Is the Captivity of Pet Stores Coming to An End?

A group of bar association delegates on animal rights and Ankara Veterinary Association joined a parliamentary environment council meeting about the law draft and proposal related to altering the Animal Rights Law No. 5199. 

While many debates occurred in the commission meeting and the meeting was interrupted, the animal rights activists were able to gain some acquisitions for animals. 

Some of the gains were listed as follows: 

* An amendment in Article 5199 will ban harming stray animals and doing experiments on them. 

* A clause effectuating in 4 years will ban circuses and dolphin parks. 

* The law will ban exhibiting animals in pet stores. 

“Efforts haven’t ended yet, struggle has just started”

While Buğcan Çankaya, Ankara Bar Association’s Animal Rights Committee Chairman told bianet that there are clauses against animals in the Commision report, he said they didn’t not know how much of this report will be on the law text. He summoned the animal rights activists to follow the process of legislation. 

 “We suppose it will be a more favorable law than the current one.  We couldn’t get all we want but we obtained acquisitions, as well. Now, the Commission report will be submitted to the General Assembly of the Parliament. What will happen next depends on the future-lobbies founded by deputies and the citizens.

 “The Commission report will shape according to the conclusions in the meetings but there is no guarantee for the report to affect the General Assembly a hundred per cent. All animal lovers, animal rights activists need to be careful. No actions finished yet, the struggle has started actually in this point. Because this is an enact of a bag bill and it may pass the parliament one night at 3:00 am.”

Pointing out the subjects not mentioned in the meeting, Çankaya continued: “The Commission did not work on two highly important points.  They did not debate about transferring the treatment charges for animals’ physical injury due to an evacuation from residence and traffic accidents, to traffic insurances. It shows inadequacy. CHP deputies promised to submit a motion about the subject in the General Assembly.” 

Some of the discussion topic in the commission 

* Zoos will not be closed down. 

* A proposal on forbidding people to adopt animals in the case of killing, raping and torturing them, was rejected.

* The abuse of harming owned animals will be regarded as part of damaging property crime in TCK [Turkish Penal Code].

* The crime, harming stray animals will be evaluated with the new penalty clause added to the law no. 5199 

* It is decided to use 3R principle which is applied in EU, in experiments.

* It will be forbidden to experiment on stray animals.

* The closing down of land and water circuses.

* Pet stores will not keep animals.

* It is decided to give up locking animals to feeding centers.

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.