A committee in the Turkish parliament has approved a 17-article bill that is aimed at managing the stray dog population in the country but has met with fierce criticism and objections from animal rights activists and opposition parties, who claim it is paving the way for the mass killing of the animals.
Until its approval late Tuesday, which took place after more than 42 hours of debate at the parliamentary Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Affairs Committee, the bill underwent several revisions due to the outrage caused by the use of euthanasia as a measure for controlling the stray dog population in its initial version.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose Justice and Development Party (AKP) introduced the bill, has said approximately 4 million stray animals are wandering the streets and rural areas of Turkey. While many of them are docile, an increasing number of dogs are seen roaming in packs, and numerous people have been attacked.
The most controversial article of the bill would have allowed local municipalities to euthanize all dogs that pose a “threat to public safety.” It had to be revised after the broad meaning of the phrase prompted accusations from animal rights activists and opposition politicians that local municipalities could seek a shortcut by opting for the mass culling of dogs in their jurisdictions.
The revised version of the bill does not make a direct reference to “euthanasia” as the word was taken out of the text due to public outrage although there is an indirect reference to it through the Law on Veterinary Services, which actually bans euthanasia in general but sets strict conditions for the practice to be implemented in certain cases.
The approved version of the bill only allows the euthanasia of dogs that suffer from an incurable disease, when the prevention or eradication of an animal disease that poses a danger to human life is in question, when their behavior poses a risk to human and animal life or when their negative behavior cannot be controlled.
Yet, there are still fears that the revised bill can still make it possible for municipalities to cull the dogs under the pretext that they are terminally ill instead of allocating their financial resources to take care of them in shelters.
The proposed legislation burdens municipalities with the control of the stray dog population and even introduces prison sentences for mayors from six months to two years if they fail to fulfill their responsibilities in controlling the stray dog population in their cities.
There are fears that this measure could be used by the government as a pretext to punish opposition mayors, given the fact that municipalities are mostly controlled by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
The municipalities are required to collect the stray dogs and house them in shelters where they will be neutered or spayed. They are also required to build dog shelters or improve conditions in existing shelters by 2028.
The bill is criticized by opposition parties for failing to mention any allocation of government funds to municipalities to help with the costs that will arise from their efforts aimed at controlling the stray dog population. Municipalities are expected to use their own resources to this effect.
Provincial municipalities are expected to allocate 0.5 percent and metropolitan municipalities 0.3 percent of the previous year’s revenue to meet their expenses related to the management of the stray dogs. They will not be able to use the budget for stray dog management for other purposes.
“The bill gives the responsibilities to the municipalities [to resolve the stray dog problem], but it does not talk about allocation of any funds to them [to achieve this],” CHP leader Özgür Özel said on Tuesday.
The bill also raises fines for people who abandon their pets from 2,000 lira ($60) to 60,000 lira ($1,800).
The bill was approved with the votes of the AKP and its far-right ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), in the parliamentary committee. They hold a majority in parliament, and the bill is likely to pass when it reaches the general assembly for final approval.
President Erdoğan said on Wednesday that the bill would be passed into law before the summer recess and that the streets will be made safe. “There will be never be concessions, we will finish this,” Erdoğan said at a party meeting.
French actress appeals to Erdoğan
Photo: AFP
Meanwhile, former French actress Brigitte Bardot wrote a letter to Erdoğan in which she asked him to prevent any legal measures that would end up mass killing of stray animals.
Bardot, whose foundation has long championed animal rights, told Erdoğan not to let Turkey, which she said “has been seen until now as a model of compassion for stray cats and dogs, living harmoniously with humans,” become a nation disliked and criticized for its indifference and cruelty towards these sensitive beings, “our most faithful companions.”
Bardot has for years used her celebrity status to raise awareness about animal rights issues and to lobby for stricter animal welfare laws.