13 dogs die after being deliberately poisoned in Ankara

ANKARA – Demirören News Agency

Some 13 dogs have died from suspected poisoning in a park in the Batıkent neighborhood of Ankara’s Yenimahalle district.

Six other dogs were being treated in clinics, while seven dogs have gone missing. Three people were detained on April 10 in relation with the incident, local media reported.

“Remorseless people massacred 13 of our dogs here today…The only thing that will bring these people to their knees is legal action. Prison sentences should be handed down to those massacring animals,” said the vice president of the Turkey Animal Rights Confederation late on April 9.

“It is said that two people came here in a white car which had no number plate and gave the dogs here poisonous meat pieces,” said Haydar Özkan.

Scores of locals went to police stations and filed complaints against the two suspected people, demanding they be found.

A special team formed by Yenimahalle police department has launched works to find the suspects.

Meanwhile, Mansur Yavaş, the newly elected mayor of Ankara, vowed to punish those involved. “The Metropolitan Municipality Constabulary and Health Directorate have been assigned for those responsible for this ferocity to be brought out in the open and for a judicial process to be conducted,” Yavaş said on Twitter on April 9.

Also issuing a statement on Twitter, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said that in addition to the police and municipality forces, teams from his ministry’s directorate of nature conservation and national parks were assigned to the case.