Regular reports are prepared by Komşunum Nöbetteyim team
Four months have passed since the implementation of the Animal Massacre Law, and despite the continued prohibition of animal torture, we have witnessed numerous instances of abuse and mass killings by public officials and workers in shelters, as well as by individuals emboldened by the law.
Before highlighting the violations community animals faced in November, we would like to remind you of two significant legal breaches from earlier this month.
Niğde dog massacre case dropped
The first case is from Niğde. Following the discovery of mass graves by animal lovers on August 5, Niğde Chief Public Prosecutor Ufuk Mustafa Süren did not conduct an investigative examination, send the dead animals for necropsy, or review the shelter cameras at the beginning of the investigation. Ignoring the detailed statements of the workers who exposed the massacre at the shelter, Süren decided to drop the case.
On November 30, there was another development in the case, and the Konya Regional Administrative Court’s 1st Administrative Litigation Department granted permission for an investigation into the Niğde Municipality Veterinary Services Director. The process is being followed by lawyers from the Ankara Bar Association Animal Rights Center.
Mass killlings revelead in Gebze Municipality Animal Shelter
Another incident occurred in Gebze, Kocaeli. On October 11, animal lovers and animal rights defenders revealed that workers at the Gebze Municipality Shelter in Kocaeli had taken healthy animals out of their cages, applied anesthetic substances, and then suffocated them to death by placing them in bags and throwing them into the trash.
The necropsy report of the killed animals confirmed that the animals were starved, given injections to put them to sleep, and placed in bags to be suffocated to death, despite the municipality’s contrary claims.
Before delving into the details of the massacres and violations as a result of the passage of Turkey’s animal massacre law, it should be noted that in November, street animals were unjustly, tortuously, and unlawfully taken to unknown places in many cities.
Perhaps the city where the most extensive collections took place was Ankara. The Ankara Metropolitan Municipality systematically and unlawfully collected animals in various districts connected to Çankaya and Altındağ.
You can find the violation footage with the details provided below.
Komşunum Nöbetteyim, 30 November 2024
November 2024 Report: Torture and Rights Violations Against Street Animals: At Least 38 Cases!
- November 1, 2024 – Şanlıurfa
Three children tied up and beat a dog they claimed was stolen. - November 2, 2024 – Nevşehir
Avanos Municipality collected dogs illegally with anesthetic injections without a veterinarian. The whereabouts of the collected dogs are unknown. - November 3, 2024 – Kırşehir
At least five cat bodies tortured to death and thrown into the trash were found in Kentpark. - November 4, 2024 – Balıkesir
In Ayvalık, a vehicle driver hit a community dog in the street and fled. Animal advocates took the dog to a private clinic for treatment. The veterinarian performed surgery on the dog for treatment purposes but released it back to the street before it had healed, and the animal was found again very sick and injured. - November 4, 2024 – Konya
In Meram, a person hit a dog with their car and fled. - November 6, 2024 – Samsun
Dogs living at the 19 May University Faculty of Fine Arts, including puppies, were collected without a “bite report” based on a complaint by a secretary working at the institution. Students resisted giving up the dogs, but all the dogs were collected. - November 6, 2024 – Bursa
At the Gemlik Municipality rehabilitation center, dead cats were observed being thrown into the trash, and dead cat bodies were also found under the removed pallets. It was learned that dead dogs in cages were found at different times. The incident was covered in the press. - November 8, 2024 – Ankara
The leash around the neck of an abandoned dog tore its neck. Due to neglect, there was no penalty for the irresponsibility. - November 8, 2024 – Samsun
An employee at a restaurant in Canik broke the leg of a cat who entered to eat. - November 9, 2024 – Ankara
Gölbaşı Municipality Shelter workers unlawfully confiscated a citizen’s phone to prevent them from taking footage of the shelter. - November 11, 2024 – Ankara
No explanation was given by the municipality regarding the question of where the dogs in the shelter were. - November 11, 2024 – Konya
Bozkır Municipality collected dogs with anesthetic injections without a veterinarian. - November 11, 2024 – Ankara
A person in Çubuk shot two dogs, claiming they had damaged his chickens. - November 12, 2024 – Kocaeli
A small breed dog and her four puppies were abandoned on the highway in Kocaeli. - November 12, 2024 – Artvin
Images reflected on social media from the unlicensed shelter of Arhavi Municipality showed animals piled up, left hungry and thirsty. - November 12, 2024 – Istanbul
Images reflected on social media from Esenyurt Municipality Shelter showed animals piled up, left hungry and thirsty. - November 14, 2024 – Kırşehir
Images reflected on social media from Kırşehir Shelter showed dead dogs scattered around. - November 15, 2024 – Kütahya
Dogs in Kütahya Shelter were left unprotected in the rain. - November 17, 2024 – Adıyaman
Cats were crushed to death with stones. - November 18, 2024 – Denizli
It was announced that cats and dogs were intentionally killed at the Denizli Metropolitan Municipality Street Animals Shelter and Rehabilitation Center. - November 18, 2024 – Hatay
In Kırıkhan, a person shot a street dog with a firearm, referring to the gun as a “AK-47.” - November 20, 2024 – Kars
Quarantine has been ongoing for no reason for five and a half months at Kars Shelter, and the fate of the animals is uncertain. - November 20, 2024 – Ankara
Ear-tagged, neutered, calm dogs were unjustly and tortuously collected in Kurtuluş Park. - November 22, 2024 – Antalya
Visitors were not allowed into Demre Municipality Shelter. - November 22, 2024 – Muğla
A person intentionally ran over a street dog with their car in Muğla. - November 23, 2024 – Ankara
Eight small breed dogs were thrown into a forested area in Kahramankazan. - November 23, 2024 – Bursa
A person in Bursa first threw a stone at a puppy, then stepped on the frightened dog, killing it. - November 24, 2024 – Ankara
The shelters in the Metropolitan Municipality could not withstand the weight of the snow and collapsed. - November 25, 2024 – Trabzon
The dogs were forced to attack and torn apart a cat in Trabzon. - November 26, 2024 – İzmir
A dog was dragged by a car in İzmir. - November 27, 2024 – Malatya
Yeşilyurt Municipality unjustly and tortuously collected ear-tagged, neutered, calm dogs. - November 27, 2024 – Ordu
Fatsa Municipality unjustly and tortuously collected ear-tagged, neutered, calm dogs. - November 27, 2024 – İstanbul
Ataşehir Municipality took the neutered, ear-tagged, calm animals cared for by volunteers to an unknown place during the night. - November 28, 2024 – Balıkesir
A small breed dog was abandoned at a gas station in Havran. - November 28, 2024 – Aksaray
Aksaray Municipality workers anesthetized a street dog with an injection without a veterinarian and dragged it on the ground. - November 28, 2024 – Mersin
At the Tarsus Municipality shelter, a dog was killed by injecting laundry detergent into its heart because it had scabies. - November 29, 2024 – Ankara
In Çiğdem Neighborhood, Çankaya, puppies were separated from their mothers and taken to death camps. Elderly dogs who could not walk and could not recover from anesthesia were taken to death with injections. - November 30, 2024 – Isparta
A dog cared for by volunteers in Şarkikaraağaç was killed.
Cover photo: Dogs imprisoned at Ankara Mamak Municipality Shelter are starving, September 2024. The next photo, taken in November 2024 and shared by Aslı Alpar, shows a dead dog eaten by other dogs inside the cage!
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You can find a summary of main issues about the Animal Massacre Law enacted by the Turkish government is shared in detail in our document Explained: 5199 Animal Protection Law.