Turkish Mayor of northern town of Bolu criticized animal activists, who documented the dreadful conditions at a dog shelter, where many dogs have frozen to death : ”If they love dogs that much, we’ll give them a dog each”

Bolu, Turkey / NationalTurk – Members of Turkish Animal Rights Federation paid an unscheduled visit to the dod shelter in Bolu, a northern city in Turkey. What they had witnessed at the animal shelter was heart breaking and dreadful. The dogs were chained, had to lay on concrete floors in snow and were able to move only in an area of 1 meter radius at most. The animal activists saw many dogs frozen to death under those dire conditions.

One member photographed and then put the disturbing images on Facebook. And things went from bad to scandalous from that point on. While the Animal Rights Federation  turned to prosecution the mayor of Bolu announced his unawareness of the situation.

Alaattin Yılmaz, the mayor of Bolu from AKP ( governing Justice and Development Party) have countered all criticism on the dead animals and the dire conditions at the shelter belonging to Bolu municipality. On an wired interview with Radikal newspaper, the mayor claimed that the shelter was the optimal dog shelter in Bolu.

When asked about the dead and dying animals and the bad conditions they live in, the mayor answered ”people die out there as well, have you not happened upon a dead body ever ? No one can blame us for not tending to these animals. We, the Bolu Municipality feed them in best ways possible.”

The mayor continued with harsher words ” Bolu is not a place to show off, i would not allow it myself. We will give the necessary lesson to  these showmen” the upset mayor ranted.

In Turkey, in many cities stray dogs are being brought to animal shelters mostly by municipalities of according cities or towns. Yıldız added : ”We bring the dogs in there from the streets so our children do not have to fear them while they go to school. If we let the dogs back to the streets where do we put the people then? There are no stray dogs anywhere in the world. Dogs walk on leashes with their owners. If these activists do love the animals that much we give them each a dog and send them back. ”

One day after the incident, a revisit to the shelter saw wooden platforms are installed where the dogs stay.

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