Turkey's Homeless Dogs Find Families in Other Countries
2024-09-12
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1A law that recently passed in Turkey requires the country's four million stray dogs to be impounded, or put in animal shelters.
2The legislation aims to place all strays into city shelters by 2028.
3Supporters of the law, which passed in July, say it aims to prevent dog attacks, road accidents, and the spread of rabies.
4But critics say the law may lead to many dogs being euthanized, or killed.
5Animal lovers, activists and organizations are working to find homes for Turkey's street dogs, including homes overseas.
6Animal rights activist Nilgul Sayar runs a shelter for dogs near Istanbul.
7She has sent hundreds of dogs overseas for adoption. She said demand for international dog adoptions has jumped since the law passed.
8"We have around 20 to 25 dogs ready to fly," Sayar said.
9"People continue to reach out to us (for adoption). I hope we will send more dogs soon. They will all have good homes."
10It can take up to four months to get a dog ready to travel to the European Union with the necessary paperwork and vaccinations.
11And it can cost over $1,100.
12Sayar said it often takes years to find homes for the large, old and disabled dogs that make up the majority of the animals in her shelter.
13Dali and Deezi used to be stray dogs living on the streets of Istanbul.
14They were caught and put in Sayar's shelter.
15But today, Dali and Deezi live in the Netherlands, where they enjoy a comfortable life.
16"We wanted to support these dogs and find loving families abroad," said Ali Okay, who volunteered to fly with them from Turkey to Belgium.
17The animals were later taken to the Netherlands by the non-governmental organization Animal Care Projects.
18Dog shelters across Turkey can currently hold around 100,000 animals.
19Cities are to build more shelters to meet the requirements of the new law.
20Thousands of Turks have protested against the law in recent weeks.
21Stray dogs and cats can be seen in streets across Turkey.
22They are loved and cared for by many people.
23Large stray dogs sometimes sleep in shop doorways, with people gently stepping around them.
24In response to the new law, some companies are adopting strays for their offices.
25One hotel on the coast built a dog shelter to introduce them to foreign visitors.
26Some animal doctors are offering free vaccinations when people choose to adopt animals from the streets.
27Turkey used to trap and neuter dogs and then return them to the streets.
28Critics of the new law say dog numbers would have been under control if that policy had been carried out.
29Dali is now in a foster home in the Netherlands awaiting adoption.
30Deezi is settling into her new home and is calm and happy, said new owner Caroline Dieleman.
31Dieleman was mourning the death of one of her dogs in June. When she heard about Turkey's new law, she decided to rescue Deezi.
32"The new law makes me feel sick physically but also powerless," said Dieleman.
33"This was a little thing I could do...it is one dog only, from how many dogs. But one is better than none."
34I'm Ashley Thompson.
1A law that recently passed in Turkey requires the country's four million stray dogs to be impounded, or put in animal shelters. The legislation aims to place all strays into city shelters by 2028. 2Supporters of the law, which passed in July, say it aims to prevent dog attacks, road accidents, and the spread of rabies. 3But critics say the law may lead to many dogs being euthanized, or killed. Animal lovers, activists and organizations are working to find homes for Turkey's street dogs, including homes overseas. 4Animal rights activist Nilgul Sayar runs a shelter for dogs near Istanbul. She has sent hundreds of dogs overseas for adoption. She said demand for international dog adoptions has jumped since the law passed. 5"We have around 20 to 25 dogs ready to fly," Sayar said. "People continue to reach out to us (for adoption). I hope we will send more dogs soon. They will all have good homes." 6It can take up to four months to get a dog ready to travel to the European Union with the necessary paperwork and vaccinations. And it can cost over $1,100. 7Sayar said it often takes years to find homes for the large, old and disabled dogs that make up the majority of the animals in her shelter. 8Dali and Deezi used to be stray dogs living on the streets of Istanbul. They were caught and put in Sayar's shelter. But today, Dali and Deezi live in the Netherlands, where they enjoy a comfortable life. 9"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 the non-governmental organization Animal Care Projects. 10Dog shelters across Turkey can currently hold around 100,000 animals. Cities are to build more shelters to meet the requirements of the new law. 11Thousands of Turks have protested against the law in recent weeks. Stray dogs and cats can be seen in streets across Turkey. They are loved and cared for by many people. Large stray dogs sometimes sleep in shop doorways, with people gently stepping around them. 12In response to the new law, some companies are adopting strays for their offices. One hotel on the coast built a dog shelter to introduce them to foreign visitors. Some animal doctors are offering free vaccinations when people choose to adopt animals from the streets. 13Turkey used to trap and neuter dogs and then return them to the streets. Critics of the new law say dog numbers would have been under control if that policy had been carried out. 14Dali is now in a foster home in the Netherlands awaiting adoption. Deezi is settling into her new home and is calm and happy, said new owner Caroline Dieleman. 15Dieleman was mourning the death of one of her dogs in June. When she heard about Turkey's new law, she decided to rescue Deezi. 16"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." 17I'm Ashley Thompson. 18The Reuters news agency reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. 19We want to hear from you. What your thoughts on this topic? In the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. Our comment policy is here. 20______________________________________________ 21Words in This Story 22stray -adj. not belonging to anyone or having a home 23adoption -n. a process in which a family takes someone else, usually a child, but the term is used for animals too, to legally become part of their family 24gently -adv. done in a careful, soft or light way 25response -n. the result of or answer to an action, rule or question 26neuter -v. to remove the reproductive glands of an animal so it cannot reproduce