Estimates show there are around 4 million stray dogs roaming the streets of Turkey.
Now a new law allows them to be caught and in certain cases, such as aggression or illness, be euthanized. The government under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan argues that people keep getting bitten by stray dogs, but activists are up in arms.
The controversial bill passed in late July requires shelters to catch and take in dogs and find new homes for them. Those deemed to be ill or aggressive or pose a “risk to human or animal health” can be euthanized.
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) filed a complaint with the constitutional court against the new law in August, arguing it violates animal rights and international treaties.
The country has only 100,000 places in animal shelters for the millions of dogs that roam the streets. Pets often live in deplorable conditions and animal rights activists fear mass culling.
They want to stick to the old rules: catch, neuter, vaccinate and release back into the area of origin – if implemented consistently, this is a proven method of reducing the street animal population.
How do other countries in Europe deal with stray animals?
Germany
Germany generally has a good infrastructure of shelters that look after animals in need and therefore has no problem with stray dogs, the German Animal Welfare Association reports.
However, the facilities are overloaded and many have imposed an admission’s moratorium. The situation has become particularly acute following the coronavirus pandemic.
In contrast to other countries, Germany strictly outlaws the euthanasia of animals, the animal welfare group says. Animals may only be euthanized in individual cases, for example if they are terminally ill in order to avoid further suffering. The decision must be made by an ethics committee.
Greece
A strict animal welfare law has been in force in Greece since 2021, under which owners are required to register and neuter their pets. However, despite the laws and the desperate efforts of animal welfare organizations, the number of stray animals remains high: there are said to be well over 3 million stray cats and dogs in Greece, although exact figures are not available.
There is a special problem with dogs in mountainous, uninhabited regions of the country. Surveys show there are around 70,000 stray sheepdogs roaming around that have been abandoned by shepherds. In packs, the large animals pose a danger to humans and livestock.
Healthy dogs and cats may not be killed in Greece, neither by the state nor by doctors or even private individuals. Instead, the country launched a €15 million ($16.7 million) programme last year to help municipalities neuter stray animals.
Great Britain
Euthanasia of stray dogs is generally permitted after a seven-day holding period, but in practice this is often only carried out if the animal is terminally ill or aggressive. The local authority that catches the animal tries to find the owner. If no one can be found, it is usually handed over to a shelter, where the aim is to re-home it. Whether the animal is euthanized if it is not rehomed is at the initiative of the facility. Many shelters have a “no kill” policy.
France
In France, like some other places, the fate of an animal is in the hands of shelter personnel. Stray cats and dogs are caught by animal shelters on behalf of the local authorities and become their property within eight days if no owner can be found. A vet can also order them to be euthanized due to illness, dangerousness or other reasons. According to animal welfare organizations, this happens in practice with animals that are difficult to place and display problematic behaviour.
Spain
The holiday destination is far ahead of other countries in terms of the number of dogs abandoned each year. In 2022, around 170,000 dogs were abandoned or lost. The Affinity Foundation cites unwanted offspring as the most common reason. However, stray dogs are rare and are therefore not considered a problem. Abandoned dogs are usually quickly taken to animal shelters by the relevant services, where it is hoped that they can be placed with new owners.
However, this only works to a limited extent, meaning that the 1,500 or so animal shelters across the country are often overcrowded, which is very stressful for the animals.
According to a new animal welfare law passed in September 2023, killing dogs is limited to cases in which the animal has to endure excessive suffering due to an incurable disease. However, only dogs that are companions to humans as pets fall under the protection of the law. Hunting dogs such as the Galgo, the Spanish greyhound, are excluded.
Italy
Killing street dogs has been prohibited by law in Italy since 1991. However, a system of animal camps has been established in which the conditions are catastrophic, according to animal rights activists. In the so-called dog kennels (canile), the animals are crammed into very small spaces, often in the open air, and are only given makeshift care. Operators are only out to make a profit, as they receive state support for each animal, animal welfare organizations say.
Data from the Carabinieri, a type of national police force, showed an estimated 50,000 dogs were abandoned last year – mainly in the south and centre of the country during the holiday months of July and August.
Romania
In 2013, the Constitutional Court in Romania authorized a law requiring local authorities to care for captured dogs in animal shelters for 14 days, after which they can euthanize them. As in Turkey, there are repeated reports of packs of stray dogs attacking people.
Romania is also considered a negative example of how animals are treated. Only veterinarians are authorized to carry out euthanasia. However, animal rights activists report that dogs are starved to death, hanged or beaten to death. In practice, the implementation of the law is difficult to monitor and is not standardized throughout the country. There are no figures on how many dogs have been euthanized. Despite the practices, the problem of street dogs in Romania has not been solved.
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