The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has instructed all provinces to ensure that municipalities immediately collect stray animals from the streets, warning of financial penalties for non-compliance.
According to the directive, municipalities will not be allowed to postpone the collection of stray animals until 2028, despite provisions in the law granting them time to build or improve animal shelters by that year. Municipalities that fail to comply will face fines of 71,965 Turkish liras (~2,000 US dollars) per animal found abandoned on the streets.
The ministry emphasized that the legal requirement to transfer strays to shelters took effect when the law was enacted and cannot be delayed. "Waiting until 2028 to collect stray animals would constitute a violation of the law," the statement read.
The directive further stated that once animals are placed in shelters, they cannot be released back onto the streets. Article 14 of the Animal Protection Law prohibits municipalities from abandoning collected animals outside shelters, even if they have completed rehabilitation procedures. Violations of this regulation will result in fines.
The new stray animal law
In July, Turkey passed amendments to its animal protection law, allowing municipalities to euthanize stray dogs under certain conditions. These conditions include aggressive behavior, terminal illness, or being deemed unsuitable for adoption.
The amendments sparked backlash from animal rights groups, who criticized the law as inhumane. Since its passage, reports of stray animal euthanasia have surfaced from several regions across the country. (TY/VK)
