Street dogs are being slaughtered in Turkey after a law brought forth by President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party came into effect at the end of last July.
The law aims to reduce the number of street dogs living in Turkey which is estimated to be in the region of 4 million in the county whose human population is just under 85 million.
Distressing images have emerged of dogs and puppies being rounded up with reports that the canines are being ‘hunted’ and ‘massacred’.
Bu çığlıklar ülkenin dört bir tarafından geliyor, dünya sadece insanoğluna ait değil lakin insanoğlu bu masumların nefesini kesmeye devam ediyor... #TürkiyedeKatliamVar Türkiye Yüzyılına Yakışmıyor #muzafferşentutuklansın #YasaDeğilCinayet pic.twitter.com/uZ6b3yPYko
Caption translation: “These screams come from all over the country, the world does not belong only to humanity, but humanity continues to take the breath of these innocents”
The law aims to have the street dogs put in shelters and removed from life on the streets as authorities say there are issues with dog attacks, however the law states that dogs who are aggressive or show signs of incurable disease may be destroyed.
Animal rights activist and founder of the Angels for Animals Foundation said although the law calls for dogs “to be euthanised, there is no monitoring or proper enforcement of the law and so completely inhumane and barbaric means are being employed to kill these poor dogs including poisoning and dragging behind cars,”.
Harrison claims that “non-officials” have taken the law as “a ‘green light’ for them to commit violent crimes against dogs and we have seen a rise in extreme violence towards dogs on the streets.”
“It is a truly devastating development.” she said.
Warning ⚠️ distressing images animal cruelty. Dogs being taken from shelter in Turkey to be buried, some still visibly alive. This is what dog genocide looks like @RTErdogan @animalsavemvmt @InsaneHuseyin @MeldaKelemcisoy #Turkey pic.twitter.com/fo6Jnsi4wA
The law has set in place a time limit of until 2028 for adequate animal shelters to be established to house Turkey’s strays, although the current capacity is reportedly enough to cater for only 105,000.
Critics of the law have slammed the Erdogan government with accusations of “hypocrisy” noting that in the aftermath of last year’s earthquake sniffer dogs had been used to rescue survivors from rubble.
Mr Erdogen, do you still remember that day,during 2023 Turkey Earthquake, Indian siffer dogs rescued a girl trapped in quake rubble.
Mr Erdogen, if you are a human, withdraw the dog Massacre law right now.#BoycottTurkey #Turkey pic.twitter.com/0FZMw4NOjr
The situation has prompted protests from concerned individuals where distressing images appear to show the remains of dismembered dogs emerging from what are alleged to be municipal dog shelters.
Harrsion said that not only dogs born on the streets but also those who have been abandoned by owners now face the prospect of a brutal death.
She said that Angels for Animals have rescued eight dogs that “had been collected in off the streets and locked in a government shelter where they would have been killed if they hadn’t died of disease first,” including a young pup, three Golden Retrievers, two terrier dogs, an “emaciated” Pointer, and an “emaciated” female German Shepherd.
In November 2022 Gript reported on the street dog situation in Turkey when it was reported that street dogs were being beaten to death with shovels and being dragged by ropes before being killed and dumped.