Thousands rally in Istanbul in support of stray dogs
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Istanbul on Sunday to protest a new law aimed at removing stray dogs from Turkish streets, which critics say will lead to widespread culling or inhumane shelter conditions.
The law, passed last month, cites safety concerns and aims to address the country’s “stray dog problem,” according to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Protesters, brandishing posters reading “shelters are death camps” and “withdraw the bloody law,” called for the law’s repeal. “We want this law to be withdrawn immediately,” said protester Hasan Kizilyatak. “They (stray dogs) are living beings, just like us. We are here because we are against them being annihilated.”
Even some government supporters, like Ayten Arslan, joined the protest. “I say as an AK Party supporter, this law is a bloody law,” she said.
The opposition Republican People’s Party has moved to repeal the law in the Constitutional Court. The government estimates that 4 million stray dogs roam Turkiye’s streets, with some attacking humans. However, animal rights activists worry that the law will lead to the indiscriminate killing of dogs, with some municipalities potentially citing illness as a pretext.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show dead cats and dogs buried in ditches, sparking outrage among animal rights activists.
