Stray Animals Law Considered

The proposed stray dog law has been discussed for weeks. The issue of stray animals is a sensitive one for me. I have written many articles about animals in the past. In this article, I will outline the content of the animal rights law.

 

The stray animals law has been discussed in the media and social media for weeks. Thousands of posts have been shared on the subject. Let’s recall some of these posts:

Campaign for stray dogs:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7YyQztCs7P/?igsh=MXBjZ201NXo2aDc0Zg==

Özgür Özel’s message:

https://www.sozcu.com.tr/ozgur-ozel-den-sokak-hayvanlari-aciklamasi-care-itlaf-degil-p49839

Hafız’s thoughts on the slaughter of animals:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7cF02koJc0/?igsh=MTR0dzFlNGc0MDlrYw==

The debate on stray animals in Turkey has also reached Europe. On the radar:

https://www.sozcu.com.tr/turkiye-deki-sokak-hayvanlari-tartismasi-avrupa-nin-da-radarinda-p50890

Politics’ stray animal test:

https://www.sozcu.com.tr/akp-nin-hazirladigi-yasaya-bir-tepki-de-erbakan-dan-p49673

How will the problem of homeless animals be solved (Erdoğan):

https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/cumhurbaskani-erdogan-basibos-kopek-sorunumuz-var-oncelik-sahiplendirme-sorunu-kokten-cozecegiz-42469276

Animal Law: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7WrIQUIJtp/?igsh=MTB0ejN5dzlocmx3cg==

Stray animals in Europe:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7gMrYzIb0K/?igsh=bmI5enJteGpiZHBv

Stray Dogs Law:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7UKn5qNvY3/?igsh=MWp3eGt2M2JmZ2oyZQ==

Even the news that this law was about to be enacted was enough to trigger animal haters. Unfortunately, we can give many examples of this. For now, I’ll share the prominent examples of Yozgat and Şanlıurfa (of course, I won’t share most of the news about these massacres on social media because they upset me deeply):

Şanlıurfa:

https://yesilgazete.org/urfadaki-hayvan-haklari-aktivistleri-sehirdeki-kopekler-icin-ayaga-kalkti-sokaklarda-kopek-kalmamis/

News that more than 20 dogs were put to death with lethal injections in Yozgat:

https://www.sozcu.com.tr/vahset-20-den-fazla-kopegi-igne-ile-oldurduler-p54927

An association called the Safe Streets Association has been established, and they support the proposed law (including euthanasia), and they are being used to lobby for this issue.

Personally, I have a hard time understanding those who lobby against killing stray pets. I’d like to give an example from human rights. Today, people commit countless crimes against others, regardless of their disability. People can kill, torture, injure, assault, violate, rape, steal, defraud, and commit a host of other crimes against humanity. In the vast majority of developed countries, those who commit these crimes against humanity are imprisoned and, at worst, given life sentences. In other words, even though the crimes they committed are proven and unforgivably flawed, they somehow keep them alive. So, what conscience can you possibly have to allow dogs, who have suffered great trauma from street conditions, to be executed without question or a short time later? If human rights exist, aren’t there such things as animal rights or the rights of all living beings? Isn’t having a conscience part of humanity? While allowing people who have committed so many crimes to live, and even releasing the vast majority of these people after a certain period, to fail to show compassion and rehabilitate dogs and to prevent their lives is the height of conscience.

Of course, despite all this negative publicity against stray dogs, the voices of animal rights advocates are much stronger. This personally gives me hope.

 

Before I list the things that should be done below, I want to emphasize what absolutely should not be done. Unless pets contract a contagious and fatal disease (which can be concretely proven with a test), their lives should never be taken. Killing or even considering killing these innocent animals is a crime against humanity. I’ve mentioned it below, and I’ll say it now: I believe every pet can be rehabilitated and has the right to a happy life.

What Needs To Be Done

Now, let’s get to the things that should be done. After outlining the main principle, I’ll list the things that should be done.

First of all, I also believe that the streets are not a suitable habitat for animals. I know that the average lifespan of animals on the streets is three years. No true animal lover wants cats and dogs, which have an average lifespan of at least 10-15 years, to live such a short life and suffer constant suffering while they’re alive. The premature death of stray animals can occur for a variety of reasons. Car crashes, attacks by other dogs or humans, poor hygiene, contracting infectious diseases, and malnutrition are the first things that come to mind. Furthermore, the way to prevent attacks, which are largely triggered by humans or traumatized dogs, is to eliminate the role of street animals as habitats. In my opinion, all animals should either be adopted or ensure they live a life befitting animal rights in animal rehabilitation centers. I’ll list the necessary steps in detail below:

1) Opening Animal Rehabilitation Centers

In Turkey, animal rehabilitation centers should be opened first in every district, and then, if districts are insufficient, in the relevant neighborhoods. The approach I envision involves combining the efforts of public, private, and NGOs. The most crucial challenge here is allocating resources to animal rehabilitation centers. The operation of animal rehabilitation centers should not be left to municipalities, which are already deeply in debt. While municipalities can assist, the best course of action is for genuine animal lovers and trained individuals to run operations under the umbrella of the private sector or NGOs. In fact, the most suitable structure for this is a social enterprise. In developed countries like the US and UK, the term “social enterprise” is BCorporartion, or BCorp for short. There is a certification process for this. You can read the details at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_Corporation_(certification).

Since Turkish law doesn’t define social enterprise, these businesses, which are close to ideal, can be opened under a legal entity. I would like to reiterate the importance of developing and providing sufficient resources to maintain the high quality of businesses. The following methods can be implemented to ensure sufficient resources:

a) Businesses that profit from pets should engage in these activities as part of a social responsibility project. For example, businesses that provide pet hotels, daycare centers, and nursing homes, or those that offer pet transport, dog training, training for pet owners, sell supplies, and train trainers—all of which generate income from these services—can rehabilitate stray dogs with a certain quota. More specifically, for example, the relevant business might breed and sell certain breeds. These businesses must care for, rehabilitate, and rehome a certain number of stray dogs, as much as the quota they generate.

b) Municipalities can grant a portion of their resources to these businesses. The grants can be in the form of financial or human resources.

c) Renewable energy production or distribution facilities in the vicinity can contribute a small share of their revenue to these businesses.

d) Residents of the same neighborhood or district can volunteer at these businesses and make donations. If these businesses are not NGOs, they can collaborate with relevant NGOs. The goal here is certainly not profit, but to provide a beautiful and happy life for the pets in the immediate area.

e) Every business must have a certain number of veterinarians, trainers, and caregivers who will not disrupt their care. These professionals, who must be present in every business, can initially volunteer and support the business in raising resources if necessary. Of course, this can only happen for a limited period of time. The most effective approach is to create financial resources for the business and pay these professionals a monthly salary. These individuals must pass specific qualification and psychology exams, and these exams (especially in psychology) should be repeated periodically.

 

2) Accelerate Adoption

These businesses must ensure that stray animals are properly cared for, provide them with at least basic training, neuter them, and speed up the adoption process by taking their pictures and sharing them on digital media. This adoption process can be done not only in Turkey but also abroad. Therefore, digital media promoting animals should be in Turkish and English. I believe there will be a high demand for adopting beautiful cats and dogs in Turkey.

3) Granting privileges to animal owners

In my opinion, every animal owner or caregiver is a hero. Therefore, the government must grant privileges to animal owners. I want to emphasize that these privileges must be, without any pretense, financial. People who care for animals make great sacrifices and spend from their own pockets, and some animal lovers do this wholeheartedly, even though it may be very difficult. Therefore, I believe the following (or similar) privileges should be enacted for animal owners:

a) Tax Advantages: VAT, Income Tax, etc.

b) Food and veterinary copayments

c) Allocation of state-owned land for animal rehabilitation centers

Cost-reduction strategies for pet owners

Since I’ve mentioned all of this, I’d like to share my “Cost-reduction Strategies for Pet Owners” see: https://petmekan.com/veteriner-ucret-tarifeleri/#:~:text=Erkekler%20i%C3%A7in%20k%C4%B1s%C4%B1rla%C5%9Ft%C4%B1rma%20%C3%BCcreti%20ortalama,TL%20aras%C4%B1nda%20bir%20maliyet%20gerektirebilir . Veterinary costs can be quite high for pet owners, but with some cost-cutting strategies, these expenses can be reduced to a manageable level. Here are some strategies:

 

• Regular Checkups: Regular veterinary checkups for your pet can prevent major health problems and prevent larger expenses in the future.

 

• Comprehensive Insurance: Explore a variety of veterinary insurance options. A comprehensive plan can save you money in the long run by covering unexpected emergencies and treatments.

 

• DIY Practices: Performing simple care and daily checkups at home can reduce vet visits and, consequently, expenses.

 

• Bulk Purchases and Discounts: Save money by purchasing your pet’s food, litter, and other essential supplies in bulk.

 

• Take Advantage of Legitimate Discounts: Some veterinary clinics may offer discounts under certain circumstances. By following these discounts, you can access affordable services.

 

• Financial Assistance Organizations: Organizations that provide financial assistance to pet owners struggling with financial difficulties exist. Support from these sources may be available.

These strategies can help pet owners minimize veterinary expenses. For maximum savings, it’s always important to regularly review service and product options to maintain pet health without straining the family budget.

4) Neutering all stray animals.

A mobilization is needed on this issue. If necessary, nationwide campaigns can be organized. The goal is to prevent the rapid reproduction of all stray cats and dogs. To achieve this, neutering or alternatives should be implemented in every neighborhood. Instead of neutering female cats or dogs, using a spigot is both cost-effective and a less stressful alternative for pets.

I believe that if these practices, which will alleviate everyone’s concerns, are implemented, both animal lovers and citizens who have been victims of dog attacks will be satisfied with the results.

The main goal here is to ensure that pets and humans live happily together in harmony. The solutions I mentioned above are not very difficult in my opinion. For the plans to be successfully implemented and brought to fruition, we need two crucial elements:

1) Financial resources sufficient to make all actions possible.

2) Intelligent, honest, moral, educated, and conscientious individuals to carry out the work.

Unfortunately, in Turkey’s current climate, both are very difficult, but not impossible, to find. With proper organization, by weeding out the rotten ones, and sharing success stories, a system that will make everyone happy can be established over time. It requires patience and dedication to this cause.

Personally, despite all the difficulties, immorality, and unconscionability experienced, I believe this is possible in Turkey. We are sufficiently fortunate to have a minority willing to put their hearts and souls into this cause and to do justice to all the work that has been done.