An investigation has been launched following the discovery of the bodies of 30 dogs and 13 cats yesterday in Kocaeli, northwestern Turkey, the governor of the province has announced.
Several municipal officials involved in the incident have been suspended from their duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
The dead animals were found near garbage containers beside a rehabilitation center operated by the Gebze District Municipality. Local volunteers told bianet that municipal workers admitted to killing the animals themselves as per a newly enacted law amendment. When contacted by bianet, Gebze Municipality stated that they were “unaware of the incident.”
Dozens of stray cats and dogs poisoned to death in Turkey’s Kocaeli, local authorities blamed
After public outrage erupted on social media following the publication of the report, Gebze Mayor Zinnur Büyükgöz released a statement claiming that the animals had died from other causes.
“The images of the deceased stray animals circulating publicly include 16 dogs collected from our Balçık Shelter and the streets, three dogs that died in traffic accidents in Gebze, and 10 dogs that couldn’t be saved due to health issues,” Büyükgöz said.
“As for the cats seen in the images, nine were collected from the streets after dying for various reasons, four died in traffic accidents, and two could not be saved despite treatment efforts.”
However, contradicting the mayor’s statement, journalist Umut Taştan shared drone footage showing the animals being killed by injection. This revelation led the Kocaeli Governor’s Office to announce that both judicial and administrative investigations were underway.
The drone footage:
Katliam anına ait görüntüler ortaya çıktı.
— Umut Taştan (@umuttastan_) October 11, 2024
Gönüllülerin kaydettiği anlarda, bir ekip hayvanlara iğneyi yaparken, diğer bir ekip de poşetleyip çöp konteynerlarına atıyor! pic.twitter.com/KnUgUHd10H
New law on stray animals
In July, Turkey passed an amendment to its law on stray animals, granting municipalities the authority to euthanize stray dogs under certain conditions. Dogs collected from the streets and placed in shelters may be euthanized if they exhibit aggressive behavior, have terminal illnesses, or are deemed legally unsuitable for adoption.
Volunteers who spoke to bianet said that Gebze municipal workers justified the killings by citing the new law. However, in such a case, the killings would not comply with the legislation, as the law does not permit the killing of cats. Also, the dogs were in good health and regularly fed according to volunteers.
Despite strong opposition from animal rights activists, the law was passed by parliament, and reports of similar animal killings have emerged from various parts of Turkey since its implementation. (VK)
