Pet shops registered to chamber of butchers: Expert

ISTANBUL

Osman Yardımcı, the head of Turkish Butchers Federation, has sparked a hot animal rights debate in Türkiye by saying, “Pet shops have been registered to the chamber of butchers.”

“I am misunderstood,” Yardımcı said on July 24, a day after his words sensationalized social media.

According to Yardımcı, pet shop owners in the country have still not gathered under their own chamber.

“Due to a regulation that came into force a year ago, pet shops automatically registered to some chambers,” he noted.

“Those selling only animal forage are registered to the bakers’ chambers. Those selling live animals to the butchers’ chambers,” he added.

Murat Arslan, the head of the Istanbul Vets Chamber, agreed with Yardımcı. “Before, some were registered to the chamber of florists. Now they are to the butchers’,” he expressed.

Speaking to Demirören News Agency, Misak Kehyeoğlu, the head of Professional Pet Traders Association, pointed out that there are around 200 pet shops in the capital Ankara gathering under a chamber of greengrocers.

Registration to the chamber of butchers angered some pet shop owners, too.

“We sell live animals, they [butchers] sell the dead. We feed, they cut,” said Ufuk Yardım, a pet shop owner, saying it would be better for the pet shops leaving the chamber of butchers.

“There is no good reason to be under the chamber of butchers,” said Nihat Demir, another pet shop owner.