“There are no dogs left on the streets of Urfa”
In the Eyyübiye district of Urfa, a quarantine was imposed in two neighborhoods on June 8, following reports of suspected rabies in two dogs.
According to a statement issued by the Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality, a dog tested positive for rabies after undergoing tests following a notification of a person bitten by a dog. On June 4, Şahin, who was bitten on his arm and leg, was discharged from Balıklıgöl State Hospital after receiving treatment.
On May 30, a quarantine was imposed in the rural Payamlı neighborhood due to suspicion of rabies and a sign reading “Caution rabies risk zone” was posted at the entrance of the neighborhood. Şanlıurfa Governorate stated that they held a meeting regarding the collection of animals.
In an interview with bianet, Yasemin Al, the Urfa Representative of the Association for the Protection of Animals from Helplessness and Indifference (HAÇİKO) and local animal protection officer, expressed concerns that the recent rabies cases in Urfa are a result of local governments failing to fulfill their responsibilities. According to Al, the mass collection of dogs in the city under the pretext of rabies cases is a misguided approach that only exacerbates the problem.
Al emphasized that the local media has also contributed to the problem by perpetuating hate speech against animals in their reporting on the rabies cases. She noted that the alleged rabies cases in question were not even confirmed, and that the autopsy report of the dog allegedly infected with rabies has still not been released.
The New Welfare Party mayor
"Before Mehmet Kasım Gülpınar was elected mayor from the New Welfare Party, he had a very moderate attitude towards stray animals,” said Al. “In our meetings with him, he said that it was ‘not religiously appropriate’ to round up and kill animals. Before the election, he promised to meet with us, but after his electoral success, Gülpınar's attitude changed. He refused our requests for a meeting several times. Thanks to the local press, the animal hatred here has been fueled day by day. Suddenly everyone came to Urfa and made headlines like 'There are too many dogs', and 'Göbeklitepe is filled with dogs”. After these news articles, Gülpınar told us, 'I won't meet with you'. As the people of Urfa, we failed miserably on this test."
"The truth about the dogs is that there are no dogs left on our streets because they collect them, especially at midnight. With the provocation of the press, people started to see themselves as having the right to intervene against animals. The news of rabies cases spread so much over the weekend that it was as if the whole city was infected with rabies cases and there were dozens of dogs with rabies. Through this, they targeted and rounded up dogs that were lying and sleeping on their own. They rounded up 250-300 dogs in one night, and the autopsy report of the alleged rabid dog has not even come out yet.”
Big potholes dug in the city
"We're left wondering about the fate of the collected animals. The municipality dug massive pits in the city, leaving us to speculate about the animals' fate. It's clear that the municipality failed to do its part. The animals were neither vaccinated on time nor adequately, nor were they tested, and no other preventive measures were taken. Instead, mukhtars, who have taken power from the municipalities, started making announcements on their own, acting like heroes. As a result, people started killing dogs.
"We issued a press statement yesterday highlighting the dire conditions of the dogs in the shelter. Unfortunately, even this act of kindness was misinterpreted by both the press and authorities, leading to the false claim that animals suspected of having rabies were transferred to Ankara. Is it even possible that someone would intentionally put themselves at risk by transporting a dog with suspected rabies? Furthermore, who would willingly hand over a dog with suspected rabies to someone else? After the legal process was completed, our friends from Ankara took the adoption documents and removed the animals from the shelter. One of our friends even shared a video showing a municipality employee embracing and transporting the animal. Can you imagine a rabid dog being transported in such a manner?"
Two animal rights activists detained
The Gaziantep Governorate issued a statement denying allegations that "rabid animals" were transported to the city from Urfa, stating that the claims were unfounded.
In contrast, the Ankara Governorate announced that the "diseased" dogs brought to the city were quarantined, and two individuals who transported the dogs to the city were detained. According to the investigation initiated by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, two animal rights defenders are currently in custody, charged with "violating measures regarding infectious diseases" and "opposing the law on the protection of animals".
It is worth noting that the dogs brought to Ankara from Urfa have not been diagnosed.
On "World Rabies Day", the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), Turkish Veterinary Medical Association, Turkish Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, and Veterinary Doctors Association jointly released a statement, attributing the increase in rabies cases in Turkey to the lack of a comprehensive program by the public authority to address this issue.
(TY/DT)