.
Animal Rights Federation (HAYTAP) chair Ahmet Kemal Şenpolat said that abandoning animals to die in shelters is not a solution when there is no spaying and neutering.
"This should be done by municipalities. Locking them up is not a solution," Şenpolat told the daily BirGün on Dec. 26.
According to the law, municipalities are obliged to bring the animals back to where they took them after giving them necessary treatment or spaying and neutering them. Stray animals can only be held in shelters temporarily, the law says.
Lawyer Hacer Gizem Karataş from the Animal Rights Watch Committee (HAKİM) said that Erdoğan's order on municipalities effectively means an order of slaughter. She also said that the committee will do whatever is necessary in the face of such unlawfulness.
Investigation launched into dog fighting ring on Istanbul’s Büyükada
Dog named 'Wafer' spearheads the animal adoption movement in Turkey
Turkish municipality buries stray dogs alive after sedating them
Turkey to ban four dog breeds as part of animal rights law
No comments:
Post a Comment