CHP leader slams AKP bill on stray animals

ANKARA

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel has criticized the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) proposed legislation that could lead to the "euthanasia" of some stray dogs.

Özel voiced his opposition by sharing a photo of himself with a disabled dog named Mira on his X account, accompanied by the hashtag "No to the slaughter law."

The 17-article bill, recently submitted to parliament by the AKP, targets dogs that display aggression, form packs, have anatomical deformities, or carry the risk of rabies.

The proposal grants municipalities the authority to "euthanize" animals with infectious and incurable diseases or those whose ownership is prohibited.

"The first ones to be put to sleep with the law will be disabled animals like Mira. Mira, who I met at the shelter last year, was adopted and lives in good health with three legs," Özel wrote in his post.

"The problems of our stray friends and the concerns about their presence on the streets can only be solved with a scientific, ethical and humane approach, not with legislative proposals that pave the way for massacres."

The proposed law also permits municipalities to "euthanize" stray animals if their population poses a danger to public safety, causes diseases transmittable between animals or to humans, or damages water resources, wildlife and biodiversity.

Additionally, municipalities are mandated to establish animal nursing homes for the protection, care and rehabilitation of stray animals until they are adopted.

The bill includes provisions for penalizing mayors and council members who fail to allocate necessary resources, with imprisonment ranging from six months to two years.