Ministry poised to restrict number of animals in houses, association reveals

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As the Law on Protection of Animals and the related legal amendments to the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) have passed the Parliament, the ministry is now preparing its regulations for implementation.

Despite all efforts and requests, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has not shared the draft Regulation for the Implementation of Law on Protection of Animals with civil society organizations. The Association for Protection, Rescue and Survival of Animals (HAYKURDER) has got the 48-article draft regulation and shared the full draft.

Before the law was passed, it caused a controversy that a restriction would be imposed on the number of animals that could be kept in a house. It has turned out that this restriction has been included in the draft regulation. Prepared by the Ministry, the Article 12/e of the regulation is set to restrict the number of dogs with 3 and cats with 5 in housing estates and apartments.

The issue of neutering

Another issue that caused a controversy during the preparation phase of the law was about the neutering of animals. An article about this matter has apparently been added to the draft regulation.

Referring to the "temporary neutering units" indicated in the regulation starting from its Article 20, HAYKURDER Chair Erman Paçalı said, "What does a temporary neutering unit mean? We were supposed to ban mobile neutering. Will the problem be solved when we design the mobile units with wheels without the wheels. The intention does not seem to be good."

Before the law was passed, some clinics worked for municipalities as mobile neutering units and were paid by them depending on the number of testicles of the animals neutered. But it was done randomly and animals were left on the street without recovering from the effects of the narcosis or their stitches healed. Several animals lost their lives as a result of this.

'Interference with number of animals at home'

Association chair Paçalı has also criticized the article foreseeing a restriction on the number of animals to be kept in houses.

Paçalı has recalled that after this issue caused public reactions, Özlem Zengin from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government announced that such a restriction on the number of animals would not be the case. "However, unfortunately, it seems that the government will not keep yet another promise and will deceive the public," Paçalı has protested.

According to the association chair, while the draft regulation allows for reproduction of animals at home, it takes a hostile attitude to the good intentioned people who open the doors of their houses to animals in need and try to host two more animals in all impossible conditions.

Paçalı has noted that if the draft regulation is issued as it is, it will cause a public outrage: "They should not think that people will happily give away their animals in their houses just because they want it." (TP/SD)