Sole solution for stray animals issue ‘rehabilitation’

ISTANBUL

The sole solution to the ongoing problem regarding stray animals in Istanbul is to rehabilitate the animals and provide better conditions to them in shelters, Governor Davut Gül has stated.

With incidences of injuries caused by dogs and cats coming to light lately, many residents have shown their discomfort regarding the rising number of street animals in Istanbul.

During a visit to an animal rehabilitation center in the Beykoz district on Aug. 6, Gül said the only solution for the problem is to rehabilitate street animals and provide suitable living spaces in shelters.

The governor's office also reported that the center Gül visited treated 13,000 dogs and spayed/neutered 3,740 of them in a year.

In a previous press conference, Gül emphasized that the streets of the city should not host stray animals, and every animal should either be adopted or placed in shelters by municipalities.

“Every animal should have an owner. Even if we love the animals and really care about their rights, we cannot tolerate this situation. When the municipalities do not carry out their duties about the stray animals, the quality of life of residents decreases,” Gül said.