ADVERTISEMENTTürkiye’s top court rejected a request on Wednesday to annul a contentious law designed to remove millions of stray dogs from the streets.
Critics said the measure could lead to mass killings of the animals.
The main opposition party had sought the overturn of the legislation that was enacted last year, arguing that it violated animal rights and the right to life.
The Constitutional Court, however, has ruled that the provisions are legally valid and for it to continue to be implemented.
Türkiye says it will put stray dogs up for adoption
Dozens of animal rights activists had gathered near the Constitutional Court to press the court to repeal the law, holding up posters reading “cancel the blood-ridden law” and shouting anti-government slogans.
The government has estimated that some four million stray dogs roam Türkiye’s cities and countryside.
While many of the dogs are harmless, the government moved to tighten legislation on stray animals, following incidents of dog attacks, including cases involving children.
The law requires municipalities to round up stray dogs and relocate them into shelters where they would be vaccinated, neutered and spayed before making them available for adoption.
Dogs that are in pain, terminally ill or pose a health risk to humans would be euthanised.
Animal rights activists fear mass euthanasia of stray dogs
Animal-lovers strongly oppose the ruling, dubbing it the “massacre law”. They fear it will lead to widespread culling or dogs ending up in disease-ridden and overcrowded shelters.
They have also raised concerns about how financially-strained municipalities will secure funding to construct the additional shelters.
They fear that, instead of allocating resources to care for the stray dogs, some municipalities may resort to euthanising them under the pretext of illness.
Animal rights advocates have also claimed that many street animals were indiscriminately killed after the passage of the law last August.
The Ankara Bar Association, an organisation for lawyers, claims that since its implementation, “hundreds of animals have died due to this law, which does not serve the public interest.”
Last year, the Humane Society International (HSI) criticised Türkiye’s approach to managing its stray dog population.
ADVERTISEMENT“I think it’s really a step back in progressive ways of thinking about healthy cities, progressive cities, managing dogs in a humane way,” said Katherine Polak, the vice president of companion animals and engagement at HSI, as quoted by Vox.
The latest court ruling is likely to increase pressure on municipalities to enforce the law.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
