Activists' footage showed dead and injured cats and dogs kept in dark kennels. The MP from the opposition CHP party, Nimet Özdemir, who was there, spoke of cats dying of thirst and starvation. The responsible district mayor's office rejected the allegations and accused the activists of gaining unauthorized access to a wing where sick animals were being treated.
Only on Friday, animal rights activists raised the alarm after dead dogs and cats, including puppies, packed in garbage bags were found at a facility for street animals in Kocaeli province.
Since the adoption of a controversial change in the law on street dogs at the end of July, reports of mistreatment of animals have been increasing. Among other things, the law requires the collection of street dogs and allows them to be killed in certain cases. If possible, the animals should be rehomed to owners. Dogs that are deemed sick, aggressive or pose a “risk to human and animal health” can be euthanized. Veterinarians should decide on this.
Animal rights activists criticize the criteria that allow killing as unclear and suspect mass killing in practice. They describe the conditions in Turkish animal shelters as devastating.
