Stray dogs in Turkiye to be ‘employed’ to protect municipal facilities
Etimesgut Municipality Mayor Erdal Besikcioglu said he would ‘employ’ stray dogs on his territory to protect facilities, TASS reports
According to Erdal Besikcioglu, there are many buildings, structures, parking lots, and other facilities on the territory of the municipality, ‘which must be protected, therefore our four-legged friends will be assigned to protect them’.
He added that Etimesgut will become an exemplary area in terms of protecting and caring for stray animals.
The Turkish parliament adopted a bill envisaging imprisonment for a period of six months to two years for municipal employees for improper treatment of stray animals. The document also envisages a ban on leaving homeless animals outside shelters, mandatory registration of such animals by late 2025, and the opening of shelters in large cities and municipalities by the end of 2028. A fine of up to 60,000 Turkish Liras ($1,825) is imposed for the refusal of owners from pets and improper treatment of them, refusal to register cats and dogs in the database of the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture.
