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Following the approval of the controversial law in Turkey that removes millions of dogs off the streets, Turkey’s stray dogs are finding their forever homes in other countries.
In July of this year, the law, dubbed by animal rights activists as the “Massacre Law”, was approved despite the outpouring criticisms it received.
The law aims to remove Turkey’s stray dogs off the streets and for them to either be impounded or put in animal shelters.
However, animal rights activists believe that with the lack of resources and facilities, these dogs will only be put down.
Now, animal rights activists and organizations are doing their best to ensure that the stray dogs in Turkey get to live a life with loving owners in other countries.
In an interview with Reuters, animal rights activist Nilgul Sayar, who runs a dog shelter near Istanbul, reveals that she has successfully sent hundreds of dogs overseas for adoption.
She also reveals that the demand for international dog adoptions have skyrocketed ever since the law was passed.
Sayar tells Reuters, “We have around 20 to 25 dogs ready to fly. People continue to reach out to us (for adoption). I hope we will send more dogs soon. They will all have good homes.”
Sayar then shares the story of Dali and Deezi, two stray dogs who used to live on the streets of Istanbul, were caught, and later put in Sayar’s shelter.
Today, Dali and Deezi are living in the Netherlands, enjoying their second chance at a happy and comfortable life.
Ali Okay, a volunteer who flew Dali and Deezi from Turkey to Belgium, tells Reuters, “We wanted to support these dogs and find loving families abroad.”
Deezi’s new owner, Caroline Dieleman, said that she decided to adopt the pooch when she heard about Turkey’s new law.
“The new law makes me feel sick physically but also powerless,” said Dieleman. “This was a little thing I could do…it is one dog only, from how many dogs. But one is better than none.”
The process to get these dogs adopted can be long and tedious, but ultimately rewarding. It can take at least four months to get a dog ready to travel to the European Union with all the necessary paperwork and vaccinations – all of which can cost over $1,100.
In the US, the CDC also has strict requirements on importing dogs, especially from high-risk countries such as Turkey.
Fortunately, international adoption isn’t only the option that these stray dogs have.
Reuters report that the animal lovers and activists alike in the country are doing their best to save these beloved pooch.
Some companies have started adopting strays for their offices, some vets are offering free vaccinations for those willing to adopt animals from shelters, and a hotel has even built a dog shelter to introduce the dogs to tourists!
The Turkish government estimates that there are around 4 million stray dogs roaming the streets and rural areas of the country.
