No buyers found for kittens, puppies stuck in customs in Turkey's Edirne

EDİRNE

No buyers have been found in a second tender for 15 kittens and six puppies that are currently being housed at the Kapıkule and Hamzabeyli customs offices after they were seized while being smuggled into Turkey, Doğan News Agency has reported.

The first tender valued the animals at 22,000 Turkish Liras, but no buyers could be found. In a second tender held on Nov. 16, officials again failed to find any buyers at a price of 16,567 liras.

The animals, which were placed in the care of Ayşen Özkan, the head of the Nature and Animals Protection Association in Edirne, remain stuck at the Kapıkule and Hamzabeyli customs offices.

A new tender will reportedly be held in the near future.




Earlier, 10 kittens that were seized after being illegally smuggled into the country from Bulgaria, were auctioned on Oct. 20 in Edirne, Doğan News Agency reported.

Anti-smuggling units in Edirne seized the 10 Persian and British Shorthair hybrid kittens inside two bags in the truck of a suspicious Bulgarian car after it entered the country from the Hamzabeyli Border Gate. The cats had been illegally smuggled into the country to be sold in pet shops.

The Edirne Liquidation Authority auctioned the kittens for 7,080 liras on Oct. 20, the agency said.

A Turkish animal rights foundation, HAYTAP, also rescued six kittens after buying them at an auction in Edirne.