Demonstrations against the bill, which was proposed in mid-July, have been an almost-daily occurrence for the past several weeks as the proposed legislation makes its way through the judicial system.
Thousands of people have gathered in Istanbul to protest against proposed legislation that critics fear will lead to the mass killing of stray dogs across Türkiye.
The draft bill aims to regulate the country’s millions of stray dogs and make streets safer but animal rights advocates are concerned many animals would be put down or end up in neglected, overcrowded shelters.
Demonstrations against the bill, which was proposed in mid-July, have been an almost-daily occurrence for the past several weeks as the proposed legislation makes its way through the judicial system.
A parliamentary committee approved the draft earlier this week, and the full assembly is scheduled to have a final vote in the coming days with deliberations starting on Sunday.
The government estimates that around four million stray dogs roam Türkiye’s streets and rural areas.
Although many are harmless, numerous people, including children, have been attacked in Istanbul and elsewhere.
The proposed legislation mandates that municipalities collect stray dogs and house them in shelters where they would be neutered and spayed.
Dogs that are in pain, terminally ill, pose a health risk to humans or are aggressive would be put down.
Municipalities would be required to build dog shelters or improve conditions in existing ones by 2028.
The legislation is a watered-down version of an initial proposal, which reportedly called for the strays to be rounded up, housed in shelters and euthanised if they are not adopted within 30 days. That proposal, which was not submitted to parliament, sparked a public uproar, with animal rights activists arguing it would result in the mass extermination of unadopted dogs.
But animal rights activists worry that some municipalities might kill dogs on the pretext that they are ill, rather than allocate resources to shelter them.
The government denies the bill would lead to a widespread culling and the country’s justice minister said anyone killing strays “for no reason” would be punished.
Why does Türkiye need to control its stray dog population?
A report released by the Safe Streets and Defense of the Right to Life Association, an organisation campaigning for the removal of all stray dogs from the streets, says that 65 people have died in street dog attacks since 2022.
The government promised to tackle the issue earlier this year after a child was severely injured after being attacked by dogs in the capital Ankara.
Despite existing legislation that requires stray dogs be caught, neutered and spayed, and returned to the spot where they were found, a failure to implement those regulations over the past years has caused the feral dog population to explode, animal rights groups say.
They argue that proper implementation of these regulations would be sufficient to control the population.
Britain has recently issued a stray dog warning for travellers to Türkiye, stating that they often form packs and can be aggressive. It has advised visitors to be cautious and avoid approaching them.
