* Photo: Boji's official Twitter account
Click to read the article in Turkish
İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has announced that Boji, known as the urban dog of İstanbul using the public transport system of the city, has been adopted by businessperson Ömer Koç.
Posting a message on his Twitter account, Ekrem İmamoğlu has said, "Boji now has a home where he can roam around with ease and run freely. Thanks to businessperson Ömer Koç, who has adopted İstanbul's world famous dog Boji. Boji will have a sheltered home away from the people who want to hurt him and where he may run as he wishes."
Boji'nin artık rahatlıkla dolaşabileceği, özgürce koşabileceği bir yuvası var.
— Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) January 11, 2022
İstanbul'un dünyaca meşhur köpeği Boji'yi sahiplenen iş insanı Ömer Koç'a teşekkürler. Boji'nin, ona zarar vermek isteyen insanlardan uzak, korunaklı, dilediği gibi koşturabileceği bir yuvası olacak. pic.twitter.com/ERjUJXcJ5V
Boji's adoption came months after it was alleged that he defecated at a tram but it turned out that a person put the excrement there and it was blamed on the dog, which was described as a 'plot' by many.
İstanbul's urban dog Boji
Boji, İstanbul's now world famous urban dog, was named after the system enabling the movement of the wheels in the subway and metrobus. He was given this name because it was where he usually slept while traveling across the city by using the public transport system.
On August 18, 2021, Boji was taken to the Kemerburgaz Animals' Temporary Care Home with the help of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality's specialized teams. Boji was chipped during the examination. It was understood that he had been cared for and sterilized before and was released to lead his routine life on the streets of İstanbul again.
Undergoing a medical examination as well, Boji was back in the public transportation vehicles of İstanbul. Thanks to both the microchip and a mobile application, it could be easily detected at which station he was at a given moment. The app specially designed for Boji was installed only in the mobile phone of the Metro İstanbul Customer Relations Directorate.
In November, Boji was subjected to a 'plot' as it was alleged that he had defecated on the seat of a tram. In response, the municipality's social media account posted a video showing that Boji was at the shelter all day long. Shortly afterwards, thanks to security cameras inside the tram, it was seen that a person put the excrement on the tram's seat. A criminal complaint was filed against the person who 'plotted' against Boji.
After this incident, Murat Ongun, the Spokesperson for the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, announced that they would have Boji adopted "due to safety concerns." (TP/SD)
