Türkiye plans to remove stray dogs from streets by year-end
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi has announced that stray dogs across the country will be collected and placed in shelters by the end of the year.
Speaking during a meeting with representatives from animal rights associations, Çiftçi discussed ongoing efforts concerning stray animals and said that the collection rate would soon reach 100 percent.
The government has defended the new approach by citing public safety and animal welfare concerns, arguing that bringing stray dogs under shelter management would help create safer living environments for both people and animals.
However, experts and animal rights organizations have raised concerns about the country’s shelter infrastructure. A report prepared by the Animal Rights Monitoring Committee (HAKİM) and Yaşamdan Yana Association on municipal animal shelters in Türkiye found that only 273 out of 1,111 municipalities operate shelters.
