İstanbul governor orders sterilization, vaccination of stray dogs

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The İstanbul Governor's Office has issued a written directive to local authorities, urging them to gather and sterilize stray dogs and provide them with necessary vaccinations.

The directive, sent to the Metropolitan Municipality, district municipalities, sub-governorates, and the Provincial Agriculture Directorate, reminds them that rehabilitation procedures for animals living on the streets fall within the jurisdiction and responsibility of local administrations, citing the Animal Protection Law.

Furthermore, the governor's office instructed municipalities without animal shelters to initiate the required procedures to activate shelters.

For municipalities with existing animal shelters, the directive requests that any deficiencies be addressed to facilitate the collection of stray dogs from the streets. According to the instructions, after being sterilized and vaccinated, the dogs should be returned to their original locations.

Stray dogs have been a pressing issue in Turkey in recent years. Particularly, anti-stray dog groups, often organized on social media, portray stray dogs as a threat to human life, especially children and have initiated campaigns such as "we want dpg-free streets."

Last year, an application was introduced to mark areas where stray dogs were present, but a court later blocked access to this application. (AÖ/VK)