Ruling AK Party presents stray dog report to President Erdogan

Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Group Chairman Bahadir Yenisehirlioglu announced that the report they prepared on stray dogs was presented to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the AK Party Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting held Monday.

In a statement on social media, Yenisehirlioglu said, “Today (Monday), at our AK Party MYK meeting, I presented our report on the issue of stray/aggressive street dogs to our President Erdogan, informing him and our MYK members.”

Bugün AK Parti MYK Toplantımızda; Cumhurbaşkanımız Sayın @RTErdogan’a Başıboş/Saldırgan Sokak Köpekleri sorununa ilişkin hazırladığımız raporu arz ederek zat-ı devletlerini ve MYK Üyelerimizi bilgilendirdim.

Raporumuzun mahiyetini detaylı bir şekilde dinleme nezaketi gösteren… pic.twitter.com/EH6M4YQIUy

— Bahadır Yenişehirlioğlu (@Yenisehirlioglu) July 8, 2024

“I thank our president for his courtesy in listening to the details of our report. We firmly believe that the peace and security of our honorable nation on the streets will be ensured and that this problem, which everyone agrees upon, will be resolved. Our greatest hope is that the determination to put forth first to establish human health, followed by animal and environmental health, will reach a clear solution that meets the expectations of all segments of our society. We believe our report will significantly contribute to solving the problem and wish it to be beneficial,” Yenisehirlioglu added.

Final touches to be made

AK Party Deputy Group Chairman Abdullah Guler provided details about the report presented to President Erdogan. He stated that after making a few final adjustments; they plan to discuss the proposal with the deputy chairmen of opposition parties and submit it to the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly by the weekend.

Is euthanasia clause removed?

“Currently, the law in effect mandates euthanasia for animals that carry rabies risk, become uncontrollably aggressive, and cannot stay in shelters because of posing a threat to other animals. While we provide strong support for neutering, adopting, and vaccinating animals from the streets and placing them in shelters, we also see animals that carry diseases posing serious health risks to both other animals and humans.”

“Therefore, we need to consider these risks and improve the quality of life in shelters. One necessary measure is to humanely end the lives of such animals through euthanasia, in line with our principles of compassion,” Guler said.

What’s in the report?

The draft includes significant changes to prevent the recent increase in rabies cases, focusing on the collection of dogs that pose a disease risk. Priority will be given to districts under quarantine because of rabies suspicion, especially in earthquake-affected areas. Dogs that can be treated will be prioritized.

Dogs to be neutered

The draft also aims to improve the conditions of existing shelters. New collection and neutering centers will be established in major cities and districts. Mobile treatment and neutering centers will operate in areas with high dog populations.

The practices of municipalities regarding animals will be closely monitored, and neutering programs will be expanded nationwide. The data obtained from discussions and the common text prepared by the ministries will be combined. After the preparations, the regulation will be finalized.