Street Dogs in Turkey: New Law and the Fight for Humane Treatment

Turkey has long struggled with a significant street dog population. From 2004 until mid-2024, a national spay/neuter program aimed to control this issue but often faltered due to underfunding and poor management. On July 30, 2024, Turkey introduced a new law requiring stray dogs to be impounded, kept in shelters, offered for adoption, and euthanized if aggressive or showing untreatable disease symptoms. While this law aims to manage the street dog population more effectively, it has sparked controversy and criticism.