Turkey's stray dogs find homes abroad after new law to clear them off streets

In response to the law, companies are adopting strays, a coastal hotel is building a shelter, and vets are offering free vaccinations

Dog Deezi from an Istanbul shelter lies next to its owners Caroline and Meike in Haarlem, Netherlands Sept 3, 2024. Animal rights activists have found a way to protect some of Turkey's 4 million street dogs, as the Turkish government introduced a new law that is expected to reduce their swollen ranks and promote people's safety, but that the activists say, will lead to many being put down. Reuters/Piroschka van de Wouw

Former Istanbul street dogs Dali and Deezi now live in the Netherlands, enjoying a pampered home life after years in a shelter in the Turkish city, and as other strays face being rounded up under a new law to clear them from the streets.

Turkey's parliament passed a law in July ordering the impounding of the country's estimated four million stray dogs, despite protests by animal lovers and the opposition, who fear it will lead to many being put down.

The legislation, motivated by concerns about attacks by dogs, road accidents and rabies, aims to place all strays in municipal shelters by 2028. It says that any dogs showing aggressive behaviour or with untreatable disease will be euthanised.

Animal rights activist Nilgul Sayar, who runs an NGO shelter for dogs near Istanbul, has sent hundreds of dogs abroad for adoption but says demand has jumped since the law passed.

"We have around 20-25 dogs ready to fly," she said. "People continue to reach out to us (for adoption). I hope we will send more dogs soon. They will all have good homes."

Getting a dog ready to travel to the European Union with the necessary paperwork and vaccinations can take 3-4 months and cost around 1,000 euros ($1,107).

Illustrating the scale of the challenge, Turkish shelters have capacity for 100,000 dogs and little space for more. Sayar said it often takes years to find homes for the large, old and disabled dogs that form the majority in her shelter. Cities are set to build more pounds to comply with the law.

Dali, named after painter Salvador Dali's three-legged chair, lost a leg when hit by a car as a two-month-old wandering the streets. Dali and nine-year-old Deezi lived in Sayar's shelter for four years.

"We wanted to support these dogs and find loving families abroad," said Ali Okay, who volunteered to fly with them from Turkey to Belgium. The animals were later taken to the Netherlands by NGO Animal Care Projects.

Thousands of Turks have protested against the law in recent weeks. Stray dogs and cats can be seen in streets across Turkey and are loved by many people, who look after them, putting out food and water and erecting shelters. Large strays sometimes sleep in shop doorways, with people gently stepping around them.

In response to the new law, some companies are adopting strays for their offices, a hotel on the coast built a dog shelter to introduce them to tourists and some vets are offering free vaccinations for those who adopt animals from the streets.

Turkey used to trap and neuter dogs then return them to the streets. Critics of the new law say dog numbers would have been under control if this policy had been implemented properly.

Dali is now in a foster home in the Netherlands awaiting adoption. Deezi is settling into her new home in Haarlem and is relaxed and happy, said new owner Caroline Dieleman.

She was mourning the death of one of her dogs in June when she heard about Turkey's new law and decided to rescue Deezi.

"The new law makes me feel sick physically but also powerless," said Dieleman. "This was a little thing I could do... it is one dog only, from how many dogs. But one is better than none."