What is the Issue?
Before the summer of 2024, under Türkiye’s Animal Protection Law, stray animals needing care or neutering were treated and returned to the streets. It was illegal to relocate or collect strays without the intention to treat them. While municipalities were responsible for opening shelters and regularly neutering strays, many did not fulfil this duty effectively.
However, a new law introduced in July 2024 has drastically changed the situation. The “collect, neuter, vaccinate, and return” practice has been abolished. Now, stray dogs are required to be collected and housed in shelters until they are adopted. If a dog poses a threat to human or animal life, has a contagious disease, or belongs to a banned breed, they may be euthanised under veterinary supervision. Municipalities have until December 31, 2028, to build shelters and improve conditions.
The challenge is enormous. While the government estimates that there are 4 million stray dogs, Türkiye’s 322 existing shelters have a capacity for only 105,000. Building enough shelters in time seems unfeasible, given the past performance of municipalities. Moreover, it is unrealistic for millions of dogs to live out their lives in shelters healthily.
Animal rights advocates are deeply concerned that this law puts countless lives at risk.
Even before this law, Türkiye was ranked “D” in the Animal Protection Index (API), reflecting significant gaps in animal welfare. Despite this, the country has a strong and passionate community of animal lovers and advocates who need our support now more than ever.
Our Approach
We believe in supporting underfunded areas and organisations in civil society. The size and complexity of the problems on the ground can be overwhelming, but by funding pilot programs, we provide stakeholders with concrete models of what can be achieved.
Supporting grassroots civil society organisations (CSOs) is crucial. These organisations bring innovative, local solutions and foster diversity in the way problems are tackled. One of the keys to long-term success is co-designing an exit strategy with grantees to ensure sustainability once our funding ends.
Our Solution: The Animal Rights Fund
In response to these challenges, we are launching the Animal Rights Fund, an initiative aimed at providing critical support to grassroots animal rights organisations in Türkiye. Through this new fund, we will:
- Support local shelters: We will help grassroots-run shelters establish pilot living spaces for animals, creating models that demonstrate what can be done to save more lives.
- Promote local giving: By supporting local giving circles and funding initiatives, we will help raise additional local funding to complement our grants and ensure financial sustainability.
- Facilitate knowledge sharing: We will fund interactions for exchanging ideas, experiences, and solutions to improve the quality of life for animals.
How You Can Help
We need your help to make this vision a reality. Through our JustGiving campaign, you can contribute directly to our Animal Rights Fund and make a direct impact on the lives of stray animals in Türkiye. Every donation will go toward supporting local shelters, funding critical programs, and ensuring that the passionate community of animal advocates has the resources they need.
Together, we can support those on the front lines of animal welfare and help build a future where no stray is left behind. Thank you for supporting this important cause with your generous contributions. We will keep you updated on our progress!
