Vet warns child not to kick cat, gets attacked by father, grandfather in Turkey’s Eskişehir

ESKİŞEHİR

A Turkish veterinarian was attacked by the father and grandfather of a six-year-old child whom he warned not to kick a cat on June 5, Doğan News Agency has reported.

The incident, recorded on a security camera, occurred in front of a veterinary clinic named “My heart” at the Büyükdere neighborhood in the western province of Eskişehir.

Just as the six-year-old was reportedly about to enter his apartment building – in which the vet clinic is on the first floor – he attempted to kick a cat in front of the clinic. The vet, Turgay Özdemir, witnessed the incident and gave a verbal warning to the child, who was unsuccessful in his attempt. 

The child reportedly went up to his grandfather, who was walking in front of him, and told him about the incident, which led to a dispute between the grandfather and the vet. As the two pushed one another around, people nearby intervened in the altercation to break up the fight. 

After a while, the child’s father reportedly joined the dispute, which led to the father clasping Özdemir from behind and strangling his throat. Özdemir reportedly fell down and broke his left leg. Following his transfer to a nearby hospital, the vet had his leg encased in a cast.

Özdemir told Doğan News Agency that he filed a complaint against the child’s grandfather, a doctor, and father, an engineer, and asked for police protection against a possibility of them hurting him again. 

“The child gave a kick to one of the cats I was taking care of. I only gave a verbal warning to the child, saying, ‘Aren’t you ashamed of kicking the cat? I’ll now tell of this incident to your father,’” the vet reportedly said.

“The child’s grandfather walked toward me. He head butted me and swore at me. At that point, my glasses hit his head. And the scratch on his head occurred. Telling me that he was a doctor and was going to get an assault report, he continued to threaten me,” he added.