Images

Istanbul’s streets are safe for stray dogs — can Pakistan follow its lead?

Istanbul’s streets are safe for stray dogs — can Pakistan follow its lead?

Istanbul's relationship with its four-legged residents is based on mutual respect and peaceful co-existence.
01 Jan, 2021

Opposite the Republic Monument on Taksim Square is one of Istanbul’s furry tourist attractions — a large Turkish Kungal that has made the last aisle in Watson, a store, its favourite napping spot. As passing tourists take pictures with or of it, depending on their comfort with dogs, a green tag catches their attention — an accessory that seems to be a must-have with canines who call the streets of Istanbul their home.

But this store isn’t the only space that welcomes strays. Cats and dogs alike can be seen strolling in and out of cafes, around the Hagia Sofia Square and even the royal palace. The city’s strays — around 160,000 cats and 130,000 dogs — are vaccinated, sterilised, marked and tracked by the government and NGOs.

Bowls of food and water on street corners depict the city’s relationship with its four-legged residents: mutual respect and peaceful co-existence.

The tradition of feeding strays dates back to the Ottoman Empire, when butchers were paid monthly wages to feed dogs. Earlier this year, when the city went into lockdown, the interior ministry ordered the local councils to “bring food and water to animal shelters, parks” and upheld the tradition.

But, the strays of Istanbul weren’t always this lucky.

In 1909, the municipality shipped them to an island in the Marmara Sea, without any food or freshwater. The winds carried their howls through the city. As they starved to death, their desperate pleas were replaced by the rotting stench of their corpses. In the late ’90s and early 2000s, municipalities used the most inhumane, painful, and ineffective method: poison. A quick fix strategy that reduced the dog populations overnight and made governments seem competent and in control.

Istanbul’s streets are safe for strays — a change that was sparked by accepting the idea that animals have as much right to be here as us. Can Pakistan follow its lead?

Repulsed by the barbarity, activists used social media to stir the public into action, sparking demonstrations that eventually forced the Turkish government to pass a law in 2004: local governments could rehabilitate but were forbidden to kill stray dogs.

Public pressure also “forced the government to provide services like regular feeding and medical checks by trained veterinarians.” Didem Tali writes in her piece for The New York Times, “It took 15 years of legislative changes, local initiatives and grassroots activism to make the city more humane.”

Meanwhile in Karachi, in 2006, authorities culled thousands of strays using strychnine and by gunning them down. Cash rewards were offered to encourage the public to join in — turning it into a hunting sport of man versus dog. Piles of bodies were bulldozed and dumped.

Year after year, the authorities would stir into action and start another barbaric campaign to eliminate dogs who managed to survive and reproduce. Fourteen years later, the situation and strategy remained unchanged.

In December 2019, 34,000 strays were culled in Sindh. By October 2020, that count was at 116,000.

And yet, as the year comes to an end, the pye-dog population, dog bite cases and rabies continue to be a growing problem in Sindh.

Districts such as Larkana and Nawabashah run counterproductive culling campaigns, killing dogs while providing them with garbage dumps — perfect breeding grounds to survive and reproduce quickly. A female gives birth to three to four litters per year. That’s roughly 12 pups for every female who hasn’t been neutered, thus rendering all poisoning efforts useless.

Which is why the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Dogs Trust and the RSPCA strongly advocate Animal Birth Control (ABC) through Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) to be the most effective and humane way. ABC recommends that strays should be captured, vaccinated, neutered, tagged or collared and then released back on the streets. To be effective, at least 70 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated and sterilised.  Today, Turkey along with Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, UAE, Egypt, Brazil, Greece and Kenya are implementing ABC.

Recycling bins in Istanbul dispense food for stray dogs and cats|Rachael Ruble/Twitter
Recycling bins in Istanbul dispense food for stray dogs and cats|Rachael Ruble/Twitter

Sri Lanka and Mexico have successfully eliminated rabies using mass dog vaccination (MDV). Their success boils down to political will, which ensured post-exposure prophylaxis was free and available.

Last year, the PC-1 of the Rabies Control Programme was devised by the government with an aim to sterilise and vaccinate 500,000 stray dogs within a year. It failed to launch because of lack of political will and corruption, leading to a petition filed against the government demanding answers.

It is now under the new Local Government secretary Najam Ahmed Shah that the situation is beginning to look promising. The court has instructed the Department of Health to release doses, and a revised PC-1 is in the pipes — a more practical plan that has Rabies Free Pakistan (RFP) as its technical adviser and involves the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock to ensure proper implementation.

Meanwhile, smaller private initiatives such as the Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (ACF), RFP and shelters continue to drive the change. RFP, a private sector initiative, was launched in 2018 by Getz Pharma and The Indus Hospital with an aim to reach ‘Zero by 2030’.

“Rabies is 100 percent vaccine-preventable, which is why RFP’s mandate includes mass dog vaccination (MDV), animal birth control (ABC) and working towards co-existence.” explains Dr Wajiha Javed who is the Project Director of RFP and the Head of Public Health and Research at Getz.

Her teams have vaccinated over 35,000 dogs in Karachi, and sterilised over 10,000 dogs in areas such as Korangi, Landhi, Karachi South, and Saddar.

“The females are surgically spayed while the males are chemically castrated. The animals are tagged, either in neon green or red collars and ear-notched before they are released back to their areas,” she says.

As part of their efforts, RFP also trains KMC workers and aims at community buy-ins. But for this, they need approvals which are easier to obtain if the local authorities are willing.

Ayesha Chundrigar founded the Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (ACF) in 2013, the first and largest animal rescue and shelter in Pakistan, and has been raising her voice against animal abuse. She has rescued and rehabilitated over 7,000 animals so far and her team rescues between five to 15 abused animals per day.

She tries to speak from an animal’s perspective on ACF’s social media platforms and shares their stories. However, the horrific images of abuse, acid attacks, beaten and starved animals with severe injuries and broken spirits really make her wonder about our collective in-depth capacity for empathy.

Both teams believe long term success will only come from a change in mindsets. This is why alongside MVD and ABC, they run awareness campaigns on co-existence in schools and districts to educate children, workers and residents.

“Our people lack empathy. A dog will not bite unless it is rabid or provoked,” Dr Javed says. “A passerby will tease a dog minding its own business by pelting it with stones, and provoke it for fun.”

“We give basic education on understanding animal behaviour: don’t go near a dog protecting its garbage dump, as that’s his food resource, or a mother dog protecting her pups. Our campaign of ‘neighbourhood pets’ encourage people to leave out leftovers for the strays in their vicinity,”  Ayesha says.

But it’s not always people living in close proximity to the dogs that always harm them.

“The general complaint that drives authorities into large scale culling is ‘there are lots of dogs and they bark’,” Ayesha explains.

These complaints result in commissioners taking action and the next day, tagged strays are found dead.

“It all boils down to tolerance, empathy and accepting the idea that animals have as much right to be here as us,” Ayesha emphasises. “I don’t want to run a shelter for abused animals. A shelter overflowing with animals means I have failed in my purpose.”

It is the streets that need to be safe, just like they are for the strays of Istanbul.

Zofishan Umair is a humour columnist, journalist and fiction writer based in Karachi. She tweets @Zofishan

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 27th, 2020

Comments

Chrís Dăn Jan 01, 2021 12:01pm
Taking care of street cats and dogs is something ,very closely linked with civic culture and upbringing. Turkey has secular values . Pakistan people in vast majority to the extent of 95% have no civilized values. The result is gunning down and poisoning of these harmless cats and dogs.
Recommend (0)
Asad Jan 01, 2021 12:03pm
no need to waste money. just remove all bumps which hampers the road for movers like kids, old ones, ladies and others.
Recommend (0)
Nationalist Jan 01, 2021 12:24pm
Pakistani streets are barely safe for humans not to mention that thousands are bit by stray dogs each year, please have realistic opinions.
Recommend (0)
Critic Jan 01, 2021 12:38pm
Are Pakistan leaders even interested in betterment of Pakistan? That’s the question
Recommend (0)
TZaman Jan 01, 2021 01:01pm
Thank you for a wonderful article. Hope it opens our closed mind about animals.
Recommend (0)
Scribe Jan 01, 2021 01:30pm
No wonder the Ottoman Empire was destroyed after the horrific cruelty of shipping dogs to a waterless island in 1908.
Recommend (0)
Truth be told Jan 01, 2021 02:16pm
Yes we can do the same. In fact we did it already. We send them to Bani Gala.
Recommend (0)
Sam Shinde Jan 01, 2021 02:24pm
First question should be are they free for humans. Super Atomi taqat should not ask such silly questions.
Recommend (0)
Umair Jan 01, 2021 02:40pm
" dog will not bite unless it is rabid or provoked,” maybe that is true for castrated dogs but street dogs have every tendency to bite and attack unsuspecting people. Just last month a Lady in my neighborhood was attacked by a stray dog while She was minding her own business, watering her lawn
Recommend (0)
Mushahid Jan 01, 2021 03:06pm
"The city’s strays — around 160,000 cats and 130,000 dogs — are vaccinated, sterilised, marked and tracked by the government and NGOs." The generous & affluent people of Karachi should follow the Istanbul model to take care of stray cats and dogs in Karachi!
Recommend (0)
rumaisa Jan 01, 2021 03:55pm
are there any ways i can help this cause as a minor?
Recommend (0)
ijaz mir Jan 01, 2021 04:21pm
Absolutely provided, if someone takes care of the health of stray dogs, Rabies is a very common decease in the stray dogs, Every year hundreds of people die from a stay dog bites. It is human life against stay dog life. We can export these stray dogs to so many countries, It is a good business.
Recommend (0)
Shahbuddin Jan 01, 2021 04:28pm
Animal Birth Control is not being practice in India contrary to what is reported in this article. Hyderabad where I grew up, used to have thousands of famished stray dogs roaming around biting humans. Today they have multiplied ten times atleast, but are no longer famished. However they still do bite if they don't like you.
Recommend (0)
NSG Jan 01, 2021 04:40pm
Don't much care for the human suffering, but to watch mute animals being mistreated and abused is heart breaking.
Recommend (0)
Farooqui Jan 01, 2021 05:40pm
Stray dogs need to be adopted by animal activists and taken to their homes as pets or otherwise culled by municipalities. Streets are no place for homeless dogs a source of uncontrolled breeding, disease such as rabies etc and continued nuisance of biting children.
Recommend (0)
Imtiaz Ali Khan Jan 01, 2021 06:28pm
You guys are beautiful safe all my animals. Love to you always my Pakistan. #vegetarians
Recommend (0)
Ibrahim S Jan 01, 2021 06:40pm
There at two types of people , followers and leaders . You make a choice what do you want to be.
Recommend (0)
aziz Jan 01, 2021 07:13pm
There should be any stray dogs at all . Our kids are dying from dog bites and we are doing nothing !
Recommend (0)
Arfeeen Khan Jan 01, 2021 08:33pm
@Chrís Dăn - Do you have any number of how many dogs and cats are euthanized(i.e. killing in by giving anesthetic drug called sodium pentobarbital in plain English) in USA and Europe. It is a big number in millions.
Recommend (0)
Jonathan Jan 01, 2021 11:09pm
@Chrís Dăn The humanity is not secular or unsecular! Loving and taking care of creation is plain humanity! Period!
Recommend (0)
ramzan Jan 02, 2021 12:18am
@Chrís Dăn So called civilized people killed most of the natives in America and Australia and those left are suffering under their rule. As far as Pakistan is concerned, it is corruption of the leaders who are given safe havens in Europe so the common people are deprived of the basic need. If the people are deprived of their basic need themselves, should they be blamed for not looking after the stray dogs or west should be blamed for their basic needs. Are they uncivilised? or people in Europe who give safe haven to these corrupt people?
Recommend (0)
Sarkari Saand Jan 02, 2021 12:52am
That's why Hinduism ABSOLUTELY prohibits harming any living being, including birds, animals, insects, etc. In ancient India there was a custom of offering the first roti to a cow or dog. Thankfully, it's still followed by many.
Recommend (0)
Hansoti sh Jan 02, 2021 12:57am
@Nationalist exactly don't run before u can walk, but it is good to aim high, as the best society also respects the weakest. However, unlike the unique history Kemalist extremism where copying European culture in toto without discernment results in the excess of dog worship & misanthropy, let us have everything in proportion using them as guard dogs & not encouraging rabies & corona in crowds
Recommend (0)
ABC$ Jan 02, 2021 12:58am
Stray dog problem is a very serious matter since the city started to grow in the sixties.ABC will not work here,ABC till Z needs to be implemented here.
Recommend (0)
Anonymous Jan 02, 2021 01:16am
@Arfeeen Khan Don't even compare our society with theirs. In USA, Turkey and Europe, they treat animals kindly. They have shelters all over the places where they are trapped, neutered, vaccinated, fostered and then adopted. And yes many do get euthanized humanely but that is mostly to get them out of suffering and to make space for other animals. Not saying it is right but the intentions are always to help the street and other animals.
Recommend (0)
Galang Jan 02, 2021 01:18am
Even if we have as much rights as animals, we will be ok.....
Recommend (0)
Imran Afgan Jan 02, 2021 01:20am
What is the author talking about both the population of Istanbul and karachi are almost the same and so is the crime rate.
Recommend (0)
Ga Jan 02, 2021 04:21am
"Character of a nation is known by the way it treats its animals".....anonymous
Recommend (0)
Not true Jan 02, 2021 05:52am
I don't know who gave you this information but Istanbul is not safe for strays!!! They are tortured, killed even raped. You can check some of the organizations' pages trying to help these animals. One of them is "Haysev". Shelters are full of neglegted animals. Only a bunch of them is in good condition. If you kill an animal they may be charge you with fine, that's it. If you don't believe me just search the internet. I've been looking after strays and I saw so many people who hate them. Sorry, but that's the truth :/
Recommend (0)
M. Siddique Jan 02, 2021 07:03am
Pakistan has stray politicians.
Recommend (0)
Thunderbird Jan 02, 2021 08:28am
@Chrís Dăn... harmless cats and dogs? How ? Rabies , dog bites ? Deaths due to rabies ?
Recommend (0)
Khanm Jan 02, 2021 10:33am
If you want to guage any society...see how they treat it's animal...besides Turkey has European influence...while Pakistan is influenced by Arab culture...where dogs are consider as unclean animals..If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and man...
Recommend (0)
Chrís Dăn Jan 02, 2021 01:30pm
@Jonathan humanity is an integrral ingredien of a civilized approach.
Recommend (0)
Chrís Dăn Jan 02, 2021 01:31pm
@ramzan UK gives safe haven and it is no more in EU.
Recommend (0)
Chrís Dăn Jan 02, 2021 01:34pm
@ramzan the issue here is Pakistan and yes Pakistani people to extent of 95% are devoid of humane culture. It includes all voters too who re responsible to bring corrupt leaders on them. It is our civic fabric which is full of holes.
Recommend (0)
Chrís Dăn Jan 02, 2021 01:36pm
@Sarkari Saand but Thakurs still enjoy hunting. Ella,do.not write lies please.
Recommend (0)
Chrís Dăn Jan 02, 2021 01:37pm
@Khanm yes it is one of factors but at the same time one has to admit that main factor is lack of concern .
Recommend (0)
Chrís Dăn Jan 02, 2021 01:42pm
@Not true I often visit Turkey as after Tunisia,it is my fav.most vacation resort. I assure you you are incorrect to the extent of falsification. I have seen how cats are looked after in streets. The mayor of Istanbul is a progressive secular who has done a lot for general welfare of people as well as animal life there. The city is just one city of civilizedEurope. So do not go on heasay or propaganda. Seeing is believing.
Recommend (0)