The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has sent an official letter to all 81 provincial governorships in Türkiye, urging them to take action to collect and care for stray animals and introducing fines to those that don’t cooperate.
The ministry’s directive comes after concerns were raised about municipalities returning stray dogs to the streets after they had been treated, which poses a potential public health risk.
The letter clarifies that municipalities are required to immediately collect stray dogs, with the ministry emphasizing that waiting until 2028 to do so is against the law.
According to Law No. 5199, municipalities with populations exceeding 25,000 are given until Dec. 31, 2028, to establish or improve animal shelters.
However, the ministry has stressed that the regulations related to the collection and sheltering of stray dogs have been in effect since the publication of the law, which took place back in 2004, and waiting until 2028 to address this issue would constitute a violation.
Moreover, they explicitly prohibited the release of stray dogs that have been treated or housed in shelters since that is a direct breach of Article 14 of the law.
According to the ministry statement, municipalities that fail to comply with the regulations will face substantial fines. Therefore, if stray dogs are returned to the streets after being collected, an administrative fine of TL 71,965 ($1,996) per dog will be imposed starting in 2025.
The ministry’s directive considers the dangers of the growing number of stray animals in urban areas. They aim to protect public health and animal welfare and ensure that the country adheres to its animal rights laws.
The letter made it clear that enforcement of these rules is now a priority and that any violations will be penalized.
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