A new drafted bill in Türkiye endorsed by President Erdogan will see millions of stray animals at risk of being culled as a way to maintain the population.
Animal advocates around the world have been sharing the news of the new drafted bill in Türkiye, which could permit the mass culling of stray dogs in an effort to maintain population.
This bill has been introduced after a noticable increase in roaming dogs has been reported, and the number of human attacks has risen.
World Animal Protecion is part of the International Companion Animal Management (ICAM) coalition, a group dedicated to the supporting the development of humane, ethical, and effective companion animal population management.
Türkiye has had framework in place since 2004 which was implemented and celebrated as an ethical solution. This was known as the Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return (CNVR) approach.
Other countries following the same framework has seen vast improvements with their stray populations, showing reductions in rabies, dog bites, and population density.
Unfortuntely, it is evident that the framework has not been followed strongly enough in Türkiye, as stray animals populations are growing and shelters are not providing the necessary medical treatments to keep disease from rising.
As members of ICAM, we urge the Türkiye government not to change their current Animal Protection law, instead evaluating and strengthening implementation.
World Animal Protection CEO, Tricia Croasdell said:
“The situation for stray dogs in Türkiye is really concerning. Every animal has a right to life, and humane stray population control should be the priority over culling.
“Mass killing of stray dogs is inhumane and is not the solution. Historically, culls have been proven to be ineffective in controlling stray dog populations. Without first addressing the root causes - abandonment and uncontrolled breeding, the problem will persist.
“Türkiye currently has a "catch-neuter-vaccinate-return" (CNVR) approach, but it clearly isn’t being properly implemented.
“There is absolutely a need to balance public safety and health concerns with the ethical considerations and humane treatment of animals. A consensus needs to be found that that addresses the concerns of all, moving towards a better life for the dogs and the people of Türkiye.”
This new bill is currently being processed by the Türkiye government, and a final ruling and implementation is expected to pass in the coming days.
However, reports have already been coming through of animals being killed on public streets before the final ruling, in cruel and inhumane methods.
There has also been notable concern that shelters will round up stray animals, and with a lack of resources provided, euthanise them instead of sheltering them long-term.
Advocacy group Animal Save Movement currently has both a petition and open letter active to try and reason Türkiye's MPs to vote no to this bill and prevent the deaths of millions of animals.
Please add your name and sign the petition.
You can also read the open letter from ICAM here.
