Academic in Istanbul proposes humane solution to stray dogs

MELİKE ÇALKAP- ISTANBUL

The dean of a leading university in Istanbul is proposing a humane solution to the persistent stray dog issue in the city, ensuring both the safety of residents and welfare of the strays.  

"The number of dogs on the streets has been increasing in recent years due to abandoned animals and the uncontrolled growth of the animal population. Our proposal on the subject is based on maintaining the well-being of animals," Hasan Alpak, dean of the Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, stated.

The dean shared that there were around 400,000 stray dogs in Istanbul with the highest number of stray animals living in Eyüp, Sultangazi, Sultanbeyli, Pendik, and Kartal.

Alpak proposed that three-hundred 4th and 5th year students from the university could volunteer to solve this problem and said, "Municipalities, the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks need to cooperate. However, the number of personnel they can allocate is not enough to solve the problem."

Dean Alpak says the only thing they need is the supply of materials and the establishment of sterilization operation areas by the municipalities to begin the project. 

"At our university, female dogs are sterilized for 12,000 Turkish Liras and male dogs for 7,000 liras. The reason for the high cost of female dogs is that they are under control for about a week after the operation. Letting them out as soon as the operation is done can have fatal consequences."

Stating that the aggressive behavior of dogs subsides after sterilization as their hormonal structure changes, Alpak said, "The dog population in Istanbul will start to decrease within five years, and at the end of 10 years, the number of 400,000 dogs will drop to 50,000 after natural deaths due to aging."

Touching upon dog attacks, which have resulted in serious injuries in several cities, Alpay noted that the dog to first watch out for is the pack leader.

"The first one to move or stand up in a group of dogs is the pack leader. Also, when passing by, look at the body of the dogs, not their eyes. Dogs are creatures that can run at 50-60 kilometers per hour. Therefore, it is not possible to run away from a dog."

Alpay also advised to stay calm and not get nervous when encountering a dog and said, "People may start to secrete adrenaline or 'fight or flight' hormone when they see dogs. The dog can smell this hormone as well as analyze the behavior of people."