AKP revises controversial draft bill on stray dogs

ANKARA

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has amended a contentious regulation that proposed "euthanizing" unadopted stray dogs, local media reported on July 11.

The bill set to be presented to parliament next week previously aimed to "euthanize" stray dogs that posed a risk of rabies and other infectious diseases, as well as those unadopted within a month of being taken to a shelter.

The proposal faced criticism, prompting AKP officials to reconsider. The party decided to drop the euthanasia clause for unclaimed dogs, BBC Turkish reported.

According to private broadcaster NTV, the euthanasia decision will now be left to a board of veterinarians. Municipalities are required to allocate a portion of their budgets for shelters, with local governments given two years to meet the necessary conditions.

The legislation will also introduce increased fines for municipalities failing to meet their responsibilities and for individuals abandoning animals on the streets, reports said.

Local administrators would also face one to three years in prison, the Türkiye newspaper wrote. Repeated offenses will lead to harsher penalties, including the disqualification of mayors from future elections.

In a high-level AKP meeting last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reportedly called for exploring alternatives to "euthanizing" stray dogs.